How to Buy Radio Station Software
Radio station software can be difficult to buy. There are countless options that can accomplish numerous different tasks. The trick to buying radio station software is evaluating what you need to do and finding software that best accomplishes your tasks.
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Instructions
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Budget how much you want to spend on software. If you are running a big commercial radio station, you can probably afford to spend the money on top-end software. However if you are broadcasting on a non-profit station, or just trying to start an Internet station, you probably won't be able to afford, or need, the high-end software.
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Decide what you need the software to do. For a fully functioning radio station, you will have to invest in several pieces of software. Consider not only live on-air broadcasting, but also software for automation, recording production, editing, Internet streaming, show preparation and anything else you may to do with your station.
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Consider trying Adobe Audition for recording and editing radio production and commercials. Audition is an industry standard in radio because of its ease of use, audio processing capabilities and editing abilities. There are several other audio recording and editing software programs that you can try, but Audition is a great place to start.
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Check out Prophet Systems' NexGen for a good digital automation and audio playout system. NexGen can organize your music library, set your playlists, insert advertising, take care of automation and much more. It is a popular choice for many radio stations.
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Subscribe to some radio trade magazines and check out the coverage and reviews of software. One of the best ways to find out what software is worth your money is by seeing what other radio professionals are saying. Consider "Radio and Production" and "Radio and Records" as publications that can offer some helpful information.
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Tips & Warnings
Conventions and trade shows are another good place to test-drive radio software.
Be very careful about becoming an early adopter of any piece of software. Technology changes rapidly, and software can be outdated or obsolete quickly, so make sure your investment is something that will last and pay off.
