How to Add Jingles and Station IDs to RadioDJ, AzuraCast, mAirList and PlayIt Live

Before you import: get the files ready

• One element per file. Download each station ID, sweeper and liner as its own file, so the software can rotate them instead of playing the same one every time.
• Clear file names. Rename files before import with a pattern you can scan in a long list, such as station-id-01.mp3 or liner-weekend-02.mp3.
• MP3 or WAV. All four programs here import both. The JingleLark WAV is converted in your browser from the same mix as the MP3, for software or workflows that prefer WAV; it is not a lossless master.
• Import them as jingles or station IDs. The sweeper or overlay types in these programs are meant for dry voice pieces that play on top of a song's intro. A finished jingle with its own intro, bed or outro should play between songs.
• Level check. JingleLark normalises the loudness of each finished file, so your IDs sit at a similar level to each other. If your software levels tracks, run it across your songs and your IDs alike.

The four programs at a glance

Where station IDs go in each program, and which setting plays them at the top of the hour or every few songs. The sections below walk through each one step by step.

How to add jingles to AzuraCast

AzuraCast has no per-file jingle type. You mark jingles at the playlist level, and the playlist type decides when they play.

1. Upload the files in Media › Music Files (or over SFTP). A file only plays once it is in at least one playlist.
2. Create a playlist just for station IDs and tick “Hide Metadata from Listeners ("Jingle Mode")”, so the ID's title is not sent to listeners' players.
3. For the top of the hour, set Playlist Type to “Once per Hour” and “Minute of Hour to Play” to 0.
4. For sweepers and liners, make a second playlist with Playlist Type “Once per x Songs” and set “Number of Songs Between Plays”, for example 3.
5. Optional: use the playlist's Schedule tab to limit it to certain hours or days, for example weekend-only IDs.

To even out levels between songs and IDs, the station's AutoDJ settings have “Enable ReplayGain”. Each file's Advanced settings also have an “Amplify” gain and custom cue points.

Checked against the AzuraCast playlist docs, Oct 2026. Labels come from the current release; older installs may name things differently. Official docs

How to add jingles to RadioDJ

In RadioDJ the track type tells the software what a file is, and an event plays your ID on the hour.

1. Import the files with Options › Track Import. Pick a category and subcategory for them (for example Jingles › Station IDs) and set Track Type to “Jingle”.
2. For the top of the hour, open Events › New Event and choose the type “Recurring by Day and Hour”. Only the minutes and seconds count, so set them to 00:00.
3. Add the action “Load Track (top)” and pick your ID file, then add a second action, “Start Playing”, and save with “Add Event”.
4. For every few songs, build it into the rotation Auto DJ uses: a few music entries, then one entry that picks from your jingles category.

Use the “Sweeper” and “Voiceover” track types only for dry pieces that play over a song's intro. The Cue Editor sets start and end cue points, and RadioDJ can skip silence at the start and end of tracks.

Checked against RadioDJ's official tutorials, Oct 2026. Some menus have moved between RadioDJ versions, so the rotation menu may be labelled differently in yours. Official docs

How to add jingles to mAirList

mAirList schedules with templates in its database, mAirListDB: an hour template for fixed spots and a music template for the rules between songs.

1. Register a folder for your jingles under Administration › Configuration › Storages, put the files there and click Synchronize.
2. In the import options, use “Set type to” and choose Jingle, then click “Import Selected Files”.
3. For the top of the hour, open Administration › Manage Templates › Hour Templates and place your ID straight after the “Start of hour marker”, as a “Specific item” or a “Random item from folder”.
4. For every few songs, open your music template's Transitions tab and add a rule: how many songs play in a row, and the folder to pick the jingle from.
5. Assign the templates to hours in Administration › Configuration › Template Assignments, then click Generate.

mAirList's normalisation can work on true peak or R 128 loudness, and Auto Cue sets cue points on import.

Checked against mAirList's mAirListDB scheduling tutorial and database docs, Oct 2026. The tutorial was written for versions 5 and 6; newer versions may label menus differently. Official docs

How to add jingles to PlayIt Live

PlayIt Live has a Station ID track type, and it schedules with a playout pattern plus clocks for fixed times.

1. Open Manage › Tracks… › Add New and add your files. Set Type to “Station ID”; by default, files shorter than 30 seconds are inferred as Station IDs anyway.
2. Make a track group for your IDs in Manage › Track Groups, filtered by Type.
3. For every few songs, add that group to your Playout Pattern, for example song, song, station ID.
4. For the top of the hour, open Manage › Clocks and build a clock that starts with a Fixed Time Marker at 00:00, followed by your ID group. Then assign the clock to hours in Manage › Clock Schedule.

Leave the “Sweeper” box unticked for finished jingles; it is for dry pieces played over a song's intro. Tools › Loudness Analysis normalises tracks to a target loudness (default -16 LUFS), and “Analyse Silence” on import sets cue points.

Checked against the PlayIt Live v2.18 documentation, Oct 2026. Official docs

Why does my station ID play late, or not at all?

Most scheduling problems come down to one of four things:

• The ID waits for the current song. Many schedules are soft by default and play the ID after the song that is running ends. PlayIt Live, for example, has Hard and Soft fixed time markers; a Hard marker fades out whatever is playing.
• The station clock is set to another time zone, so “minute 0” arrives at the wrong time for your listeners.
• The ID is not in anything the schedule uses: it was imported but never added to the playlist, category or folder the rule picks from.
• Another rule wins. A show, a request or another fixed-time item scheduled for the same slot can take its place.

Before you rely on it, schedule a test ID a few minutes ahead and listen on your own stream to check it plays when you expect.

A simple hour you can copy

With IDs and sweepers in their own categories and scheduled, most small stations settle on a pattern like this:

• Top of the hour: a station ID, and the legal ID if you are a licensed station.
• Every three or four songs: a sweeper or liner, so the station name comes round regularly.
• Start of each show: the show intro or show tag.

For what each element is and how long it should run, see radio imaging explained.

Do I have to play an ID at the top of the hour?

A station ID is a short piece that tells listeners which station they are on. Licensed US broadcast stations have to air one: FCC rule 47 CFR §73.1201 asks for an identification hourly, as close to the hour as feasible. Internet-only stations are not covered by that rule, but a steady top-of-hour ID still helps listeners learn your name. Rules differ by country, so check what applies to you.

Make the files

Need station IDs to schedule? Make one with the radio station ID maker

Need sweepers and liners for the every-few-songs slot? Use the radio sweeper generator

Running an internet station? See a starter imaging set for internet radio

Back to the guide: radio imaging.

Frequently asked questions