Author: Jay Goldberg
I will be covering two topics here, syndicated shows and AI songs, although I will look at AI songs in more detail next month.
In past columns, I covered business topics from my book, Building a Successful Business. Now I am going to use one of those topics, market research, as it relates to me producing syndicated shows. First, I uploaded a show to Mixcloud so radio station owners can listen to it to decide if they want to play that show and, potentially, others in this series. If I get interested stations I will produce seven additional shows and I will release the shows in two sets of four shows. These eight shows make up my market test. If successful, I will continue to produce syndicated content going forward. There will be no charge for playing these shows, although the shows will have a sponsor.
As mentioned last month, the eight-show market test will be cover songs. The show currently uploaded to Mixcloud is covers of songs from the sixties. The next three will be covers of classic rock songs, covers of new wave songs, and a cover song dance party. While cover songs will not be the format after the market test, the shows will have the same announcers and feel as the cover song shows in terms of the information contained in the show and the back and forth between the hosts.
Also, on the Mixcloud page in the show description is a link to a site where you can sign up to receive the first four syndicated shows (after they are produced) along with their associated csv files. You will use the MultiTrack process to upload the shows and their associated csv files to your stations. If your station has ads, you can place them wherever you like in the show. The shows are 55 minutes, allowing for the insertion of four minutes of ads and a one minute top of the hour for stations that schedule specific content for that time (if you do not, I recommend a promo for other shows on your station and/or a station ID). The Live365 help article on MultiTrack shows how to insert ads, with a series of articles on the entire process. You don't have to worry about preparing your file since I have done that for you (the csv files). If you don't want to attempt the ad insertion process, just schedule two minutes of ads before the show and two minutes of ads after the show. I may break future shows down into two segments to allow for ad insertion in the middle of a show outside of the MultiTrack process (e.g. schedule an ad, then part 1, then an ad, then part 2).
Now the most important part – ensuring this process is legal and follows the DMCA rules. Live365 details the important rules of playing syndicated content on your station in this new blog article:
- You MUST play syndicated shows in their entirety as received.
- You CAN place ads where you want within the show, as long as it doesn't involve altering the copyrighted musical content.
- If you want to play individual songs from a syndicated show, you must legally obtain those individual tracks separately (e.g., by purchasing them or having your own direct licenses for them).
Again, please note that you cannot copy the individual tracks in the show to use on your station outside of the pre-recorded syndicated show. Of course if you already own the tracks or add them later following DMCA rules you can play them whenever as you would any other song. The link to the first syndicated show is just below the write-up.
Next is AI songs. I have been playing with them and even had a long talk with an industry professional which has helped shape my view on them. That will be covered in more detail in next month's column. I first approached AI to get a theme song for my radio station. And I loved how it came out. I used Songer.co, and if you visit the site and sign up, please use this link.
I get two song credits if you decide to sign up with them through the above link. I ended up paying $67.99 for the ability to produce 100 songs. You provide a prompt for the song and select five genres/moods/characteristics and poof you get two potential songs. I started very general and later got very specific and used all 1,000 characters allowed in the prompts. What I love is I get to review the lyrics and listen to the first minute of two different versions of a song (same lyrics) before committing to “buy” a song (in other words until it counts as one of my 100 songs). I have generated as many as 18 one-minute samples before “buying” a song. Below are links to two of the songs I created with the help of AI.
For the music this month, I will share the first cover song show I created for syndication and two songs I created with the help of AI.
"Covers of Songs From The Sixties" - The Music Scout, Rock on Neon
Click the link below, and on that page in the show's description is another link to get on the distribution list when the first four shows are ready.
Listen/Download: Show 1 - Covers of Songs From the 60s by Rock on Neon Radio | Mixcloud
"Rock on Neon Radio Theme Song" - Rock on Neon (with the help of AI)
The station's motto is “some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of,” which is a quote from the song “Celluloid Heroes” by The Kinks written by Ray Davies. The station plays new wave, alternative, adult alternative, and rock.
Listen: Rock on Neon Radio Theme Song
Here is another example: two versions of a song I created as a tribute to my favorite artist, Al Stewart. I entered 20 of my favorite Al Stewart song titles to see what lyrics Songer would come up with using those prompts. I liked both versions of this submission, and in fact, I used their fix the song ending for both versions. This will also give you a good idea how different the two versions Songer provides for the same lyric prompts and five genres/vibes. And yes, “Year of the Cat” was a prompt, and made some of the possible songs I generated, but is not in the lyrics for the songs I ended up generating.
Listen: Version 1
Listen: Version 2
All "The Music Scout (Alternative)" content rights reside with the author.
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Article Image: The text "The Music Scout" with the white Live365 logo underneath, next to an animated person with headphones.
