Posts

RadioDJ Has Come A Long Way in 10 Years

Image
Recently been sorting through photos on my computer so I could back them up to Google Drive. While going through one folder I saw this screenshot I took in 2013. I hadn't realised that it was 10 years ago that we started testing RadioDJ v1.6.3.2 one of the the first versions to use plugins. It was like a new piece of software written from the ground up by Marius. Every version has worked better than expected and the software is now much more powerful and streamlined than it was. RadioDJ now has a HUGE following and every person I speak to using the software speaks FONDLY of it. You'll notice there's hardly any Negative reviews about RadioDJ thats because its a piece of software that does what it was designed for. RadioDJ Automation Software is so feature packed it puts OTHER radio playout software in the SHADE You can see the History of the RadioDJ versions HERE ...

Turn Your Firewall Off?

Image
Read a Tweet from another user having issues getting support from Spacial Audio They've told this user to switch their Firewall & Security off. My radio station has been off for 3 weeks I contacted Spacial customer service They told me to switch the Firewall and Security off Thats dangerous advice from Spacial Audio the Firewall & Security protects a users computer. As to why their SAM software doesn't play nicely with the Windows Firewall is anyones guess. The CODE of SAM Broadcaster Pro/Studio is Awful at best and still crashes time after time. RadioDJ FREE radio Automation doesn't require the Firewall or Security to be switched off. Spacial Audio Support really do NOT know their Arse from their Elbow

The Input Button Is NOT A Microphone Input (RadioDJ)

Image
New users to RadioDJ seem to keep thinking that the Input button is a Microphone Button. The INPUT button never was intended as a Microphone Input and if you do try and use it you will get delay and feedback. The Input is NOT like the VOICE FX feature in other radio playout software. A great way of routing your Audio from your Microphone can be done by software such as Voicemeeter You connect your microphone to a Mixer before you send the audio to your computer via the line-in socket You can manage your Mic input via Voicemeeter which you then route to the encoding software The Voice FX feature in other software has never worked as it should Voicemeeter is the Essential Audio Superfood & It will make you sound MORE PROFESSIONAL!

Storing RadioDJ Backups Safely & Securely (Cloud Storage)

Image
I recently tried to help a RadioDJ user who had been flooded out recently in the USA. When I asked if he's been taking daily backups he said he hadn't. He's had to start over again from scratch I feel his pain I had that problem frequently with other software. Its a GOOD IDEA if you backup your RadioDJ SQL database to Cloud Storage You know Just incase the worst happens to your computer like a flood I have Google Drive monitoring folders so as soon as I take a backup it gets uploaded to the server. This is why backing up your database to a "safe" location is Important I hope the user who wasn't backing up his RadioDJ database is now doing so. Your database holds a LOT of information about you song library and its structure which makes restoring it a Piece of cake. Use the database setup tool to backup set an hour (24 hour clock) set a folder and its that folder you backup to the cloud. Its rare for...

Rockies Sheffield (The Forgotten Gay Nightclub?)

Image
I was reminded about a pub I used to frequent in the city of Sheffield recently. The Cossack on Howard Street (Now Demolished) was the first Gay Venue I was ever taken to followed by a pub called The Albert Which is where I saw my first ever male stripper and drag artiste. Don't like strippers the baby oil stains your shirt if you get too close So it got me thinking about Rockies the nightclub that I was introduced to in November 1989 Rockies was a Gay Club and you didn't dare mention your sexuality for fear of being beaten up by some Homophobic THUG. Queer Bashing was common in the late 80s. The late 1980s & early 1990s were an Awful time to be growing up as a Gay man. Section 28 didn't help matters. So much rampant Homophobia and Abuse from people I never really expected to get it from Rockies Sheffield was sister club to Rockies Manchester owned by a guy called Michael Snailham. The club was housed in the fo...

How To: Start Your Own Internet Radio Station

Image
Have you ever wondered how to start your own online Internetradio station? Its not as difficult as you'd think...To run a radio station online you need the following. A decent broadband connection minimum of 2MB upload speed A decent spec desktop computer with a decent processor 1Ghz+ & 1GB RAM will do the job. A varied and large music collection a collection of around 2500+ songs usually helps. Decent automation software you can pick some up for free. A Shoutcast or Icecast server. A mixer and a decent microphone. If your current computer isn't up to the job of streaming 24/7 then you need to invest in a new(ish) computer. You should be able to pickup a decent computer with a decent specification cheap enough from places like eBay. You'll be needing a decent radio music automation program we highly recommend RadioDJ radio playout software for this. Reasons to Use RadioDJ: ...

I Have Zero Stress With Radio DJ Free Radio Playout Sofware

Image
I got into Internet radio in 1999 when I tuned into a LIVE365 station when Internetradio was in its infancy. It was late 2001 before I got my own Computer and Internet connection and was able to look into Internet radio a bit more. I then set about learning about how to stream on the Internet. I lost a position on an Oldies station in 2002 because of software constantly Malfunctioning without warning. They let me go after a few weeks because I couldn't manage to do a full show even though it was software at fault. I then set about trying to setup my own Internet radio station using a Shoutcast server which I rented for £7.50 a month. Radio automation software offerings were few and far between in 2002 Winamp with DSP plugins, Streaming Audio Manager, DRS 2006 were a few of the available pieces of radio software available. Winamp isn't suitable for running a radio station it has no artist/title repeat rules ...

I'm FED UP With Having To Defend Myself

Image
As most of you know I happen to be the Worlds Biggest fan of RadioDJ ITS A TITLE I'M PROUD OF! RadioDJ is the most perfect piece of radio playout software and works everytime I need to use it. However I get a lot of people having a dig at me for the way I defend the program. Gary is acts in a sectarian way by defending the software tooth and nail I'm fed up with people having a POP at me everytime I go to stick up for the software. OK so I'll admit it RadioDJ isn't 100% FOOLPROOF BUT It performs better than other radio playout solutions. Some Users seem to EXPECT far too much from Marius he codes the software in his spare time and some people can't grasp that. I champion other software as well such as Voicemeeter so my posts are not always about RadioDJ Even in BETA RadioDJ software has been stable and just for the record I've pointed out the flaws with the BETA versions. Flaws have always usually been...

Dear Arthritis (How You Have Robbed Me)

Image
I used to walk & cycle most places and had no issues walking long distances I used to take walking for granted. I carried Record cases to/from gigs and a full record case could be heavy when packed with Singles & Albums. In 1995 I was a bar cellarman and I was throwing 22 and 11 gallon barrels around a cellar and lifting crates with NO ISSUES. In 1998 I worked in a huge cellar in the West end of London that went through over 50 barrels a week. it was 2002 when I started to realise that something wasn't right when I had a back spasm while out shopping. Back spasms can be extremely debilitating and I have to rest when they happen & theres no cure for my Spondylosis. I was diagnosed with Osteoarthrtis & Spondylosis in 2010 and I had a reasonable(ish) quality of life back then. Around the time of my Arthritis diagnosis I started usi...

There Is No Malware In RadioDJ

Image
Sometimes antivirus programs flag up the RadioDJ program files as suspicious. Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, Kaspersky & Norton keep deleting and quarantining files from the RadioDJ website. I had issues with AV software deleting RadioDJ a while back. I sent the RadioDJ.exe file to an antivirus company and they came back with this. Sorry, it was a false detection. It will be fixed in the next update After the next update the Antivirus Deleted the RadioDJ program files again so I binned that piece of Antivirus software off. It annoys me when Antivirus Software flags up a perfectly SAFE program as being infected when it isn't You can be rest assured there are ZERO Viruses in RadioDJ. Marius sometimes has issues with the way he packages the Installer He tries to protect his code from being stolen by other developers The AntiVirus thinks the packaged files are Infected when they aren't! Q: Do you need Antivirus softwar...

Important: When You Make A Change In RadioDJ Backup The Database

Image
Its pretty much self explanatory... BUT IT IS IMPORTANT RadioDJ saves most of the settings in the database these days although there are some settings still taken care of by XML files. Whenever you EDIT a track be it Cue Points or Artist/Title/Album etc... You must Backup your RadioDJ using the Database Setup tool this will preserve your changes to the database. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY DATABASE BACKUPS! Its probably best IF YOU Backup your database onto an external Cloud server such as Google Drive. I have Google Drive monitoring my SQL backup folder as soon as I take a backup it goes up to the fluffy cloud. Its so much easier when you have settings taken care of in the database because you can set and forget. Its also dead easy for you to transfer Radio DJ to a new machine Other well known radio automation software offerings have NO way of backing up the database which is quite some FLAW. Its just ano...

HeidiSQL A Simple Database Editor (MySQL/MariaDB)

Image
I love HeidiSQL as a database editing tool, It also allows me to do maintenance on my databases should the worst happen. MariaDB should automatically install Heidi SQL alongside the database engine Its taken me a few years to feel confident around editing MySQL databases but now I find it really easy to do. I have two instances of SQL servers on this PC I have Oracle MySQL 5.5.9 on Port 3306 and MariaDB 10.5.8 on Port 3007. MariaDB databases shouldn't require much housework once installed I rarely touch my databases but on the odd occasion I have to give them a quick repair. I can easily log onto to sort it with HeidiSQL and its easy to keep on top of your MySQL Server. I knew next to nothing about how to maintain an SQL server 12 years ago but I learned by reading tutorials on the Internet. HeidiSQL makes my life so much simpler I'm not having to rebuild my databases regularly like I was back...

There Is No Need To Use Expensive Encoding Software

Image
I've recently retested a couple of pieces of PAID for stand alone encoding software. I tested Radiocaster ($59) and SAM Cast ($200) RadioCaster was easy enough to setup and configure I had a stream setup within 3 minutes. Feb 24th 2022: As RadioCaster is coded by a Russian developer I am asking people (NICELY) to BOYCOTT software from DJ Soft What's happening in Ukraine is quite frankly appalling by anyones standards The demo of Radio Caster comes with an annoying BLEEP over the stream every 15 minutes. Since I first tested RadioCaster its always buffered after 10/15 minutes of streaming I don't know if its a codec issue but something isn't right with RC The buffering has happened on different computers and ISP connections over the space of 5/6 years. SAM Cast has real issues trying to populate Now Playing metadata. SAM Cast encoders have a nasty habit...

Is There A Way to Get Metadata From SAM Cast?

Image
A user on a forum was looking to get the now playing information into SAM Cast so his listeners knew what he was playing. I tried and tried and failed in the past to get now playing metadata into the streams from SAMCast formerly Simplecast. There are users who claim to have title streaming working but when I follow their instructions it still doesn't want to work. This was a post by a user on the Spacial Audio Forums Having paid for Sam Cast I was determined to make title streaming work I now realise that it won't The File Poller application still didn't read or update metadata from a file The user on the forums stated that he's tried everything he can think of including trying to use Serial Ports. SamCast title encoding won't work. I tried installing it on the same PC as RadioDJ as well as a serial cable from the Radio DJ PC to the SamCast PC The stand alone encoders I promote read text files to stream the now playing metadata from soft...

Its Really Easy To Sort Your Music Library With RadioDJ

Image
After 7 and a half years with my RadioDJ database I've decided to rebuild my song library from scratch. My SQL database hasn't crashed its just I felt like doing a rebuild. I've spent a lot of time staring at tracks manager over the past couple of days. Knowing the categories my music was previously catalogued under has made life a lot easier. You can setup and create multiple subcategories and genres. Top Tip: Whenever you make a change to any of your songs you need to take a backup this will preserve your changes. This is where RadioDJ excels compared to other expensive radio automation software Other software doesn't come with a way to backup your database data IF you manage to get your database backed up in other radio software you may just find it doesn't backup all your table data. Whereas the RadioDJ database setup tool backs up your entire database and ALL your table data. ...

Cash Strapped & Potless - Can't Afford Subscriptions?

Image
I know from watching broadcasting websites that Internetradio station owners don't always have endless pots of cash. SOME Radio software subscriptions can be expensive and sometimes users get taken for a ride by the company. Users buy the software then they find the support is horrible Its among one of the reasons I ditched Spacial Audio and their lacklustre software. I could never get a sensible answer on the Forums or got called rude names by one of the moderators. This is where software such as RadioDJ is miles better than a lot of the paid for automation programs. For starters RadioDJ is 100% FREE and has a great support network on the RadioDJ Community Forums Reasons to Use RadioDJ: Once installed it's stable and works for days/weeks without needing to keep an eye on it Great Music library support add as many categories & subcategories you re...

Its Really Easy To Stream Audio From Your Computer

Image
As the title of the post suggests it need not be a faff when you want to stream audio on the Internet. IT can seem daunting setting up an Streaming Encoder for the first time. Its not difficult to setup a streaming encoder all you need is a Rocket Broadcaster, Shoutcast or Icecast Server to stream your Audio to. The hardest part is configuring the soundcard and encoder options. Once thats done the world really is your Oyster. I currently use Sound Empire Caster to stream audio and its rare to have an issue. I've certainly not noticed any buffering. I know other users of Sound Empire Caster have only good things to say about it. Sound Empire Caster 1.1.5 Sound Empire Caster 1.1.6 Sound Empire Caster 1.2.7 Sound Empire Caster 1.2.8 How To Configure An Encoder After configuring the encoder you then need to configure the audio from whichever audio source you want to broadcast live. ...

Internet Radio Listeners Can Be So FICKLE

Image
When it comes to Internet radio the hardest thing a radio station owner can do is try and attract listeners to their stream. I found in the past when I was streaming that most listeners only tended to tune in for 1 maybe 2 songs. I would play 2 Classic 80s songs together and then I'd lose a few listeners If those listeners heard those two songs played together on mainstream 80s radio those people would think the DJ was amazing. There is no DJ on most mainstream radio stations most of its Voice tracked, Computerised & Networked from remote Studios. Sadly it seems despite Internetradio station owners promoting their stations people only want to hear what they want to HEAR. Internet radio is losing out big style to Streaming services such as Spotify Spotify wants to KILL Internet Radio as we know it! Yes its nice when you do get listeners sticking around bu...

If Only RadioDJ Had Been Around In 2002

Image
I've been into Internet radio and streaming for years now. It started out with me tuning into a LIVE365 Station in 1999. In that time I've spent a lot of time using and testing various radio automation solutions. Although my interest in Internet radio had started in 1999 it was 2002 before I had a Broadband connection. Radio automation software offerings back in 2002 were PANTS. You didn't have a great deal of choice. I tried Winamp with DSP plugins to try and stream but I ended up with large gaps of silence between songs so that wasn't ideal. Winamp would casually crash when you least wanted it to. An unstable DSP Plugin was usually to blame for that. Badly written Plugins were common back in Winamp's heyday! A lot of the DSP and General plugins from the Winamp website either wouldn't work or they would cause Winamp to freeze. You also had to change playlists manually and...