Rotation
6 posts on this topic
Rotation clocks: building an hour that sounds designed
A rotation clock is a template for an hour: which category plays in which slot, with what separation rules. It is the difference between a playlist and a format.
Read the postThe music library: categories are the foundation for everything else
Import your folders once and work from a catalogue instead of a file browser. Categories are what make rotation, compliance and reporting possible at all.
Read the postSeparation rules: the arithmetic behind not sounding repetitive
Listeners notice repetition long before programmers do. Separation rules are how you stop the same artist appearing three times an hour.
Read the postCommercials, station IDs and the ADS category convention
Category codes are not just labels. Prefixes like ADS, ID and VT change how the audio engine treats a track at transition time.
Read the postYour automation should be able to explain itself
Scheduling software that cannot tell you why a track landed at 09:14 is asking you to trust it blindly. That is a bad deal for a programme director.
Read the postLocking and replacing: editing a generated hour without rebuilding it
A generated hour is a starting point, not a verdict. Two commands let you correct it without losing the parts that were right.
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