what the heck are song tags?

[oldtimeradio]

from seatacmedia.com
11/27/12 – Song Tagging---Many major-market stations have begun adding “song tags” at the end of each song presented. Locally, KLCK FM has this helpful feature. No more back-selling for station personalities to have to contend with…


Is that an audio thing or something people have to read?

thanks.

 

[davideduardo]

from seatacmedia.com
11/27/12 – Song Tagging---Many major-market stations have begun adding “song tags” at the end of each song presented. Locally, KLCK FM has this helpful feature. No more back-selling for station personalities to have to contend with…


Is that an audio thing or something people have to read?

thanks.

It's a generic voiceover with just the artist and title generally at the end of each song.

 

[oldtimeradio]

Thanks.

But, does the local station do that, or does someone else supply the voice? The way that blurb was worded it sounded like the voice is embedded in the music file or voiced by an automated (electronic) voice since the local personnel didn't have to bother with doing such chores. (That's the way I read it.)

I just haven't run across this at all.

Thanks again.

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks.

But, does the local station do that, or does someone else supply the voice? The way that blurb was worded it sounded like the voice is embedded in the music file or voiced by an automated (electronic) voice since the local personnel didn't have to bother with doing such chores. (That's the way I read it.)

I just haven't run across this at all.

Thanks again.

It's usually done by someone the station selects, generally someone on the staff or on the staff of a sister station. When the song is put on whatever digital storage system the station uses, it is either mixed with the tag, or the tag is automatically inserted at a cue point although it is stored separately.

It's a one-time task to do the library, and since it is mostly current based stations that do it, not a big consumption of time. Then, all they have to do is voice the tag for any new adds to the playlist and that's it.

 

[tjolsen]

the only places I've heard them were formerly on New Rock 101.9 in NY and sister station q 87.7 Chicago. In both cases they emulate the Seri feature of the Iphone with 2 hsort dings and then a synthetic sounding voice anouncing the artist/title at the close of a song.

 

[oldtimeradio]

Got it. Thank you very much.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

the only places I've heard them were formerly on New Rock 101.9 in NY and sister station q 87.7 Chicago. In both cases they emulate the Seri feature of the Iphone with 2 hsort dings and then a synthetic sounding voice anouncing the artist/title at the close of a song.

What a great way to personalize radio even less.

 

[jonbruce]

About as much fun as skin tags.

 

[henry]

It was a big rage in medium markets (Salt Lake City, specifically) about 2-3 years ago. At the end of the song, you'd hear a human imitating a robot, saying "Uncle Kracker ... Follow Me."

It's now TOTALLY gone from the market. Thank heavens.

 

[davideduardo]

It was a big rage in medium markets (Salt Lake City, specifically) about 2-3 years ago. At the end of the song, you'd hear a human imitating a robot, saying "Uncle Kracker ... Follow Me."

The problem originated at stations that did some kind of research where it was "revealed" that listeners wanted to hear songs identified, and they considered it a very important matter.

The response was tagging every song.

In reality, listeners only care about song identification for songs they don't know, and are actually annoyed when known songs are identified; "hey, don't tell me the obvious".

Since each listener has a significantly different list of songs that they don't know, one person's need is another's annoyance. Giving this data via RDS, HD, the website and station app is the best way to allow listeners to get that sort of information.

 

[davideduardo]

About as much fun as skin tags.

And, similarly, should be treated surgically.

 

[Thomps2525]

The first station I heard using "song tags" was the old top-40 KBLA-1500 in Burbank. The station evolved into country KBBQ and then top-40 KROQ and then went dark. But in 1967 they got rid of all their DJs and were "non-stop music." When songs weren't being played, there was instrumental music during commercials and during the one-minute-long newscasts. Many listeners complained that the station sounded like a jukebox so somebody taped some tags that were added to some of the songs. Example: "These are the Righteous Brothers on KBLA." And of course every time the song played, the same voiceover was heard. But hey, KBLA saved money!

 

[BecTero]

Remember the same voiceover from a San Diego area radio station circa 1974:

"Street Corner Symphony, that's Kool & the Gang from the Light of Worlds LP, on Soul 104"

 

[nmoore6676]

It was a big rage in medium markets (Salt Lake City, specifically) about 2-3 years ago. At the end of the song, you'd hear a human imitating a robot, saying "Uncle Kracker ... Follow Me."

The problem originated at stations that did some kind of research where it was "revealed" that listeners wanted to hear songs identified, and they considered it a very important matter.

The response was tagging every song.

In reality, listeners only care about song identification for songs they don't know, and are actually annoyed when known songs are identified; "hey, don't tell me the obvious".

Since each listener has a significantly different list of songs that they don't know, one person's need is another's annoyance. Giving this data via RDS, HD, the website and station app is the best way to allow listeners to get that sort of information.

What I was going to say.

Case in point, I am a big fan of Classic Country and I listen mostly to stations that stream. One that I really like is a chain of daytimers in Ohio (WBZI, WKFI, WEDI) and during the sunlit part of the day they have live DJs. They usually back announce the song sets but when they come to a stop set or top of the hour news break they usually skip the announcement of what just played. This of course is when that song that I never heard but really like plays. However back announcing each and every song (tagging) would to me be a bigger annoyance.

After sunset they have only an FM translator for WBZI and the internet stream with no live DJs. Which brings me to KKGO-HD3 which also streams with no DJs at all but they have a display of what is playing and what just played so problem solved happily with no annoying third party voice telling me what just played. The DJ doing it live would be less annoying to me than a disembodied voice out of nowhere. This technology of a digital tag which can be seen on a computer or smart radio seems to me to be the best all around solution for the curious like myself.

 

[LKellerIII]

The first station I heard using "song tags" was the old top-40 KBLA-1500 in Burbank. The station evolved into country KBBQ and then top-40 KROQ and then went dark. But in 1967 they got rid of all their DJs and were "non-stop music." When songs weren't being played, there was instrumental music during commercials and during the one-minute-long newscasts. Many listeners complained that the station sounded like a jukebox so somebody taped some tags that were added to some of the songs. Example: "These are the Righteous Brothers on KBLA." And of course every time the song played, the same voiceover was heard. But hey, KBLA saved money!

Isn't that just plain old "automation?" KRLA did the same for about a year - about 1968 - when they were automated outside of drive time. It would be "The Reb Foster Show" (or whatever), but the song intros or outros were the same every time. I think the jock also had a show open and close that would be changed regularly ("Hey, it's a hot Wednesday..."), and a couple of short ad-lib segments to give it that "live" feel.

I also recall the automated FM formats of that era, like Bill Drake's "Hit Parade (Year)" or "Solid Gold." Same song intros and outros (voiced by The Real Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan and the other KHJ Boss Jocks). Those Drake formats even had automated time-checks.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The first station I heard using "song tags" was the old top-40 KBLA-1500 in Burbank. The station evolved into country KBBQ and then top-40 KROQ and then went dark. But in 1967 they got rid of all their DJs and were "non-stop music." When songs weren't being played, there was instrumental music during commercials and during the one-minute-long newscasts. Many listeners complained that the station sounded like a jukebox so somebody taped some tags that were added to some of the songs. Example: "These are the Righteous Brothers on KBLA." And of course every time the song played, the same voiceover was heard. But hey, KBLA saved money!

Isn't that just plain old "automation?" KRLA did the same for about a year - about 1968 - when they were automated outside of drive time. It would be "The Reb Foster Show" (or whatever), but the song intros or outros were the same every time. I think the jock also had a show open and close that would be changed regularly ("Hey, it's a hot Wednesday..."), and a couple of short ad-lib segments to give it that "live" feel.

I also recall the automated FM formats of that era, like Bill Drake's "Hit Parade (Year)" or "Solid Gold." Same song intros and outros (voiced by The Real Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan and the other KHJ Boss Jocks). Those Drake formats even had automated time-checks.

When KOLA in San Bernardino was AOR in the 80's they were doing something similar. The station only had one voice, the deep voiced Al Barnet who did all of the tags. Regular listeners of the stations could identify the tags on the songs in heavy rotation almost as much as the songs themselves. I can still hear it now: "That was John Cougar on KOLA 99.9, "Pink Houses". Unfortunately typing it can't do justice to the actual call. The man had pipes.

 

[jonbruce]

Interesting as Al Barnett was a salesman for us at KFXM 590 and was pressed into action as a jock in the early days of an AFTRA strike there. Left us for the GSM position at KOLA and ended up doing voice work. He also owned our station mascot "Jocko" a live tiger, which he took with him when he left. During his KFXM stint he appeared on the Joe Pyne TV show in LA with Jocko.

 

[LKellerIII]

The first station I heard using "song tags" was the old top-40 KBLA-1500 in Burbank. The station evolved into country KBBQ and then top-40 KROQ and then went dark. But in 1967 they got rid of all their DJs and were "non-stop music." When songs weren't being played, there was instrumental music during commercials and during the one-minute-long newscasts. Many listeners complained that the station sounded like a jukebox so somebody taped some tags that were added to some of the songs. Example: "These are the Righteous Brothers on KBLA." And of course every time the song played, the same voiceover was heard. But hey, KBLA saved money!

Isn't that just plain old "automation?" KRLA did the same for about a year - about 1968 - when they were automated outside of drive time. It would be "The Reb Foster Show" (or whatever), but the song intros or outros were the same every time. I think the jock also had a show open and close that would be changed regularly ("Hey, it's a hot Wednesday..."), and a couple of short ad-lib segments to give it that "live" feel.

I also recall the automated FM formats of that era, like Bill Drake's "Hit Parade (Year)" or "Solid Gold." Same song intros and outros (voiced by The Real Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan and the other KHJ Boss Jocks). Those Drake formats even had automated time-checks.

When KOLA in San Bernardino was AOR in the 80's they were doing something similar. The station only had one voice, the deep voiced Al Barnet who did all of the tags. Regular listeners of the stations could identify the tags on the songs in heavy rotation almost as much as the songs themselves. I can still hear it now: "That was John Cougar on KOLA 99.9, "Pink Houses". Unfortunately typing it can't do justice to the actual call. The man had pipes.

Which, of course, recalls ABC's "Love" format with Brother John (Rydgren) 24 hours a day - locally on "95 and-a-half" KABC-FM. He also "had pipes." I think they added a second DJ (Tony Pigg) toward the end of the format's run.

 

[Thomps2525]

Brother John recorded the KABC-FM programming in 45-minute segments. That way, as opposed to having the music in 60-minute segments, listeners wouldn't be hearing the same songs in the same part of the hour. For example, the Beatles' Octopus's Garden might be the first song in a 45-minute segment. It might air at 10 am; then the next airing might come at 7:15 pm, then the next day at 12:45 pm. If we always heard the same song at the top of several different hours, we'd easily figure out that the programming is on tape.

But we heard the same DJ 24 hours a day and we all figured that out anyway.

 

[nmoore6676]

Brother John recorded the KABC-FM programming in 45-minute segments. That way, as opposed to having the music in 60-minute segments, listeners wouldn't be hearing the same songs in the same part of the hour. For example, the Beatles' Octopus's Garden might be the first song in a 45-minute segment. It might air at 10 am; then the next airing might come at 7:15 pm, then the next day at 12:45 pm. If we always heard the same song at the top of several different hours, we'd easily figure out that the programming is on tape.

But we heard the same DJ 24 hours a day and we all figured that out anyway.

Those of us who saw behind the curtain anyway knew. But I once worked at a classical music station associated with a major university in Columbus Ohio. At the time the FM which was the music format was voice tracked by one man, a theater grad student. Listeners would often complain that the "DJ" sounded tired which they attributed to the long hours he was on the air.

I guess they misinterpreted his somber intonation which was almost required of classical hosts in that day to his sleepiness. In fact he did the morning drive time live but VTed the remainder of the day.

In any event the audience wanted us to give the poor man a break and hire some more announcers. Others of us on staff did do the specialty shows which were prerecorded but the main programming was automated. The only live on air people were doing news on the AM side.