AutoDJ Automation
Never Broadcast Silence Again—AutoDJ Keeps You Live 24/7
Professional radio automation that instantly fills gaps when you're not live. Smart crossfades, scheduled shows, jingle insertion, and playlist rotation—all managed from your browser.
- Automatic failover when live sources disconnect
- Configurable crossfades (0.5-5s) with smart ducking
- Included FREE with all audio streaming plans
The Dead Air Problem
Every minute of silence costs you listeners—and they don't come back.
Encoder Crashes
Your streaming software freezes, internet drops, or laptop dies—suddenly your stream serves silence until you notice.
Schedule Gaps
Not every time slot has a live DJ. Overnight hours, holidays, and between shows—empty air drives listeners away.
DJ No-Shows
A volunteer DJ forgets their slot or gets stuck in traffic. Without automation, you scramble to fill the gap manually.
Listener Churn
Studies show 30-50% of listeners won't return after hearing dead air for more than 90 seconds. Each incident costs you audience.
The Cost of Silence
A single 30-minute dead air incident can lose 15-25% of your concurrent audience permanently. AutoDJ prevents this by ensuring your stream never goes silent.
What is AutoDJ?
AutoDJ (automatic disc jockey) is radio automation software that plays pre-loaded music, shows, and jingles in a continuous loop—keeping your internet radio station broadcasting 24/7 without human intervention.
Think of it as a robotic DJ that never sleeps, never calls in sick, and never forgets to press play. When your live DJ disconnects or your scheduled show ends, AutoDJ seamlessly takes over within milliseconds, ensuring zero dead air.
Unlike basic playlist shufflers, professional AutoDJ systems include advanced features like crossfades (smooth transitions between tracks), jingle insertion (station IDs, ads), show scheduling (different playlists for different times), and silence detection (automatic recovery if audio stops).
With AutoDJ
- ✓ Stream runs 24/7 automatically
- ✓ Instant failover when live DJ drops
- ✓ Professional-sounding transitions
- ✓ Scheduled show blocks and dayparting
- ✓ Automatic jingle and ad insertion
- ✓ Zero maintenance—set and forget
Without AutoDJ
- ✗ Dead air when encoder crashes
- ✗ Manual playlist management 24/7
- ✗ Abrupt cuts between tracks
- ✗ Empty time slots broadcast silence
- ✗ Missing station IDs = FCC violations (US)
- ✗ Constant monitoring and intervention
Industry Standard
95% of professional internet radio stations use AutoDJ for overnight hours, fallback automation, or full 24/7 operation. It's not optional—it's essential infrastructure for reliable broadcasting.
Professional AutoDJ Features
Enterprise automation included free with every plan.
Smart Playlist Rotation
Upload hundreds or thousands of tracks. AutoDJ intelligently rotates through your library, avoiding repetition and respecting artist/track separation rules.
- Category-based rotation (e.g., 70% music, 20% talk, 10% jingles)
- Artist separation (don't play same artist within X tracks)
- Genre weighting for format consistency
Smooth Crossfades
Professional transitions between tracks—no dead air, no awkward gaps. Configurable fade durations and curves for different music styles.
- Adjustable fade length: 0.5s to 5s
- Linear, logarithmic, or S-curve fade profiles
- Smart ducking (reduce outgoing track volume before next starts)
Show Scheduling
Different playlists for different times—dayparting keeps your format fresh and relevant throughout the broadcast day.
- Schedule blocks by hour/day (e.g., "Morning Drive" 6-9 AM weekdays)
- Unique playlists per show block
- Recurring or one-time events
Jingle Insertion
Automatically play station IDs, ads, promos, and sweepers at configured intervals. Sound professional without manual intervention.
- Clockwheel programming (play jingle every N tracks)
- Time-based insertion (top/bottom of hour)
- Weighted rotation (play some jingles more than others)
Silence Detection
If audio stops unexpectedly (corrupt file, processing error), AutoDJ detects silence and immediately skips to the next track.
- Configurable threshold (e.g., −45 dB for 5 seconds)
- Instant recovery action (skip track or play bumper)
- Alert notifications via email/webhook
Instant Failover
When your live DJ disconnects, AutoDJ takes over immediately—no gap, no manual intervention. When DJ reconnects, they seamlessly resume control.
- Priority source handling (live DJ > AutoDJ > silence)
- Sub-second transition time
- Optional "be right back" bumper
Metadata Sync
Track titles, artist names, and album art update automatically in your players, directories, and apps—no manual metadata editing.
- Read ID3 tags from uploaded files
- Override metadata per track if needed
- Broadcast "Now Playing" to listeners in real-time
Web-Based Upload
Upload tracks directly from your browser—no FTP, no SSH, no command line. Drag-and-drop interface makes playlist management effortless.
- Bulk upload (10-100+ files at once)
- Automatic format validation (MP3, AAC, FLAC)
- Organize by folders/categories
Playback History
See exactly what played and when. Export logs for royalty reporting (SoundExchange, BMI, ASCAP) or audience analytics.
- Full history with timestamps
- CSV export for royalty compliance
- Track skip/repeat analysis
How Stations Use AutoDJ
From 100% automated to hybrid live/auto workflows.
24/7 Automated Stations
"We run a smooth jazz format with zero live DJs. AutoDJ handles everything—playlist rotation, hourly station IDs, and even sponsor reads. We curate the music and let automation do the rest."
Perfect for: Genre stations, lo-fi beats, ambient music, niche formats that don't need live hosts.
Overnight & Weekend Fill
"Our DJs broadcast 6 AM - midnight. AutoDJ takes over overnight with a curated overnight playlist. Listeners get uninterrupted music even when we're asleep."
Perfect for: Community radio, college stations, part-time broadcasters who can't staff all hours.
Failover Backup Only
"We're 100% live DJs, but AutoDJ is our safety net. If someone's encoder crashes or they disconnect mid-show, AutoDJ kicks in instantly with a pre-loaded 'emergency' playlist. Zero dead air."
Perfect for: Professional stations, talk radio, live event broadcasts that need reliable failover.
Scheduled Show Blocks
"We have live shows 3 nights a week. AutoDJ handles the rest with themed playlists: 'Morning Commute' for rush hour, 'Afternoon Lounge' for work hours, 'Weekend Mix' for Saturdays. All scheduled automatically."
Perfect for: Hybrid stations mixing live and automated content with format consistency.
Multi-DJ Stations
"Five DJs share our station—each with their own 2-hour slots. When a DJ connects, they override AutoDJ. When they sign off, AutoDJ resumes. No coordination needed, no gaps."
Perfect for: Community stations, DJ collectives, shared broadcasting setups.
Live Events with Pre/Post
"We broadcast live sports and concerts. AutoDJ plays pre-game/pre-show music, then hands off to live commentary. Post-event, AutoDJ resumes with recap shows and highlights."
Perfect for: Sports networks, live event coverage, festival broadcasts.
Built-In AutoDJ vs External Software
Why integrated automation beats desktop software.
| Feature | Built-In AutoDJ (Shoutcast Net) |
External Software (SAM, RadioDJ, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Complexity | Click to enable, upload files |
Install software, configure encoder, manage playlists |
| Requires Dedicated PC | No—runs on our servers |
Yes—must be on 24/7 |
| Uptime | 99.9% with redundancy |
Depends on your PC reliability |
| Internet Dependency | No—runs server-side |
Yes—if your internet drops, stream dies |
| Electricity Costs | $0/month |
~$10-20/month for 24/7 PC |
| Maintenance | Zero—we handle updates |
You manage software updates, OS patches |
| Live DJ Failover | Automatic & instant |
Requires manual configuration |
| Cost | Included FREE |
Free (open-source) or $299+ (commercial) |
The Winner: Built-In AutoDJ
Unless you need extremely advanced features like voicetracking or complex crossfades, built-in AutoDJ is superior—simpler, more reliable, and included free. No extra hardware, no electricity costs, no maintenance.
How to Get Started with AutoDJ
Live in 5 minutes—seriously.
Sign Up & Create Station
Register for free trial (no credit card). Create a new audio streaming station from the dashboard.
Upload Your Music
Drag and drop MP3/AAC files into the AutoDJ media library. Organize into playlists or let it shuffle all tracks.
Configure Settings
Set crossfade duration (we recommend 3.0s), jingle frequency (every 5-10 tracks), and optional show schedules.
Enable & Go Live
Toggle AutoDJ "On". Your station is now broadcasting 24/7. Share your stream URL and start building an audience.
No credit card required • Setup in 5 minutes • AutoDJ included free
AutoDJ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! AutoDJ is included at no additional cost with all audio streaming plans (Starter, Growth, Pro). No per-track fees, no usage limits, no hidden charges. It's part of our core platform.
Storage limits vary by plan:
- Starter: 2 GB (~500 tracks at 128 kbps MP3)
- Growth: 10 GB (~2,500 tracks)
- Pro: 50 GB+ (custom, contact sales for more)
Most stations find 500-1,000 tracks sufficient for non-repetitive 24/7 rotation.
Absolutely. This is the most common setup. Configure priority levels:
- Live DJ (highest priority) - When connected, they control the stream
- AutoDJ (medium priority) - Plays when no live source connected
- Silence (never happens) - AutoDJ ensures this never occurs
Transitions are instant and seamless—no dead air, no manual intervention.
Supported upload formats: MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG Vorbis.
AutoDJ transcodes everything to your configured stream format (typically MP3 or AAC at your chosen bitrate). This ensures consistent quality and prevents format mismatches.
Recommendation: Upload high-quality source files (256-320 kbps MP3 or lossless FLAC). AutoDJ will downsample for streaming if needed.
Yes, if you're broadcasting copyrighted music. Royalty obligations are separate from hosting costs.
In the US, you need:
- SoundExchange - Pays performance royalties to artists/labels
- BMI, ASCAP, SESAC - Pays composition royalties to songwriters
Costs vary by listener count (typically $500-2,000/year for small stations). Our playback logs export in SoundExchange-compatible format for easy reporting.
Alternative: Broadcast royalty-free music, podsafe music, or your own original content—no licensing required.
Yes! Create unlimited show blocks and assign unique playlists. Examples:
- "Morning Drive" playlist (6-9 AM weekdays) - upbeat tracks
- "Work Day" playlist (9 AM-5 PM) - background-friendly
- "Evening Chill" playlist (7-11 PM) - mellow vibes
- "Overnight" playlist (11 PM-6 AM) - ambient/sleep music
Never Broadcast Dead Air Again
Start your 14-day free trial and experience professional AutoDJ automation—included free with every Shoutcast Net audio streaming plan.
No credit card required • AutoDJ included free • Setup in 5 minutes