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September 2016

Welcome to MusicMaster!



New From the MusicMaster Blog

Filling Unscheduled Positions via Saved Queries

by Paul Ziino - We're going to go through two processes here. The first step is creating a Saved Query in MusicMaster. To do so, click on Dataset/Library/Query the Library/New Query. This opens the Library Query box. Here you can create queries for all sorts of things in your library. For example: query for songs with high test scores, songs with low burn scores, songs within a certain genre or gender, specific categories, the sky is the limit! Once you’ve built the query click the “Save As” icon then name the query. Now that you’ve saved this query it will be available to you in Library Maintenance and in the Schedule Editor.

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Replace Songs Better

by Jesus Rodriguez - In MusicMaster 6.0 we have many new features that have been introduced. One of my favorites has to be the Rule Filters within the Song Replacement Tool.

When you are in the Schedule Editor I am sure you may have had to replace a song or two within your log by clicking on F9 or double clicking on your song, fill an unscheduled position or add a song. I bet there have been many times when you have to decide to override a rule and replace the position with a song that breaks a rule because it was only off by a little bit from the rules parameters.

What if I told you now you can make your rules a little more flexible for that one position on the fly? Just think of the possibilities! We all want that perfect log and set our rules up to do that for us. Occasionally a rule is more difficult to accomplish as our library changes. Adding or removing songs changes the number of songs with specific sound codes, tempo codes, or anything you might be testing. Instead of you taking a shot in the dark of what song you think will be the best one for that position when you override the broken rule you can have this great new tool find it for you.

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Quick Tip: Turnover Analysis Options

You probably use Turnover Analysis to review your projected rotations. There are many things that can affect your rotations besides the rules and you can review those settings in Turnover as well. The bottom graph has a toolbar with options to see the clock calls (musical note icon), how dayparting affects the number of songs available (clock/x icon) and autoburn settings (musical note with fire). Should you need to change the autoburn setting, you can do that with this option. All of these settings can affect the projected rotation of your category but remember that rules are not taken into account here and will likely affect the final play histories you see.

What's All This Talk About MusicMaster Genius Days

With a few more Genius Days coming up in the U.S. and the European Genius Tour just beginning in Europe, we'd like to remind you just why you might want to consider attending these MusicMaster workshops. In this video, watch as some of our past Genius Day 'graduates' share their experiences. Read on in this newsletter for links to upcoming sessions, or for general information, visit our website.



Hoi Hoi, Let's Meet in Amsterdam!

From September 9th to 13th, Amsterdam will be hosting the annual IBC - the premier event for radio, TV and web professionals worldwide. Our ON AIR team of Thomas Roth, Kevin Hopkins and new sales manager Jochen Reinecke will be there at the MusicMaster Meeting Point.

If you will be attending, we invite you to stop by Booth 8E 30 and have a chat and a coffee with the team. They will be on hand to answer any questions about the software, share the latest updates, and talk about how you can meet your goals in programming, music scheduling, and more.

We are very happy to announce that the IBC MusicMaster Meeting Point will also be hosted by our integration partners and fellow radio-lovers amily and adremes.

adremes - The only communication and trading platform for radio and audio in Europe. They have brought radio advertising into the online age and opened up new sources of income for radio and audio publishers.

amily – Ensures perfect workflows and provides new impulse for best multimedia advertising management (radio, TV, online, webcast, podcast).

We welcome you to set up an appointment via email or just drop by the MusicMaster Meeting Point (Booth 8E 30).

Contact:
Thomas Roth
Kevin Hopkins
Jochen Reinecke

adremes and amily:
Jochen Richter
Maik Lenze

Click to Plan Your Show

MusicMaster to Showcase Version 7 at Fall Radio Show

On September 21 - 23, Nashville will play host to the annual NAB/RAB Fall Radio Show. If you will be attending, be sure to stop by the MusicMaster Meeting Point to get your first look at the new Version 7! We are excited to present new features which among other things will enhance the user interface and add new functionality to the Format Clock editor. Some of these features include:

You can find the Meeting Point just past the Registration tables as you head towards the Entrance of the show. If you'd like to get in touch before-hand and set up an appointment, please contact us. We look forward to joining you in Nashville!

Only 4 Chances Left to Attend a Genius Day in the States

If you haven't made it to a Genius Day yet this year, you still a few opportunities to seize. This is an excellent way to put your department's training and development budget to good use before the end of the year. You'll spend a whole day learning new strategies from special guest speakers. Our MusicMaster team will answer all your burning questions and show you how to use MusicMaster like you never have before. Each of the following events are associated with an upcoming regional or format-specific trade show, allowing you to maximize your time and travel.

Click on an event below for more information.



European Genius Day Tour Dates

ON AIR has kicked off their grand European Genius Day tour, with many locations throughout the continent for the convenience of our international users. Check the dates below to find the workshop closest to you. Please visit the ON AIR Website for updates, or to contact a representative for more information.

Lund Programming Clinic: The Songs That Got Away

The following article was written by Dan Spice, Lund Media Group VP, and featured in the September Lund Letter. We wanted to share this excellent reminder with you as we are entering a new season.

Remember how you smiled when you heard "that song" for the first time in a long while? Listeners like that "oh wow" effect, too. The closing days of summer are a perfect time to check your music library for the songs that got away. They may be relegated to a random hold category or waiting for airplay at the end of a long list of tunes. Here are the hiding places to search for those hidden hits:

Playing the right songs and using the right software controls are vital to a music station’s success. With the fall diary sweep and the October PPM starting very soon, it's the prime time for a comprehensive music review and software tune-up. The Lund Consultants will examine your library and music software to get you set. Email john@lundradio.com for this easy, cost efficient method to increase your time spent listening.

Une Bonne Nouvelle: MusicMaster "10 Steps Series" Now in French

Good news for all our French speaking MusicMaster users. We are finally releasing the French version of our much-appreciated tutorial series: 10 Steps to Create a Perfect Rotation with MusicMaster. Many thanks to Jeale Vanuls (pictured) who did a great job in explaining the most important basic steps to becoming a MusicMaster expert.

Like the English and German version of this tutorial series, the French version contains 10 videos of about 3-6 minutes long that cover all aspects of setting up MusicMaster in the right way to create a perfect rotation.

We will continue to expand this series to cover the latest features of MusicMaster. So stay tuned for more!

Click here to watch the "10 Steps Series" in: French, English or German.

Canada, Eh?

Last month, MusicMaster's Creative Officer Laurie Knapp embarked on a cross-country Canadian road trip. Along the way, she had an opportunity to visit with some of our northern MusicMaster friends.

The first stop brought Laurie to Winnipeg, Manitoba where she stopped by Corus Entertainment's Winnipeg studios to visit with Tammy Cole (Program Director for 97.5 BIG-FM and 99.1 Fresh Radio) and Clint James (Host and Music Coordinator for 99.1 Fresh Radio). Laurie was also joined by Gordo Fry, a representative of the Winnipeg-based OMT Technologies, creators of automation system iMediaTouch. Look for more updates from us in the future as they roll out the newly developed Nexus Integration with MusicMaster!

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Tammy Cole, Program Director for 97.5 BIG-FM and 99.1 Fresh RadioL to R: Laurie Knapp (MusicMaster), Gordo Fry (OMT), Randy Parker (Host, 97.5 BIG-FM), Clint James (Host, Music Coordinator 99.1 Fresh Radio)

Next, Laurie drove through the gorgeous (albeit very flat) expanse between Manitoba and Saskatchewan to arrive in Regina, the "city that rhymes with fun" and home to Harvard Broadcasting stations My 92.1, The Wolf 104.9 and 620 CKRM. Colin Lovequist (MD/Host for CKRM) and Drew Dalby (MD/Host for 104.9 The Wolf) proudly showed off their studio home, which has been part of the community for decades. Colin kept Laurie entertained with stories from the radio days of yore, including a peek through his impressive artist photo collection and a seemingly endless treasure trove of memorabilia. Not sure where else you'll find a man who keeps a pair of Elvis Presley's eyeglasses in his desk drawer!

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Colin Lovequist proudly display his MusicMaster Genius Day certificateDrew Dalby joined the Raving Fans lineup. Stay tuned for the upcoming video!

After leaving Regina, Laurie made her way across the continent to Vancouver to visit the beautiful Jim Pattison Group studios of 93.7 JRfm and 102.7 The Peak. Chief Engineer David Linder led the grand tour, including a stop out on the station's party deck to take in the breathtaking view of the city. These two Vancouver stations are integral parts of one of the most culturally diverse and thriving cities in Canada, and we are proud to have them in the MusicMaster family.

Laurie also had the opportunity to meet programmer and Afternoon Drive host Docc Andrews and GM/PD Mark Patric, who shared his MusicMaster origin story. Many years ago, when MusicMaster first made the move to Windows, Mark attended a Genius Day in Chicago to see what all the hype was about. After meeting with MusicMaster CEO Joe Knapp (who also happens to be Laurie's father!), Mark was instantly hooked. From there, he became an eager evangelist and dedicated super-user. We're glad to have you, Mark, and thank you and your colleagues for the warm welcome in Vancouver.


Docc Andrews, Laurie Knapp and Mark Patric
MusicMaster Welcomes Blair Sullivan

We’re happy to announce that Blair Sullivan has joined the MusicMaster family and will be responsible for customer relations and the handling of MusicMaster related support issues in Australia.

We are pretty sure that we do not need to introduce Blair to you extensively since there is a great chance that you know him already. Blair has been working with MusicMaster for years and is a recognized expert in using the software and its features. For over 28 years Blair Sullivan has worked with and for some of the biggest radio and television brands and groups across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe in programming, strategy, management, branding, and more. He has also guest lectured at Australia's leading universities on topics such as marketing and positioning. After having founded his company Create Consult Research in 2014, he is now also taking over responsibility for MusicMaster Scheduling in Australia.

"As the worldwide distributor of MusicMaster, ON AIR would like firstly to thank you for your ongoing support and usage of the MusicMaster product” said Rainer Eichhorn and Max Müller, General Managers of ON AIR, in a statement to international users. Joe Knapp, President and CEO of MusicMaster adds, "We are thankful that Blair, as an experienced music and programming authority will take care of you and your needs as we constantly seek to improve MusicMaster to ensure it remains a leader in music scheduling software."

In his new role, Blair will get in touch with regional users to ensure that the support transition is handled in the smoothest possible way. The transfer of new accounts from the current sales and support provider (Audio Video Consulting Group) to Blair will be completed by December 31, 2016. Until this point, AVC will still be available to handle financial matters. Starting in January of 2017, ON AIR will also take over the billing process. Australian customers can rest assured that all payments and contractual conditions will remain the same and that an Australian bank account will be available for payments. Customer support services will also remain available during local Australian office hours.

ON AIR states: "We are committed to ensuring that you will continue to receive the highest level of service and support as you remain a member of the global and still growing MusicMaster family. If there are any further questions we would be glad to assist you. Feel free to contact Blair or ON AIR at any time.

Blair Sullivan | MusicMaster Representative
+61 408736573
bs@onair.de

Rainer Eichhorn | General Manager ON AIR
+49 1723012237
re@onair.de

Support Services
Website
E-Mail

Another MusicMaster Station Leads the Pack

MusicMaster would like to congratulate Family Friendly WCSG 91.3 of Grand Rapids, Michigan for being recognized as the highest-cumeing non-com station in recent Nielsen rankings. Pubradio blogger Ken Mills notes, "Cornerstone University’s contemporary Christian WCSG has a weekly cume of 185,600 listeners which is up 7% from last year."

WCSG began broadcasting in 1973 under the ownership and guidance of Grand Rapids Bible College & Seminary, now known as Cornerstone University. What began as a blend of easy listening, classical music, and Bible preaching programs transitioned to its current all-Christian format of family friendly, commercial free, adult contemporary music and teaching programs. Listener supported WCSG is now heard on five frequencies throughout West Michigan and is stronger than ever.



LA Lloyd - Program Director and Host - KLBJ-FM, Austin, TX

LA shares: "Scheduling music is a part of a programmer’s day that should be enjoyable. You have the vision of what you want your station to sound like. With your artists and titles selected to get that targeted audience to listen longer, you have to have a music scheduling system that performs with perfection every day. That’s why I have been using MusicMaster for over fifteen years. When you’re given the opportunity to be Program Director at two of the most well-branded Rock stations in the nation, you want software that’s going to perform with the highest expectations. MusicMaster is the software I rely on daily at 93.7 KLBJ-FM in Austin and previously at 99.5 KISS in San Antonio.

Drew Bennett from tech support and I have spent many years working together. He always has the answer to help me get my station sounding the best with tips and tweaks on performance and scheduling efficiency.

Great job MusicMaster!"



Mark Edwards Edelstein

The incredibly diverse and gifted Mark Edwards is entertaining a new challenge. Edwards was most recently with music streaming service CÜR Media, and boasts radio experience with Entercom and CBS.

Currently residing in the St. Louis area, Edwards is flexible and willing to relocate for the right opportunity. In addition to his music scheduling capabilities and with his technical background, there are very few software platforms Mark is not comfortable with. In today’s budget conscious world, Edwards would bring talents capable of suiting multiple departments within an organization.

Edwards shares, "I've got a unique combination of radio and digital experience, so I'd love to find a chance to use both of them in my next position. Maybe it's helping a cluster or group with their online presence while programming a station or working as a consultant to assist stations in making their online offerings as compelling as what they're doing on the air.

I’m a storyteller. I’ve been telling stories on traditional media and new media or online media or whatever you prefer to call the Interwebs since I was 15. I do a lot more than just tell stories through media. I plan how those stories are going to be distributed, the exact wording, the platform, the target audience. I analyze how effective online posts and campaigns have been. And I use a lot of technology to make sure the stories I post, the podcasts and videos I produce, the Tweets and Snaps and Status Updates I churn out reach the right people at the right time when they’re in the right place.

I’ve been fortunate to have had a career in Online and Social Media, content creation and broadcasting that spans five decades and almost every form of media. I’ve been operating Mark Edwards Worldwide, the multi disciplinary media consultancy, since 2007 to work with selected clients on Social Media, Online Presence, Website Creation and Management, Podcast and Video Production and Distribution, SEO, SEM, and Content Creation projects.

Mark Edwards Worldwide has worked on Public Relations and Media Relations projects, Crisis Communications, and many Branded Content/Content Marketing projects as well. If a brand or person needs to have a story told, Mark Edwards Worldwide can help do it. Until the company shut down in August of 2016, I was deeply involved with development of the next generation in music streaming services with CÜR Media, applying my skills to both the technical and content creation aspects of the business. It was a tremendous experience in the Startup world.

All of this started in broadcasting. I spent over 25 years leading top radio stations including WLIT/Chicago, KOSI/Denver, KZPT in Kansas City, KYKY, KEZK, and WVRV in St. Louis and more. I helped introduce radio to the Web with one of the first websites for a radio station in 1992 and pioneering work in social media, online marketing, and multi-platform branding that has helped make me well known in the broadcasting and online worlds”.

Click here to contact Mark Edwards Edelstein today!

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