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August 2017

Welcome to MusicMaster!



New From the MusicMaster Blog

Make It Your Own!

by Drew Bennett - When I was young and just learning to program a day’s music log, my main issue was not being aware of what I needed to know about the music I was scheduling. Sound codes, Mood, Tempo, Type and Texture were mostly foreign to me. I can sit here and remember working on the DOS-based version of MusicMaster at KNNC in Austin, TX and thinking back then, “I guess I’ll just schedule this music the way the other guy showed me and then fill in these unscheduled positions and…done.” I bought my first PC in 1997. I got serious with learning about computers and the software I used at work every day. A majority of my time was spent reading the MusicMaster-DOS manual and that began my journey toward a passion for the science and art of music scheduling. Sound codes, Mood, Tempo, Type and Texture became my main daily focus. As a result, I listened to music differently than ever before.

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To Tag or Not To Tag?

by Jesus Rodriguez - Recently I took a three hour road trip to a music festival and being the radio nerd that I am I took this opportunity to scan the dial and even some radio apps. I am around music 24/7 (at least it feels like it). I get away from it by listening to talk radio, specifically comedy channels. I love providing enjoyment to people in the next lane seeing me drive alone in my car looking like a crazy guy laughing about absolutely nothing in their eyes.

What I may say to some may seem like blasphemy and to others may make sense. If tagging music (have a recorded intro or backsell) is your thing then cool more power to you. It is super easy to do within MusicMaster. This blog is not about how to tag songs but if that is what you are looking for you may want to stop reading, click below, and enjoy yourself before I burst your bubble.

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Quick Tip: Daypart Avails

If you daypart songs, you might not realize the impact that is having on your rotations. You can check this by going to Analysis. The bottom graph has an icon with a clock and red x for Category Daypart Avails. When opened, you can pick any category you'd like. The top will display the number of songs/slots along with the min/avg/max number of songs available. The graph will show you the number of songs that are available in the specific hours across the whole week. You can add the Daypart Speedup column to the top graph to see the percentage of speedup.

Raving Fans from Brazil

Ready to brush up on your Portuguese? This video was captured by Informa - MusicMaster's sales partner in Brazil - during a visit with two new MusicMaster Raving Fans: Topogigio of Rádio Gazeta FM and Kleber Mendes of Rádio Cultura de Cuiabá/MT. MusicMaster was created nearly 35 years ago in Wisconsin, USA, and has since grown into a system that is used widely throughout the world. Not only are we proud to serve so many diverse needs and formats, we love hearing back from our users in their many diverse tongues!



Public Radio Unites in DC for August Conference

This month, from August 14th to 17th, public radio program directors will gather in Washington D.C. for the annual PRPD Conference. The event will bring together more than 400 of the public radio system’s key professionals dedicated to the art and science of public radio content and its valued service to listeners.

If you are planning to attend, we invite you to connect with MusicMaster's Jill Sorenson, who will be at the show to meet, answer questions, and share the latest updates. Please send an e-mail to arrange a meeting with Jill. Have a great show!

September Trade Shows At-A-Glance

September is a busy month for industry trade shows. Here's a look at which shows MusicMaster will be visiting next month. If you're attending any of these, please get in touch. We'd love to connect with you, whether just to say hello, answer your scheduling questions, or take an in-depth look at upcoming features.

NAB Fall Radio Show
The radio-focused conference of the National Association of Broadcasters will take place this year in Austin, TX from Sept 6 - 8 at the J.W. Marriott hotel. Look for the MusicMaster Meeting Point at Booth #427 or contact Drew Bennett to set up an appointment.

CMB Momentum
The Christian Music Broadcasters conference will convene from Sept 6 - 9 at Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, FL. To set up a meeting time with the MusicMaster team, contact Shane Finch or Marianne Burkett. We also highly recommend you attend the MusicMaster Genius Day on September 6 from 9am - 4pm. For more info or to RSVP for this free workshop, read the next article in this newsletter or click here.

IBC 2017
This year's premier international event for media, entertainment and technology will take place from September 14 - 19 in Rai, Amsterdam. Join ON AIR's CTO Kevin Hopkins and our international partners at the MusicMaster Meeting Point (Booth 8.E06) to have a chat and share a cup of coffee. Kevin says, "I will be more than happy to share the latest software updates with you and brainstorm about how you can meet your goals in programming and music scheduling." You can set up an appointment with Kevin via email or stop by the MusicMaster Meeting Point in Hall 8. Click to Plan Your Show

CCBE Conference
The Central Canada Broadcast Engineers will host their annual educational gathering from Sept 28 - Oct 1 at the Kingbridge Conference Centre in Toronto, ON. Contact Malcolm Sinclair to set up a meeting time, or catch him on the show floor at one of our MusicMaster Integration partner booths (including Enco, Wide Orbit, and OMT). On Friday, Malcolm will also be joining Wide Orbit's William "Dub" Irvin and Jim Hammond to present a paper on MusicMaster Integration with Wide Orbit Automation for Radio (2pm - 3pm, Room B).

September Genius Day in Orlando

MusicMaster is returning to Orlando for our third Genius Day at the Christian Music Broadcasters' annual Momentum conference. Our free workshop will be held on Wednesday, Sept 6 from 9am to 4pm in the Coral Sea I room at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort - Universal Orlando Convention Center, where the CMB Momentum event is taking place. This year, the Genius Day will be hosted by MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant Marianne Burkett. Our focus will be on advanced programming strategies in a highly interactive format. Bring your questions and ideas. We’ll solve your current challenges and help you discover brand new ideas for improving your programming and workflows.

Among other things, you'll learn about:

To RSVP in advance for this FREE event, click the button below. Please pass this along to your colleagues. This workshop is not specific to any format and everyone is welcome, no matter their experience level with MusicMaster.


Click to Register

Record Attendance at Conclave Genius Day

2017 Conclave Genius Day Attendees

MusicMaster's annual Minneapolis Conclave Genius Day is traditionally a popular event and this year was no different, with a record attendance of over fifty MusicMaster users. Though Conclave is primarily a Midwest gathering, this year's attendees hailed from all corners of the country, representing many experience levels with MusicMaster - from brand new users to seasoned pros. At the helm, MusicMaster's Drew Bennett led the group through an in-depth exploration of the software's tools and features, including some of the newest additions to our upcoming Version 7. During the lunch hour, attendees learned about streaming music trends from Haley Jones of Nielsen Radio.

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A packed house of Geniuses in trainingHaley Jones of Nielsen Radio joined as special guest presenterDrew Bennett with Brian Kelly, VP of Operations for Entercom Milwaukee
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Mollie Mawlz of Leighton Broadcasting and Ava Lynn Eekhoff of Q-Media GroupCutter - Music Director with WAPL/WZOR, and Corey Carter - Brand Manager with WIXXDrew Bennett shares some thoughts with Joe Cicero, PD/Host for WZSR-FM
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MusicMaster Dream Team: Melanie and Joe Knapp with Drew BennettNathan Graham of 103.7 KISS FM and Molly Cruz of WMYX-FM from Entercom MilwaukeeDrew Bennett shares a moment with WCWI Operations Manager and Morning Host Bob Goff.

If you're still on the fence about making the trip to attend our next Genius Day (Sept 6 in Orlando) then you might want to read some of these remarks from our Conclave attendees.

Jeff McCarthy, VP of Progamming for Midwest Communications, said: "Some things never change but that's not the case with music scheduling. I've now attended my second MusicMaster Genius Day and it amazes me how the process and program continually improves and innovates. Genius Day provides a learning platform for not only the veteran music scheduler but also those in the early stages of music scheduling. I guarantee that after you attend MusicMaster Genius Day you will leave the room smarter than when you entered."

Tony Waitekus - Operations Manager for NRG Media-Wausau/Stevens Point, shared: "It's really cool learning about the secrets of MusicMaster. Sometimes, we don't venture off from the things we always use.  I found myself saying “that’s right” several times as I was relearning things I knew in the past, but had forgotten about."

Heather Storm - Afternoon Host/MD for WKSZ-FM, said: "As a newer user to MusicMaster, I was able to get a better grasp on basic nuances I haven't yet had time to learn. The section on search depth was especially helpful for improving station rotation, and the ability to change grids by the hour will save plenty of scheduling time. Conceptually, I gained a better picture of what creates quality turnover.  Although simple, one of the most important realizations was the necessity to clean out an inherited database!

Kris Valentine - PD for KZPK-FM, summed up the experience like this: "It doesn’t take a “genius” to know you NEED to attend a MusicMaster Genius Day!! I thought I knew just about everything when it comes to MusicMaster, but boy was I wrong. I learned some tips and tricks that will not only make my station sound better, but will also save me valuable time as well. I highly recommend attending a Genius Day to anyone who uses MusicMaster in your cluster."

Tom Gjerdum - Operations Manager for Midwest Communications, reflected on his second Genius Day: "What a great day of learning, from reintroductions of the basics to some of the best tricks to get the best out of your scheduler.  Drew Bennett is a master at teaching what he loves, and he also makes it fun and interesting, which can often be a challenge with tech products such as MusicMaster.  If you ever have the chance to attend a MusicMaster Genius Day, don't miss out on that opportunity!  Oh - and I can't wait for version 7."

Brian Kelly - VP of Operations for Entercom Milwaukee said: "I had an awesome time at MusicMaster Genius Day!  Not only did we get a sneak peek at the upcoming version 7 of MusicMaster, but we also learned a lot of timesaving tips and shortcuts from the MusicMaster crew to help us optimize our logs and find the very best music possible in the shortest amount of time.  Thanks to the crew at MusicMaster for a very productive and worthwhile day."

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this a successful day of learning and sharing. We hope to see you all again next year! Remember to stay tuned for more information on our upcoming Genius Days in Orlando and San Antonio.

Looking Back at Conclave 2017

For MusicMaster, the 42nd annual Conclave kicked off with a bang as we enjoyed a successful Genius Day. From there, the good times continued. This year's Conclave was well-attended by broadcasters from all over the Midwest region and beyond. Conclave Board Chair Lori Lewis has been committed to bringing a continued new life to this longstanding radio gathering. She writes: "The need for mentors and more colleagues to talk with is of great demand. And it should be. Success is not a solo process." Indeed, the conference brought together many well-respected mentors and colleagues to share ideas and support each other in a common goal: delivering valuable entertainment to listeners. Some of our photo highlights are below.

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MusicMaster Founder Joe Knapp giving introductory remarks"Unconsultant" Keith Hill with Joe KnappSteve Linder, President of Lakeland Broadcasting, with Keith Hill and MusicMaster's Shane Finch
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2017 Rockwell Award Winner John Gehron with media consultant Paul JacobsJohn Gehron with Art Vuolo, President Vuolo VideosJohn Gehron and Joe Knapp
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Joe Knapp with Steve LinderMusicMaster's Melanie Knapp with Jeff McCarthy, VP/Programming Midwest CommunicationsJeff McCarthy and Shane Finch
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(Left to right) Jeff McCarthy, Shane Finch, Joe Knapp, Brendon Berger, Kipper McGee, Melanie Knapp, Molly Cruz, Keith Hill, Jay Philpott, JD Justice, Nathan Graham, Tony Waitekus, Brian Kelly, Tom Gjerdrum, Art VuoloJoel Denver - President AllAccess.com, Jeff McCarthy, and Tom Baldrica - Corporate Country Brand Strategist/Midwest Communications

Attendees who took in the many powerful panels and presentations were also able to catch MusicMaster Founder Joe Knapp delivering some introductory remarks. Joe spoke briefly before Paul Jacobs' talk on "4 Questions Facing Everyone In Radio." Joe also introduced this year's Rockwell Award winner John Gehron by sharing the story of the award and the man for which it was named. Check out the video below to hear that story for yourself.



MusicMaster Midwest Road Trip

As members of the MusicMaster team made their way to Minneapolis for Conclave, they were welcomed by many MusicMaster stations along the way. They had a great time crashing studios and talking radio shop with old and new friends alike. Thank you to everyone who shared their time and their MusicMaster stories and triumphs with us. Follow the map to see photo highlights from each of the stops!



Tharien Oosthuizen - Music Compiler - RSG, Johannesburg, South Africa

Tharien shared: "MusicMaster makes my life scheduling music for RSG, the Afrikaans Public Broadcaster of the SABC, so much easier. The software responds without hiccups to rules you add and adjust.  It is faster than our previous system, so it is less time consuming. The reporting for the different music and broadcasting bodies of South Africa runs smoothly.  The way the music schedules through the day creates a good experience of easy listening for our listeners, who make up a big spectrum of age and type of listener.  Last but not least, all of this is possible with the great MusicMaster support team."

Marianne Burkett
Music Scheduling Consultant
San Antonio, TX

Marianne Burkett, who has been a MusicMaster Scheduling & Sales Consultant since 2005, describes her job as "part Program Director, part Music Director, part Programming Consultant and part Tech Help Desk." She adds, "Frequently, I'm asked for advice about Programming and I freely give that advice. In this life, you should always share your knowledge and gifts. I also sell MusicMaster, so if you'd like for me to answer any questions or give you a quote for a subscription or direct you to the correct product, I'd be happy to help you."

Before coming to MusicMaster, Marianne's career highlights included working for and with some fantastic programmers and consultants. She worked at Westwood One Radio Network as the network Music Director and as Music Director for Austin start-up KGSR-FM in 1989. This station started as a NAC (New Adult Contemporary) formatted station, and GM Brian Beasley gave the PD Michael Redding the green light to go shopping for music. Marianne recalls, "Michael and I trekked out into an Austin record store and spent a gob of money on the coolest music we could find, I entered everything by hand into the old Generation II music scheduling system and we launched as 107.1fm...The Star. We played everything from James Taylor to Hiroshima...and we made it make sense. Only in Austin!" Marianne shares that her favorite job was working with her ex-husband, the late Bill Burkett, as his APD and morning show co-host in Chattanooga at WLMX. "It was like Ozzie and Harriett on the radio. Here's a shout out to our newsman Robin Daniels who kept us sane and laughing every morning."

Now, having been with MusicMaster for twelve years and counting, Marianne reflects, "My favorite thing about working at MusicMaster (besides the product itself) is more about relationships. I've developed some great business relationships over the past 11 years and have made many friends." Her best advice for those in the radio industry is: "Share what you know and allow those you work with to pour into you. Think about what the listener is feeling... it is an emotional medium. Don't yell or puke when you open a mic, and be yourself. Don't over-think it....it's not rocket science. One more thing: If you are on the air: don't take sides in politics during your show, or on Facebook....unless you are in talk radio. Half of your listeners will divorce you."

In her free time, Marianne pursues her love of music by singing in the choir at her church. In the past few years, Marianne shares that she went from being a background vocalist who played percussion in a small band to a rhythm guitar player and lead vocalist in a duet group that leads worship for a fairly large weeknight study group at church. Marianne also enjoys the outdoors, hiking, swimming, golf, cycling and boating, plus digging in the dirt trying to grow things. Pictured below are Marianne with her daughter and beautiful new granddaughter.


To connect with Marianne online, e-mail marianne.burkett@musicmaster.com or visit her LinkedIn and Facebook profiles.

Industry Events

  • Jan 25, 2018 - South Carolina Broadcasters Convention, Columbia, SC
  • Jan 25 - 27, 2018 - Salon de la Radio, Paris, France
  • Feb 5 - 7, 2018 - Country Radio Seminar, Nashville, TN
  • Feb 21 - 23, 2018 - Rock Radio Convention, Las Vegas, NV
  • March 6 -7, 2018 - Great Lakes Broadcasting Convention, Lansing, MI
  • March 13 - 14, 2018 - Radio Ink Hispanic Convention, Miami, FL
  • March 18 - 20, 2018 - Radiodays Europe, Vienna, Austria
  • April 9 - 12, 2018 - NAB Show, Las Vegas, NV
  • April 19 - 20, 2018 - Oklahoma Broadcasters Convention, Tulsa, OK
  • May 2 - 4, 2018 - Worldwide Radio Summit, Los Angeles, CA
  • May 9 - 10, 2018 - Canadian Music Week, Toronto, ON
  • May 15 - 17, 2018 - British Columbia Association Broadcasters, Osoyoos, BC
  • May 30 - 31, 2018 - LAB/MAB Convention, New Orleans, LA
  • June 26 - 28, 2018 - Broadcast Asia, Singapore
  • July 3 - 4, 2018 - Loaklrundfunktage, Nuremburg, Germany
  • July 25 - 27, 2018 - Conclave, Minneapolis, MN
  • August 1 - 2, 2018 - Texas Association of Broadcasters, Austin, TX
  • August 20 - 23, 2018 - PRPD, Austin, TX
  • Sept 5 - 8, 2018 - Christian Music Broadcasters Convention, Orlando, FL
  • Sept 14 - 18, 2018 - IBC, Amsterdam
  • Sept 25 - 28, 2018 - NAB Fall Radio Show, Orlando, FL
  • Sept 27 - 30, 2018 - CCBE, King City, ON
  • Oct 16 - 18, 2018 - Wisconsin Broadcasters, Madison, WI
  • Oct 25 - 27, 2018 - College Broadcasters (CBI) Conference, Seattle, WA
  • Nov 5 - 8, 2018 - WABE, Vancouver, BC
  • Are you planning to go to one of these events?
    We would love to meet you there! Contact your MSC or send us an email to let us know.

    MusicMaster Genius Days

    To be announced in 2018
  • January 23, 2018 - Cleveland Genius Day, Cleveland, OH

    For international dates, visit ON AIR Website

  • sales@musicmaster.com
    469.717.0100