The eternal playlist conundrum

[Nakatomi]

I use DJI for all my information and have just been changing email etc to say ALL song requests must be on DJI and the information MUST be submitted within 14 days.

Maybe sounds a bit strict and demanding, however this summer seems to be a summer of playlists - including last Saturday when a 189 song playlist was emailed over on the Friday evening, all songs played were from the playlist and requests, then I receive an email saying the choice of music was poor

Heheh.

I'm all for giving customers choice - hopefully without also giving them the rope they can potentially hang me with later. All I've ever really minded about lists is the admin time a long one can create. Look down the list, type a song into your playout search, drag it over, move to the next list item.. It can be a massive time sink which is why I'm creating this web app to be able to look into my entire library warts & all and export an m3u playlist file I can just drop right onto my playout laptop. There's going to be a default time limit of 2x the total event time in addition to a count limit though.

Guests can make requests - and a bane of my life in the current (MDJM) system is one guest hogging the play queue so my app now has the capability to be limited as well.

A slightly sneaky feature I'm incorporating is when a customer 'deletes' a guest request it's actually only hidden - and I'll still be able to see everything they've done.

189 songs Chris - assuming I have them all it'd probably take me a couple of hours, maybe more to line them up in my playout. That's just not what I signed up for - especially if they're trying to do it at such short notice.

[Excalibur]

I know there's a grey haired old git who'll see this and go all dewy eyed as well

Correctamundo.

After getting another excel spreadsheet this week, I am going to ask clients to fill out an online form, so then I have exactly what I need interns of structure and number of songs. Perhaps I could build in a suggestions area, but it will probably just be a simple wordpress plug in?

Nothing wrong with Excel. Easily sortable, that's what it's designed for.

- including last Saturday when a 189 song playlist was emailed over on the Friday evening, all songs played were from the playlist and requests, then I receive an email saying the choice of music was poor

[ppentertainments]

Heheh.

I'm all for giving customers choice - hopefully without also giving them the rope they can potentially hang me with later. All I've ever really minded about lists is the admin time a long one can create. Look down the list, type a song into your playout search, drag it over, move to the next list item.. It can be a massive time sink which is why I'm creating this web app to be able to look into my entire library warts & all and export an m3u playlist file I can just drop right onto my playout laptop. There's going to be a default time limit of 2x the total event time in addition to a count limit though.

Guests can make requests - and a bane of my life in the current (MDJM) system is one guest hogging the play queue so my app now has the capability to be limited as well.

A slightly sneaky feature I'm incorporating is when a customer 'deletes' a guest request it's actually only hidden - and I'll still be able to see everything they've done.

189 songs Chris - assuming I have them all it'd probably take me a couple of hours, maybe more to line them up in my playout. That's just not what I signed up for - especially if they're trying to do it at such short notice.

I must admit I don't spend long sorting playlists now - I look through to highlight any I am not sure I have, then check and download.

Really what I should do is tag all my music correctly, load my database onto DJI and then I will know all the 'custom song' choices are the ones I need - the hard part is tagging all my music correctly

[yourdj]

Nothing wrong with Excel. Easily sortable, that's what it's designed for.

Its great if your printing it off, but for copying and pasting on at any digital format its a real pain.
I like to have a copy in my google calendar, plus one on my sticky notes that I often use through out the night.

Word is fine, but the tables and stuff just never pastes properly.

don't get me started on Spotify screenshots, I got 7 of them this morning.

Whats wrong with a normal sodding list just typed out, surely thats miles quicker and more efficient to do for the client?

[Nakatomi]

Its great if your printing it off, but for copying and pasting on at any digital format its a real pain.
I like to have a copy in my google calendar, plus one on my sticky notes that I often use through out the night.

Word is fine, but the tables and stuff just never pastes properly.

don't get me started on Spotify screenshots, I got 7 of them this morning.

Whats wrong with a normal sodding list just typed out, surely thats miles quicker and more efficient to do for the client?

Typing stuff in is probably fine for shortish lists (and results in some hilarious typos I might start a blog on one day) but searching & selecting from a list is much nicer.

I've only had screenshots once or twice in the last few years & yeah I feel your pain Toby. They're a royal pain in the.. even worse when they're sent by facebook message & you can't flipping zoom in on them with a desktop browser

[yourdj]

they're sent by facebook message

Yes this one was. Its not too bad and she admitted she was being lazy. i saw it come through a few weeks back and totally forgot.

I am going top put together some sort of form to get them in now.

[mattydj50]

Typing stuff in is probably fine for shortish lists (and results in some hilarious typos I might start a blog on one day)

Despite me telling the venue that I am in Greece with steam powered Wi-Fi, I received one such list today for tomorrow's wedding. The venue had typed it out as the screenshot wasn't very clear.

So I have 60 songs including:

The one that I want - Greece (how appropriate)
Footnotes -Kenny Joggings

and

Can't read it by Cher.

Oh well, my mate is covering, he can have the pleasure.

[yourdj]

Despite me telling the venue that I am in Greece with steam powered Wi-Fi, I received one such list today for tomorrow's wedding. The venue had typed it out as the screenshot wasn't very clear.

So I have 60 songs including:

The one that I want - Greece (how appropriate)
Footnotes -Kenny Joggings

and

Can't read it by Cher.

Oh well, my mate is covering, he can have the pleasure.

What no Zorba??

[Nakatomi]

Kenny Joggings!

Reminds me of my favourite Prince song - Raspberry Parade

I do love a good request typo.. like Lou Bega - Mango Number 5

[Tony Murphy]

It's a sad situation when a guest can't make a song request on the evening because the Dj has been given a strict list of what to play.

I never use a list, most of the time I don't know what track I am going to play next until I see the crowd reaction to the track I am currently playing. It works for me as I am alway's booked, sometimes 2-3 years in advance.

If it got to the stage where I was just given a list to play I would give the job up, because I wouldn't enjoy it.