But I'd like to know how songs are played. Are several songs just programmed and picked randomly?
How the playlist works can get a little complicated, but I will try to explain.
There are two ways to broadcast with Live365, basic mode (with the files stored on Live365's server) or in live mode (with the files streamed from an automated broadcast computer to Live365). Most of the time we are broadcasting live.
It's set up just like a terrestial radio station in that there is a clock for every hour and there are "slots" (or different categories of songs) that are scheduled to play each hour. There are currently about 60 different categories. And they are arranged in a specific order for each hour. A song from each of these categories will play at least once in any four-hour period. A few categories play up to five times in any four-hour period. The songs within each category do not repeat until all the songs in that grouping have played. There are other rotation rules set up as well but this gives you the general idea.
Having categories grouped like this means that songs by the same character or same series generally won't play back-to-back. But it also ensures that at least one Kermit song plays every hour, for example. Also, some songs play once every 1-2 days while others don't repeat until every 4-7 days or so. The goal is to create enough variety that if someone listens every day that there are still surprises that come up. While at the same time, I try to make the station enjoyable for someone who listens for the first time and wants to hear classics like Rainbow Connection or Mahna Mahna.
The songs from "The Muppets" soundtrack are currently in their own categories and are currently playing at a much higher rotation than our normal songs.