In order to operate, RadioDJ needs a database to store all the data about your tracks, rotations, playlists, events etc. For this purpose, we need to install MySQL, a free database server that can be downloaded from here.
A short video tutorial about installing the MySQL server can be seen here:
If MySQL server is installed and running, the next step is to install RadioDJ. For this, download the newest version of our program from the downloads page. Most of the times, you’ll find the program archived, without an installer, that’s because it easier to update it from one version to another.
Unzip the content to your “C” partition, so you will have “C:\RadioDJ”. This is the best place for the program, because in many cases, on systems with security settings set too high, the windows will prevent RadioDJ to access its files.
In RadioDJ folder, locate the “Setup” folder and open “Database Setup.exe”. This utility will create the database for you and will allow you to do many database related tasks, such as backup or restore. Again, we made a video about how to use this utility:
How to install RadioDJ database?
If the database is created successfully, you can now close “Database Setup.exe” and start “RadioDJ.exe”, which is the main program (it’s a good idea to create a shortcut on your desktop to this application).
Even if we tried to release the program with the best settings, it’s a good idea to check them and make sure they are right for your needs. For this, go to Options (bottom menu) and again Options in the new window.
One important setting to check, is the album art folder. Make sure that it points to a existing folder, otherwise you could get some errors when importing the audio files.
After you’ve customized the settings, you can proceed with categories. You can find them in main window Options->Categories.
When done, you can import your audio files to the proper categories/subcategories/genres. For this operation, go to Options->Directory Import or Track Import (if you need to import your files one by one).
When the import process has ended, the next step is to build your first rotation. Go to Options->Tracks Rotation. From you categories, you can add to the list categories/subcategories/genres and the generated playlist by AutoDJ will follow that format. When you’re done with the rotation, in the main window, activate the AutoDJ and a playlist will be generated based on your rotation.
[To be continued…]