The demands on music scheduling software are higher than ever, with HD-2 formats, online streaming, added non-music content, getting PPM into the mix, prevention of song airplay on multiple stations, the need to use one common database, integration with other software/systems, etc. As technology and the shape of radio keeps changing, we asked some of the players in the music scheduling space to tell us how they’re addressing these issues and what’s next on the horizon.
The Participants:
Liam Burke, Sales & Support, P Squared Ltd
Jack Carter, CEO, MusicMix
Mark Bolke, VO/COO, MusicMaster/A-Ware Software, Inc.
Steve Warren, CEO, Music 1
Neal Perchuk, VP of Sales USA & Canada, RCS
Brandon Olvey, General Manager, Powergold
What are the newest features of your system?
Burke: Newest features in our playout system include ‘auto hooks’ for automated promo creation, support for multiple audio compression formats and a new simple music scheduling system called Instant Track that uses MP3 / WMA genre codes to classify music and then a simple ‘slider’ system to allow the user to select the mix of music in a given hour. The same technology is used to ‘auto-fill’ under running hours or hours that are not scheduled at all. This sits alongside our traditional music and link scheduling system (AutoTrack Pro) to provide a two tier scheduling solution to meet the needs of our customers.
Our music and link scheduling system is called AutoTrack Pro and includes advanced, customizable rules, multi playout system support, advanced clock features such as scheduling ‘auto hooks’ and full link scheduling including audio and text based links.
Carter: * Event Intro Overlapping: “Overlap” intro times for your liners, breakers, IDs, etc. MusicMix will automatically schedule a song coming out of the event with a long enough intro time to pad under the event.
* Cold ending back-to-back with :00 open protection.
* New title randomizing features.
* New views for editing.
* Sound Exchange Excel output
* Info Matching: Precede music with matching events of almost any “match-type” you can imagine. (Match trivia, era, content, etc. liners with songs that follow)
* Easier and safer batch editing.
Bolke: We just announced the MusicMaster Nexus Server at the NAB in Las Vegas, giving third-party software developers instant access to the MusicMaster database and scheduling intelligence. Automation systems integrated with the MusicMaster Nexus Server bring the power of MusicMaster into the studio. Other broadcast software products, such as traffic and billing, research analysis, and web services, may also use the MusicMaster Nexus Server to provide a real-time interactive connection with your MusicMaster database.
Warren: Our newest upgrade, Version 6 was released in the first quarter of this year. It includes re-designed “view” functions for both Categories and Clocks providing for even more user customization for how they arrange and view their library data on the screen. We added a built in auditioning player. The Music director can click-and-hear any song as s/he works with M1. The player is incorporated into the M1 scheduler itself and is not dependent on any automation system. An exciting enhanced function of our player is that it also allows the music director to click and hear
only the “hook” of the song, as well.
We also released Music 1 SE Version 2, our scheduling software for webcasters. SE is based on the source code of the full Version 6 with some scaled down functionality, thereby providing webcasters with an advanced and efficient scheduling tool that meets all their needs at an ideal low-cost, buyout price. SE is also an attractive option for broadcasters’ HD channels or stand-alone webstream stations.
Perchuk: We have two main lines of music scheduling. We have a G Selector and we have Selector 15 or actually we call it Selector FQL. The newest features; G Selector is a goal based system. There are two things that really set it apart from everything else. Number one it is written on sequel and it’s a single database for multiple channels. Where stations are going as either part of a bigger group or if there is a cluster and there is multiple channels, and especially now with HD-1 and HD-2 potentially HD-3, you’re looking at the need to have a single database that can handle multiple channels. It cuts off a tremendous amount of workload. You don’t have to enter that song into every database its one database. Yet every channel has its own metadata that they can tag to the song. It’s not like they loose anything by having it only on one database they could still make channel modifications. If I’m a classic rock channel and I also have a deep-cuts channel I could list that song with different metadata so I could say a classic channel that has a tempo of four but in the deep-cuts it may be a tempo of five. There is universal information to the song, the artist, album, title, running time everything that is sort of standard and stationary is entered once and then the station itself can add its own individual metadata to that.
Again it’s a sequel based database so if you want to run any type of reporting, any kind of sequel queries, how many times was this song played over all my stations? That’s a very simple function in our software. It’s done in real time you don’t have to pull from one database and pull from another database and try to calculate it. It’s a very simple function.
Olvey: Every new version of Powergold has detailed changes in the “What’s New” section of www.powergold.com. Here are just a few recent changes:
We have recently developed a brand new song editor that is fully user-customizable. This means each user can tailor a specific view of their music to fit his/her needs. Since each user can have an unlimited number of views, different views can be changed on the fly to match the user’s current task. And views can be shared among users. The new song card, combined with Powergold’s custom song fields and custom library and scheduler displays, means each user’s experience is unique to that user’s requirements.
We have recently developed multiple automated interfaces with several automation systems that allow automated data synchronization between the systems. We currently have more in development in this area as well.
A powerful new History Mass Change feature has been added. The History Mass Changer allows the user to perform bulk change operations on history in any date/hour range. Powergold reporting now offers the ability to output to multiple formats including PDF, RTF, HTML, and Microsoft Excel.
Powergold’s artist related rules have been expanded (and some completely new rules were created) to offer even greater control over requirements such as artist separation. We have recently added 2 new rules for show separation. This ensures an artist or song must wait a specified amount of time before playing in the same show again.
Powergold now offers detailed edit logging of key areas, detailed history of song movement in the library, and more. Powergold also now offers detailed schedule reconcile reporting and logging.
Tell us about your software’s platform.
Burke: Most of our software is deployed on the Windows XP Pro platform although we are now also rolling our support for Vista. Our systems run on a standard windows network platform and as such, there are several server OS options. Most customers run Windows 2003 server but some are also using Linux. We have also experimented with NAS but at this stage do not recommend it for on-air use.
Carter: Runs on any windows system Win 98 and newer (including Vista).
Bolke: MusicMaster is 100% Windows. It has the familiar look and feel of other Windows applications making it quick and easy to learn. It also integrates easily with the Microsoft Office suite of applications such as Word and Excel. MusicMaster users can freely copy and paste data from or into other applications, and exchange their music data with others, without licensing restrictions.
Warren: Music 1 is Windows-native.
Perchuk: It runs on Windows. It’s Vista compliant. Again, it’s based on sequel. G Selector is a goals based system which basically just means instead of putting rules down to get an outcome in other words don’t do this, don’t do that and hopefully it gets you what you want. You just tell the software what it is you want and it automatically figures out all of the rules that go behind that to give you the outcome. It’s very intuitive; it’s very easy to use much less work than a traditional rules based scheduling. You can go in and override rules so if you’re a person who wants to be able to put certain rules in you can put certain rules in that are absolute rules. So you do have the flexibility of doing that and again the algorithm will work around those rules that you set. It’s an incredibly flexible system. It can be as easy or as complex as you want it to be but certainly right out of the box just using its own algorithm you can produce amazing schedules really without doing anything.
Olvey: Powergold is fully compatible with all current versions of Microsoft Windows. This includes Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, and Windows 98.
Powergold supports simple and complex multi-user networking environments and is designed to scale from simple single user installations to large enterprise installations.
How do you offer your system to clients? (what monetary/compensation options)?
Burke: All our software is sold as ‘out right license’ meaning that there is only an initial license fee to pay. Once this is paid then you can use the software for as long as your require. We do offer optional support on a monthly, annual or ‘ad-hoc’ basis. We can also offer a range of flexible solutions for monthly licensing if the customer prefers.
Carter: Lease or license buyout.
Lease: The lease option includes free unlimited telephone tech support, and automatic free shipment of upgrades whenever they are issued. The cost of a lease is $375 per year payable annually.
Buyout: The buyout includes 60 days of support, after which you may purchase an optional tech-support/ upgrades annual contract, or pay for tech support on a per incident basis, and purchase upgrades individually as they become available. The software license is “forever,” and the system may be used without renewal. The MusicMix license one-time buy-out purchase price is $625.
Bolke: Purchase and lease options are both available. Actual cost is based on your needs. You only purchase the software and support required for your particular application. Operators in larger markets aren’t charged more simply because they have higher revenues.
Warren: There are three editions of Music 1…Version 6 and LE for broadcasting and SE for webcasting.
Music 1 Version 6 is a lease-only software, offered with the most affordable rates in the field and without lengthy contract requirements.
Music 1 LE/Legacy Edition is an earlier version of the software and is a one-time buy-out software. The price is easily affordable for any radio station budget and comes with unlimited and free lifetime support.
Music 1 SE/Special Edition for webcasters is a buy-out software offered at $299 per license.
Perchuk: We do lease license and we also offer barter. We have a very large barter business a multi million dollar barter business that we started several years ago and we find a lot of groups like it so we’ve stuck with it. We try to be very flexible in how we deal with our customers whether it be cash or barter or a combination of both. We don’t sell our software outright because we feel that customer service and upgrades are a big part of the industry. We roll that into a lease so as part of our lease you’re going to get continual updates and upgrades to the software at no charge, it’s all a part of the monthly lease. There is no, unlike a purchase where if you want the next version you have to pay for it, you usually pay whatever it is 40 or 50% or 60% of what you originally paid for the software and there is no per say monthly service charge it’s all inclusive. So you get not only the software and the license for it and the setup, we actually setup and train. We convert databases from whatever you are using currently and do all that work for you. The monthly service fee would include 24-hour tech support. We have offices all over the world and we have support that’s 24/7. We probably have about over 50 or 60 people in the support department at all times and they have an average experience on our software of about eight years. They are really incredibly experienced and knowledgeable. Of course those things cost money and that’s a part of the service that we offer.
Olvey: Powergold is lease-based software with monthly, quarterly, and annual payment options. With Powergold, support and upgrades are always included in our lease at no extra charge!
What is coming next and when as far as new features?
Burke: We have just completed a major upgrade to our playout system and are now working on a similar upgrade to the scheduling and newsroom systems. This will unify many of the features across our product range.
Carter: Just released 9.0 and just beginning planning for next version. No details yet.
Bolke: If we told you we would have to kill you! Seriously, MusicMaster is breaking new ground in scheduling technology with every new release. We have some exciting new features in development that we would respectfully like to keep our little secret and the competition guessing.
Warren: Music 1 has always been the “fastest” music scheduler in terms of daily scheduling task-time. Our users, on average, get each day’s music scheduled and edited in less than half the time of the industry-survey average. We are continuing to improve on the software’s speed and efficiency. Version 6 computation speed is eight times faster than our Version 5. We are now developing new algorithms to dramatically speed up our editing tools so to have more rapid display of song history and rotation displays in the scheduling mode. While our users have always told us M1 is faster than other schedulers they’ve worked with, we intend to make the M1 experience even quicker and more efficient than our own past standards.
Perchuk: The big thing for us is integration with PPM data. RCS has the exclusive rights to PPM data for music scheduling for the next five years. We will be integrating our Media Monitors PPM tool into G Selector. You will literally be able to look at songs played on your station over let’s say a 20 rotation count and see what happens to your PPM listeners while that song is on at different day parts. It will also be able to automatically look at new songs that are put into the rotation and automatically monitor those songs over whatever amount of time you want 24, 40, 50 plays and be able to give you a report of how those songs are doing as compared to other either new songs or songs in your rotation.
The Media Monitors art tool basically puts a face on PPM. It takes all PPM minute-to-minute data and literally tracks it through your day, week, month whatever and literally shows you how the listeners are coming in and leaving. A program director can actually sit with talent and now have facts to know if a morning show gag or whatever does or doesn’t work–this is literally minute-by-minute data. It’s a phenomenal tool and of course on the music side just to be able to see what happens when Billy Joel is played at 2:00 in the afternoon on a Friday; if that’s a positive or a negative over 50 plays, etc. That’s some pretty impressive statistics to have and be a part of your music scheduling.
Olvey: For years Powergold has been at the forefront of interfacing technologies used to bring together and synchronize different systems and databases used within the enterprise. We have also had great success with our unique flexibility when it comes to helping clients with many formats coordinate their data and schedule efforts. We always have new features in the works but the aforementioned areas are where we are currently focusing sharply and we have some exciting new developments in these areas nearing release.
What audio formats can your system handle?
Burke: WAV, ADPCM WAV, MP2, MP3, WMA and Ogg
Carter: MusicMix is a scheduler, not a player, so the audio format is automation dependant. MusicMix will interface with any automation system.
Bolke: MusicMaster for Windows can schedule and export playlists for virtually any file format. MusicMaster is quickly becoming the scheduling tool of choice for music video, Internet, satellite, and cell phone providers as well. The software was built to reach well beyond the requirements of just radio.
Warren: Music 1 users use it to schedule any and all broadcast audio formats. Some customers us it to schedule videos as well.
Perchuk: All major audio formats.
Olvey: Powergold can handle any audio format because the audio is not stored within Powergold itself. We store a reference to the audio that the automation system uses for play. However, Powergold does have the ability to invoke third party players when a user wishes to play audio from within Powergold.
How many station clients do you have in the US and globally?
Burke: None in the USA but more than 300 in the UK and Europe with additional installations in Africa and the Middle East.
Bolke: Since the official product release of MusicMaster for Windows in 2004 our user list has grown very rapidly and should easily exceed 3000 this year. Since music scheduling is our specialty, we don’t inflate the count with customers using other products and services.
Warren: N/A. We believe Music 1 has the fourth largest user-base among music scheduling software.
Perchuk: First of all let me give you some statistics that we monitor. We have 75%, 155 of 206 music stations in the Top Ten markets. We have about 63% or 366 of the 577 of markets 11 through 50. So when you add those up, about 1,900-music radio stations in the United States. About another 8,000 worldwide–it’s about 10,000 stations.
Olvey: Powergold is the choice of thousands of stations in dozens of countries world-wide.
What other than music can your system handle, in the way of liners, jingles, news bites, etc?
Burke: All of the above. The music and link scheduling system includes dedicated link scheduling for jingles, promos and text based items such as ‘live reads’. Of course, the playout system can play whatever audio you like.
Carter: Any event that a user desires: Liners, IDs, jingles, promos, etc. Some non-com stations using MusicMix have told me they even use our Events to schedule their commercials (or underwriting messages).
Bolke: MusicMaster controls the rotation, balance, and flow of non-music elements such as jingles and sweepers just as easily as individual songs. Because these are all handled within the same system, you can automatically match sweepers and jingles to specific song attributes such as artist, tempo, or genre.
Warren: Music 1 schedules everything; including jingles, liners, links, voice tracks, long form programs and automation system commands. The non-music scheduling functions are incorporated into M1. Additional software or plug-ins are not required.
Perchuk: All of the above. It has a built in platform called Linker to the system and Linker can schedule any of those and more. As a matter of fact it has been adopted to be used in music videos. We do Music Choice. It’s actually been used to do commercials, video playback it’s incredibly adaptive so any of those that you mentioned plus more.
Olvey: Powergold can schedule all this information with ease! Everything is customizable to meet the user’s needs. And with Powergold all this functionality is included in your single lease price; no secondary leases, licenses, or purchases are required.
What features or benefits set your system apart?
Burke: Developed and supported in the UK, we have developed our system with a great deal of feedback and support from our customer bases which has resulted in what we believe to be a very versatile and intuitive system. Our customers span from small community stations to national broadcasters with everything from student radio to ‘in store’ radio in between. This diverse user base calls for a great deal of flexibility in our software to accommodate the different ways in which broadcasters operate.
Carter: Low price. Ease of use, but with full featured scheduling comparable to the “big guys.” We’re a small company with small prices. When you call tech support, you’ll talk to the guy who wrote the software.
Bolke: Because MusicMaster is completely user-defined, it can be thought of as a toolbox that lets you create a scheduling system that perfectly matches your needs. The music scheduling and database requirements of a contemporary hit station are vastly different from those of a classical or jazz station. Likewise, the needs of a music-based television station are far different from those of a typical radio station. Only MusicMaster offers the flexibility needed to perfectly match all of these widely varied platforms. With MusicMaster, there’s no longer any need to adapt your music scheduling philosophy to the restrictions and limitations of the software you use. Each MusicMaster installation becomes unique to the needs and desires of the user. This starts with a custom built user-defined database that provides virtually unlimited options for the number and types of fields and scheduling rules you desire.
Our scalable Rule Tree and Optimum Goal Scheduling provide an infinite blend of traditional rules and modern scheduling intelligence. Just a few of the key features include: Overlapping Daypart restrictions with quarter-hour precision, Wizards that automatically determine optimum settings for things like Artist and Title separation; A Rule-Tree Wizard that compares your rule settings to your active library and rotations to identify and automatically correct any mistakes or conflicts; Auto Platooning to dynamically rotate certain songs in and out of rest automatically; An integrated Web Browser; An integrated Audio Player that lets you hear the segues in the log editor; An integrated CD Ripper; and much more. A demonstration and personal tour of MusicMaster gives everyone a new perspective on what modern music scheduling has to offer.
Warren: Introduced in 1994, Music 1 was the first scheduler for the Windows platform. We never had a DOS version as it was written specifically for Windows. The most important innovation in the art was our “inter-active” scheduling paradigm. M1 was designed to allow the music director to make editing decisions during the scheduling run, whereas other software was designed to schedule the complete day’s log, with the music director then making scheduling edits and corrections afterward. This “fix it as you build it” strategy is the core reason M1 users get the job done in less than half the time as people using other schedulers.
Perchuk: Well, the inclusion of PPM. The integration of PPM data is really a tremendous advantage. Obviously the single database to multiple channels cuts a tremendous amount of time off on workload. As a matter of fact groups can now ingest all of their music in one location for their entire group. You could have one or two people replacing 20 people’s labor time. The other thing is it’s Internet based. A program director can access their G Selector from anywhere in the world, anytime, anyplace. It has a thin client that works on any outside PC and you’re able to schedule and to run reports in real time.
Olvey: Our unique floating scheduling logic enables Powergold to automatically generate intelligent content-aware music logs that can be shared between stations or across an entire radio network. Powergold’s unique point scaling technology makes intelligent scheduling decisions based on “shades of gray” in your rules. Powergold makes decisions just like you would, based on what is important to you, not a rigid “black or white” system.
Built-in rules such as our unique song and artist show separation give industry leading control over scheduling. Unlimited user-defined properties and custom rules give you unprecedented coding and scheduling control. From version 1.0 Powergold has always been the most customizable music scheduler; and we continue that tradition today. Powergold’s extensive violation reporting helps troubleshoot scheduling issues. Tools such as customizable violation signals show, at a glance, violation severity using an easy color-coded system. Powergold’s auto editor adjusts your schedule to minimize violations, perfecting a day’s schedule in just seconds. Powergold can interface with your automation system as well as import commercials from your traffic system. This allows you to see and edit a complete schedule in Powergold then export the information directly to your automation system. Point, click, drag, drop; it’s that simple! We offer world-class support from experts that listen carefully and know Powergold inside and out. Talk to us about your station and technical issues and we’ll make sure Powergold is configured exactly to meet your needs!
What’s new or planned for remote access to your system?
Burke: We already have a remote voice tracking facility via a freely distributed client application. In addition, part of the latest editions to the AutoTrack Pro software is to expand to support SQL server platforms to make WAN access more viable.
Carter: Remote access is available to the extent that a stations computer is configured. It is not an inherent feature of MusicMix.
Bolke: When needed, MusicMaster for Windows can be accessed remotely in a variety of ways. For local use, Internet connectivity is not required.
Warren: Music 1 is fully network-able and fully portable. Radio programmers who use any remote-access software (such as PCAnywhere, LapLink, etc.) experience no problems and glitches when working with M1 remotely. Music and program directors can install it on their laptops (no additional fee) and can take it with them on the road, do their scheduling from anywhere and then email or ftp the automation playlists back to the station.
Perchuk: G Selector is Internet based, thin client based and access capable through user login and password and it’s available anywhere on any Internet based system.
Olvey: Powergold has always supported remote access to our system via technologies such as terminal servers, remote desktop, VPN, etc. Our database is fully networkable for multi-user access. As part of our focus on systems integration and synchronization we will also be offering new ways to access Powergold data and reporting remotely. The ability to share any Powergold database with multiple Powergold users via networking also eliminates users having to share a single computer or exchange backups to work on a common database. This, too, is included at no extra cost in your Powergold lease. We do not license-limit the number of Powergold installations or Powergold users that can access a database.
Tell us about your ability to also schedule online streams and HD multicast channels from one system.
Burke: There is currently not much call for this type of feature in the UK market although I believe that it will be in the future. Our scheduling system is able to schedule a feature called a ‘command’ which is our playout system can then use to execute various jobs including switching to external sources and running external programs or resources.
Bolke: Any MusicMaster installation can maintain and schedule an unlimited number of individual streams or channels without additional licensing or fees. MusicMaster provides an Enterprise option at no additional charge that lets you enter each song just once into a centralized Master database, then filter those songs down into any number of Child databases that are each custom designed to schedule a particular stream or channel. These Child databases can each have unique clocks, format-specific rules, custom attribute coding, and even separate database structures. The Master database does not need to be maintained in MusicMaster. MusicMaster’s Enterprise option can synchronize your Child databases with a third-party system that is based on any standard database platform, such as SQL or Oracle. Multi-station conflict protection can prevent the same song from playing at the same time across multiple channels.
Warren: Music 1 was the choice of the very first internet radio station. HardRadio.com in Dallas started with M1 and continues to use it today as a long time satisfied customer. With the introduction of Music 1 SE, our webcaster customer base is rapidly growing as we add new stations each week. Also, some webcasters do choose to upgrade from SE to Version 6 for its more advanced functions.
Music 1 SE is priced right for webcasters. At only $299 per license, it gives a webcaster a huge bang-for-the-buck. Music 1 version 6 is offered to webcasters at a discounted monthly fee that is far less than the prices of our competitors.
Our aggressive pricing strategy is fueling quick growth in our webcasting customer-base and that is being enhanced by excellent word-of-mouth about the software in the webcaster community.
Discounted prices are also offered for broadcaster HD channels. A single install of M1 is capable of scheduling any number of stations, channels or streams from the one computer.
Perchuk: G Selector is single database multi channel so being able to share the database you’re actually able to schedule multiple channels at once and resolve any conflicts. In other words if I’m doing the classic rock and then on HD-1 I’m doing deep-cuts and on HD-3 I’m doing another type of rock format I can actually schedule all three channels at once and it will automatically tell me if there is any conflicts. It will automatically tell me you know you have a conflict in channel 1 or you have a conflict with channel 1 and your primary channel. It’s something that satellite radio stations are dealing with as well. There is a lot of overlap because they are dealing with separate databases it’s very difficult to figure out where the overlap is.
Olvey: In the case of HD multicasting we offer a discounted lease price but still offer full support and upgrades. Depending on client needs the multicasting may be performed via a separate output from Powergold in the same database, or via a separate database that is data synchronized to the primary channel (or format) via unique music and history synchronization and merging tools built into Powergold.
What kind of assurances can you offer long-term customers that your systems will be upgradeable to whatever tomorrow’s computers will demand?
Burke: We have been selling professional broadcast software in the UK for 11 years and we have been expanding the territories that we operate in over the past few years to include all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Bolke: This is a big concern for many customers who have been stuck with other systems that were not capable of operating on the newest hardware. MusicMaster was Vista compliant before Microsoft released it. That can’t be said for all music scheduling software providers. This is our 25th year in operation and over that time computers have changed a lot. We are confident we have the strategic plan to meet and adapt to each new breakthrough in technology.
Warren: In the early 90s as we began planning the development of our software, we saw the other schedulers were already having a difficult time porting their DOS based system to Windows.
We therefore decided that we would build our software using all Microsoft tools. As we wrote it for Windows from the very first line of code, we have never experienced any problems of compatibility as the computer world moved from Windows 3.1, to 95, to 98 and NT, to XP and now Vista. There will be no platform compatibility upgrade problems for Music 1.
Perchuk: One of the important things about the way we do our business is that we are always investing in the future. We always make sure that our current software is adaptable to new technologies. G Selector is completely XML meaning that it can talk to other systems via XML. It can take in information via XML. That’s the trend is that the music scheduling system now all of a sudden has to communicate with a lot of information whether it be analysis information that can be ported into the system like PPM data or being able to tell other systems of availability like your automation system. We have always kept on the forefront of that. Our G Selector product is completely integrated in to out automation system. If you make a change in G Selector it automatically changes in Next Gen. If you make a change in the Next Gen automation it automatically updates G Selector. We are constantly trying to push the envelope and I think our clients see that we are always adding to the software. That’s a part of their right as leasees of the software that we continually to put new features and functions into it.
Olvey: Powergold was the first Windows music scheduling software offered to radio! We are a leader in technological advances and Powergold is continually updated. We fully support current hardware and software yet are sensitive to our clients’ backwards compatibility needs. We operate on “mom & pop” station hardware and also run on some of the largest multi-format broadcast systems in the industry.
How do you handle concerns of stations seeking long-term assurances that existing software will meet the demands of the next several years?
Burke: In an ever changing market with new technology always on the horizon, it is impossible to offer ‘cast iron’ guarantees but our software is always in a constant state of development with minor releases released every few months throughout the products life. We offer all customers free upgrades within major version (i.e. Myriad v3) and an upgrade path to the next major version as an option. In this way we can provide security to our customers to ensure they stay ahead of the curve in technology stakes.
Bolke: The depth and variety our customer list, which includes many different types of media delivery options, keeps our ear very close to ground. We are constantly hearing from customers with new ideas, or developers who are working on concepts they see as perfect for integration with MusicMaster in the future. Most importantly, MusicMaster’s open architecture encourages other software and service providers to work with us to create greater functionality for our mutual customers now and over time.
Warren: Track record and continuing upgrades and evolution of our software.
Perchuk: We develop our software years out. In other words we developed software with multi-channel capability three years ago before HD was even in the realm of possibilities. We try to really keep our technology out in front and I think that it’s evident in the technology itself. We are the first to have goal based music scheduling. We’re the first to have Internet ready software for music scheduling. We’re always on the forefront.
Olvey: Staying ahead of broadcasters’ needs is a top priority and has made us the success we are today. Because of this foresight we still have many of our original clients dating back to our founding in 1988. Because Powergold is lease-based software we must continually earn our clients’ business. Powergold is constantly updated and improved based on customer feedback and we will continue to provide the best music scheduler on the market.
MusicMix screen shots:
ClockVisual is one of two views for editing format clocks.
Events is used for liners, jingles, etc.
Invbrowse is to browse and edit titles as a group
Invfull is the full screen music inventory editor
