How to Build a Complete AutoDJ Schedule – Step by Step

AutoDJ Can Do More Than Just Shuffle Songs

With AutoDJ, you can create a true radio-style schedule — music blocks, jingles, promos, thematic hours, and more.

Whether you want to keep things simple or run a full weekly grid like an FM station, AutoDJ at ViaRad.io gives you the flexibility to:

Create multiple playlists
Assign them to specific hours or conditions
Insert jingles between songs
Schedule special events or shows

Let’s build a solid example together 👇

🧩 Components of a Good Schedule

To structure your programming, you'll mainly use three tools:

1. 🎶 Playlists

Where you group music tracks by genre, mood, or type (e.g., "Pop", "Chill", "Top 40", "Night Sessions")

2. 📢 Jingles

Short audio pieces like station IDs, sweepers, promos, or intros — inserted automatically between songs or at intervals

3. 🗓️ Schedule (Optional)

Advanced tool that lets you assign playlists to specific days, hours, or recurring time slots (perfect for daily shows, weekend specials, etc.)

🛠️ Let’s Build a Simple but Powerful Setup

Here’s an example of a 24-hour daily structure with variety and branding:

🎶 Step 1: Create Your Playlists

Go to the Playlists section in your control panel.

Create the following playlists:

Playlist Name	Type	Content
Main Rotation	General	Your core songs (Pop, Hits, etc.)
Night Music	Scheduled	Chillout, ambient, or slow songs
Top 40 Hour	Scheduled	Most played hits
Latin Beats	Scheduled	Latin tracks for a themed hour
Weekend Party	Scheduled	Upbeat dance tracks for weekends

💡 Use the “Shuffle” option for variety or “Sequential” for countdowns and story-like flow.

📢 Step 2: Add Jingles

In the Jingles section:

Upload 5–10 station IDs, sweepers or promos
Set them to play:
- Every 2–3 tracks
- Or every X minutes (e.g., every 12 mins)

✅ This keeps your station sounding professional and dynamic.

🗓️ Step 3: Schedule Your Playlist Blocks

Now go to Schedule and start assigning playlists to specific time slots.

Here’s an example for a weekday:

Time	Playlist
00:00 – 06:00	Night Music
06:00 – 08:00	Top 40 Hour
08:00 – 18:00	Main Rotation
18:00 – 20:00	Latin Beats
20:00 – 00:00	Main Rotation again

And for weekends:

Time	Playlist
00:00 – 10:00	Night Music
10:00 – 22:00	Weekend Party
22:00 – 00:00	Top 40 Hour

You can choose if the schedule:

Repeats daily
Applies only to weekends
Overrides the general rotation at specific times

💡 Each scheduled playlist will override the general rotation only for the time slot you choose.

🧠 Best Practices

✅ Use AutoDJ fallback as your default source when no playlist is scheduled (see: What is a fallback stream)

✅ Keep playlists between 30–100 tracks to avoid repetition

✅ Update playlists weekly or monthly to keep content fresh

✅ Name your playlists clearly (e.g., “Top 40 - Weekdays” or “Night Chill - Sat”)

✅ Test your setup by listening at different times of day

🎯 Summary

AutoDJ isn’t just a backup — it’s a full automation engine.

With just a few well-structured playlists, a handful of jingles, and a smart schedule, you can:

Create themed hours
Keep your stream sounding fresh 24/7
Mix branding and music seamlessly
Offer a true radio experience — even without going live

And the best part: you’re in control — your station, your sound, your schedule 🚀🎶