You can use your ClockWheel templates to run in AutoDJ mode. This tells AutoDJ how to pull tracks to play, as compared to the default, pure random selection. Instead of making a scheduled event for 24 hours, you can leave your station running in AutoDJ mode and have it follow a ClockWheel template.
The AutoDJ mode is purely random. It randomly pulls tracks from your library while following DMCA regulations and your configured AutoDJ Separation Rules. Many of our broadcasters prefer the fine-tuned selection of tracks that the ClockWheels module provides. A ClockWheel template lets you select a different mix of tracks every time that the ClockWheel loops while following the rules inside of it.
What station programming issue does this feature aim to solve?
It's quite common for a station to want to have a programmatic approach for their daily track rotation. For example, you may always desire a Station ID to be played before a certain genre of music. You could accomplish this with ClockWheels, but ClockWheels need to be scheduled as events. This resulted in some of our broadcasters scheduling very long, all-day ClockWheels which can cause unwanted side effects.
ClockWheels as AutoDJ solves this problem. You no longer need to try and schedule daylong 24-hour events made from ClockWheels, as you can just tell AutoDJ to follow a ClockWheel template. AutoDJ will play tracks according to the ClockWheel in the order they are listed.
Important things to keep in mind
- There are several logic checks that a ClockWheel must go through every time it attempts to pull tracks to be played. Because of the many variables involved, it's quite easy to make a ClockWheel template that fails and therefore won't schedule. For every single line in a ClockWheel, the following things are queried before a track is pulled for playback:
- Proper metadata (tracks from "Untitled Album" are all considered to be the same album)
- The depth (size) and uniqueness of your uploaded MP3 library
- DMCA rule violations inside the ClockWheel template
- AutoDJ Separation Rules
- ClockWheel Selection Algorithm (Random, Least Recently Played Album, etc.)
- DMCA violations caused by events 3 hours before and 3 hours after the attempted time of playback
- A specific category has tracks with different Media Types assigned. This error occurs when a specific Category from your ClockWheel has tracks that are different Media Types. In other words, there are mixed IDs, Promos, Talk, or Music tracks under the same category tag.
- At each of these steps, it is possible for the ClockWheel system to be unable to generate a track list.
- The most common cause of this is not having enough tracks of a specific Category or Type. It might be able to pull a track from "1980's" or "High Rotation" the first 3 times that the ClockWheel loops, but on the 4th time, there are not enough "1980's" tracks for it to pull from.
- The ClockWheel might be just fine by itself, but the module also needs to follow your AutoDJ Separation rules when picking tracks.
- ClockWheels work like a loop. A Clockwheel only needs to have 3 or 5 line items in it in order to be used. You can create many hours of unique programming from a 5 line ClockWheel.
- ClockWheels will not show up for use in this mode if they do not pass DMCA rules.
- If AutoDJ runs into an issue while running in ClockWheel-driven mode, then it will revert to regular AutoDJ mode. The ClockWheel will then be marked as invalid for use as AutoDJ.
- You will receive a notification that the "ClockWheel as AutoDJ" mode failed and that your station has been returned to a Random selection.
- You will receive a notification that the "ClockWheel as AutoDJ" mode failed and that your station has been returned to a Random selection.
Setting up ClockWheels as AutoDJ
Tip: You may have access to 1 or more Live365 stations. See our Dashboard Navigation article to learn more about selecting the station which you want to work with.
Once you have selected the appropriate station, you will be taken to that station's menu page. From this page, you will be able to navigate and make changes and adjustments to your station.
From the navigation menu on the left, select Streaming.
Then select the Track Mix tab.
The first drop-down menu in the Track Mix section is called the Selection Method. This is where you can switch between regular AutoDJ mode and ClockWheel-driven mode.
Once you've selected ClockWheel, a list of your ClockWheel templates will show up. If the ClockWheel you are looking for is not listed, then it is not one that's available for use in this mode. You can still use the ClockWheel to schedule an event, but not for driving AutoDJ.
Make sure you review your Separation Rules to the right of the ClockWheel selection to ensure it lines up with your desired time spans between the different options from which you can choose. Please note that if your Separation Rules are too restrictive (you do not have enough unique tracks for it to follow your rules), then the ClockWheel could fail.
Be sure that you click the orange Save button to record your changes.
Within a few songs, you will see that the station begins to run in Clockwheel as AutoDJ mode. The Last Played queue on your Overview page will indicate that the pattern of your ClockWheel template is now being followed.