Composer Pro Tips
More Help |  Program Guide | Playlists | SoundExchange Dashboard | User Guide | SoundExchange FAQs

What version do I have?

• When you log in, you'll see Pro or Basic at the top of the screen.
• Do you use the Dashboard? Inconclusive, could be either.
• Can you view your Composer program guide or playlists online? If so then, Pro. If not, Basic.
• Do you enter playlist information for individual programs? If so then, Pro. If you upload one playlist log file report, Basic.
• Do you pay for Composer? If so then, Pro. If not, Basic.

Program Schedule/Guide

• Program Every Other Week
• Program Grid Conflicts
• Edit Program, Don’t Delete
• Name That Guide
• Temporary Program Guide Changes

Entering Short Programs into your Guide
For programs less than 30 mins long, enter the info in the program description field for the longer program. See 9 AM, or 12 PM noon block.

Enter Day-Specific Program Information in your Guide
Enter program specific information, such as special guests or topics, into your Composer program schedule ahead of time.

To Enter Program Specific Information:

• Click Create Edit Program Guide.
• Change the date using drop down options and Click Change Date.
• Click Edit for the desired day and time.
• In the Edit Type field, Select Temporary Edit.
• Add other information (such as special guest) to the program description field and Click Save.

Bonus: You can feed this information to your home page using our Composer  "Now On Air" Widget.

PLAYLISTING TIPS

• ABCs of Playlist Entry
• Searching the Playlist Song Database
• Searching for your old playlists
• Use Song and Add Time Button
• Syndicated Program Playlist: Choose Episode
• Limited Access Host Accounts

Playlists Training Slide Deck:
Download playlist training. Learn about

• Adding Playlists
• Searching the Song Databse,
• Importing playlists
• Dealing with Duplicate Playlists
• Lost playlists
• More!

Playlists and Editing your Guide: Order of Operations:
Make all necessary edits in your Program Guide Manager BEFORE entering your playlists. If you enter a playlist, and then make a today only edit, you risk losing your playlist link, or ending up with duplicate playlists.

Edit programs rather than deleting them when possible. Instead of deleting a program, you can add a program end date. If you delete a program that has playlists associated with it, those playlists become 'orphaned' and not active in your playlist search.

Limited Access Host Accounts
When assigning programs to your host accounts, hold down the CTRL (Control) key to Select more than one program.

To Search the Song Database:

• Click Create/Edit Playlist.
• Find the day and time on the grid, and Click Add Playlist.
• Select your display fields, and Click through to the Add Song form.
• Click either
  
• Search our Station's database: This searches for songs entered by anyone at your station only. HINT: Much faster search.
• Search the full database: This searches the entire song database which contains songs entered by all stations. More comprehensive, but also slower.
• Enter at least one character in both the Name and Song Title fields.
• Click the Search for Song button at the bottom of the page. The system  searches the database and displays all matches.
• Scroll through the matches. If you see the song you want, Click Use Song or Use Song and Add Time to add the current time as the start time.
  
• If you don't see the song you're looking for, Click Cancel and then add the new song manually.

• Go to your Composer Admin Tools: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/xxxx/guide.guideadmin (substitute your call letters in for the ‘xxxx’ in the web address)
• Click Export Playlist Data and Run a Report for the desired date range. NOTE: You may need to set the end date one day later.
  
• Save this File to your Desktop.

Import Playlists from Excel
Import files must be in tab delimited ASCII (text) format. The system cannot process nonASCII formats such as Microsoft Word or Excel files, but you can work in Excel as long as you save the file as a Tab Delimited Text File (.txt).
[ download instructions and sample files ]

To Save an Excel Files as a Tab Delimited Text File:

• Open a new file in Excel.
• Add the desired Field Names to the first row (see your the Documentation section of Composer Admin Tools for the list). This row defines the fields that are imported. Case matters, but order is not relevant.

• Enter song information in the rows that follow.
• When ready to save the file, Click Save as. Name the file as you choose, but do not use spaces or special character in the file name.
  
• In the file type menu, Select 'Text (Tab Delimited) .txt' and Click Save. The resulting file should have the .txt extension. The '.txt.xls' extension is not compatible.

• TEST YOUR FILE: Double-Click on the file to open it. A plain text editor, such as 'Note Pad' opens your file. The columns do not line up in plain text.

Import Playlists from Microsoft Word You can convert the information from Word and save as a Tab Delimited Text File. [ download instructions and sample files ]
To Save a Word Files as a Tab Delimited Text File:

• Open a new file in Word.
  
• Set-up a table and Add the desired Field Names to the first row of the table (see your the Documentation section of Composer Admin Tools for the list). This row defines the fields are being imported. Case matters, but order is not relevant.
• Enter the Playlist Information in this table.
• When you are finished, Convert the Table to Text.
• Separate information with tabs.
• Save file as Text Only (.txt)

Saving Playlist Searches
With Composer, it is possible to save playlist searches and link to the results from a program specific search. This results in a link for the programs to include on their program page:

Link to All Playlists for a Program:

• Log in to your Composer Admin Tools
• Scroll down to the Documentation section
• Click Generating Playlist Search Links.
• Complete the form. Copy and Paste the resulting code.
• KERA Music bucket in the left column, Click on 90.1 at Night

Classical: Composer vs Artist Name
The Playlist Interface requires an Artist field because the SoundExchange/RIAA requires a field labeled Artist. We understand that this can be confusing for classical music, however this is what the SoundExchange/RIAA requires. We recommend that you put the composer in composer field, and the performer or soloist into the Artist field. If none, put a blank space into the Artist field.

Automated C24 Playlists in Composer
C24 Playlists can be automatically fed into your Composer Pro account, keeping a visitor on your site, rather than sending them off to the C24 web site. If you carry C24, a simple edit in your Admin Tools enables you to receive automated playlists for the hours you broadcast C24. This playlist information is also automatically included in your playlist reports.

C24 Playlist Examples: WXEL and WMHT

To Feed C24 Playlists into Composer:

• Click Create/Edit Program Guide (Program Guide Manager)
• Click Add/Edit and choose Classical 24 from the Syndicated Program drop down. Edit the name as desired, e.g., C24 instead of Classical 24.
  

NOTE: If you link off to the MPR site for playlist information, you may wish to remove that link and keep your listeners on your site.

• Scroll to the bottom and click Next. You'll end up back at the Program Guide Manager screen.
• Click Go live with changes button. C24 playlists load automatically from that date forward.

Automated Syndicated Playlists in Composer

Playlists for syndicated programs such as Jazz After Hours, Echoes, Sunday Baroque, C24 and many more are available for your listeners to browse and search from your own Composer Pro program guide.

• Make sure your Program Guide is up to date.
• As producers upload lists, the syndicated show playlists will automatically appear on your program guide with a playlist icon, as local playlists do now.
• They will be searchable.
• If playlists are uploaded ahead of time, they'll also display in your 'Now On Air' widgets. (NOTE: Producers upload their playlists at different times, and right now, most upload retrospectively.)
• For the most current list of syndicated program playlists that are becoming available, see the Sound Exchange Blog.
• If you're a program producer, and you'd like see your playlist information appear on station program guides, and help stations stay SoundExchange compliant, here's how you can help.

To Feed Syndicated Playlists into Composer:

• Click Create/Edit Program Guide (Program Guide Manager)
• Click Add/Edit and choose the desired program from the Syndicated Program drop down. Edit the name as desired, e.g., C24 instead of Classical 24. You may wish to edit the program start date as well.
  
• Scroll to the bottom and click Next. You'll end up back at the Program Guide Manager screen.
• Click Go live with changes button. Available playlists load automatically from that date forward.

Character limits for each Playlist field:
SONG_TITLE 200
ARTIST_NAME 400
CD_NAME 200
TRACK_NUMBER 2
TRACK_LABEL 200
CATALOG_NUMBER 100
UPC 100
NOTES 255
COPYRIGHT 50
COMPOSER 150
CONDUCTOR 100
ORCHESTRA 100
INSTRUMENT 100
COMMERCE_LINK 255

Accent Marks
Accent marks can tricky to enter online. The best way to enter them into any of our modules is to use the HTML mark up characters. See a site like: http://www.ascii.cl/htmlcodes.htm

Enter the HTML code from the 'HTML code' column where the accented letter should appear.

SoundExchange Reporting

• About
• FAQs
• Playlist Log File Guidelines
• Streaming Log File Guidelines