Radio automation software plays the music, jingles, adverts and voice tracks of a station from a log, with or without a presenter at the desk.
Our order favours small independent suppliers, then weighs what a licence or subscription costs once streaming and extra studios arrive, how the library leaves, and which size of station each product is built for.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What radio automation software does
Radio automation software schedules and plays audio from a library by a programme log, blending songs, idents, spots and presenter links, and feeds a transmitter, a stream or both.
To rank radio automation tools we asked, in turn, how much work setup takes, what it truly costs, whether data can be taken back out, whether leaving is possible, and who the product suits. Challengers hold places 1 to 3 wherever the category has them. Established brands begin at place 4. Our how we work page explains the choice of these five and why we give no mark out of ten.
Playout engine with a 30-day trial licence on every product
Ranked #1 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The site says mairlist GmbH counts 241 reference stations in 25 countries, which is the only scale figure it gives. One machine can run several playout instances, including server hardware that has no audio device.
Remote control for named console brands is a practical draw for a studio. Imported third-party schedules sit beside the built-in scheduler. The imprint page returned an error, so the country is left unstated here.
What stands out
30-day trial
Console remote control
Built-in encoder
Where it costs you
The pages read show no amounts, only a link to a shop, so the budget cannot be built before opening it.
Nothing hosted is described, so every station runs its own machines.
Right for
Stations with studio consoles who want to test playout for a month first
Wrong for
Teams wanting a hosted service managed entirely by the vendor
Not stated by the vendorLicences bought through an online shop, after a 30-day test period
Euro-priced licences that the vendor says work forever
Ranked #2 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
The pricing page separates the tiers by what they include: SOHO Web, SOHO Star and SOHO Pro all give unlimited workstations. SpyCorder and JazlerShow carry a limit of four permanent activations each, while Jazler24 allows three installations.
The all-in-one tier brings a music scheduler, airplay monitoring, a commercial scheduler and a Final Log creator. Renewal is charged per licence each year after the first.
What stands out
One-time licence
USB key
Euro pricing
Where it costs you
A USB key is part of every SOHO licence, so a lost or broken key becomes an operational problem.
Streaming, recording and jingle tools are priced as separate products rather than bundled.
Right for
Small stations that prefer paying once and budgeting in euros
Wrong for
Buyers who want a monthly subscription with no hardware key
GreecePublished one-time licence prices in euros, yearly support renewal, demo available
GPL radio automation for Linux workstations, with no licence keys
Ranked #3 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
Each computer can run up to three automation logs, and live-assist uses SoundPanel arrays for jingles and sweepers. Output goes to analogue or AES3 through AudioScience cards or JACK.
RDCatch handles recording and scheduled events. The licence text on the site promises nothing to unlock or buy later. Country is not stated on the pages read, and Paravel Systems is only named as host of the documentation.
What stands out
GPL v2
Linux workstations
RDCatch
Where it costs you
Ubuntu 22.04 is the recommended base, so a Windows-only studio would need to change its machines.
The site describes no hosted option or paid support plan.
Right for
Engineers comfortable with Linux who want playout without any licence fee
Wrong for
Presenters who expect a Windows installer and vendor help desk
Not stated by the vendorFree under the GPL version 2; no dongles, unlock codes or software keys
Docker-based web radio suite you run on your own server
Ranked #4 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Playlists, media uploads, local mount points and remote relays are covered on the homepage. Role-based permissions let one installation serve several stations and their teams.
Embeddable player pages and APIs allow custom players. The repository shows the AGPL-3.0 licence. The footer carries years from 2021 to 2023 and nothing more, so the page reads as a project rather than a company with a sales team.
What stands out
AGPL-3.0
Docker install
Multi-station
Where it costs you
No company or imprint is named, so nobody can be held to a service promise.
It is described as a web radio suite, so FM transmitter feeds are not something the pages cover.
Right for
Web radio hosts running several stations on one Docker server
Wrong for
Stations needing a managed service and a named supplier
Not stated by the vendorFree under the AGPL-3.0; the site shows a Donate link instead of plans
Community radio and TV scheduler from Tagish, Yukon
Ranked #5 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Self-hostablePricing on requestNorth America
Administration is cloud-based so staff can control a station from anywhere, and redundancy in the cloud is claimed for uptime. A self-hosted platform is also mentioned without details.
Live streaming and a podcast logger sit beside playlists. Voice tracking can be done remotely. The interactive demo is the way to test it, as the site states no trial and no plan limits.
What stands out
Yukon-based
CAP alerts
Raspberry Pi
Where it costs you
The page names no licence, so the terms of use cannot be checked from it.
Prices and plans are absent, leaving the cost of cloud administration unknown.
Right for
Community stations that need emergency alerts and can run on low-cost hardware
Wrong for
Buyers who must compare published prices before a first call
CanadaNo amounts on the site; live demo offered and cloud or self-hosted setups mentioned
Community-run library and scheduling software under the AGPLv3
Ranked #6 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
Support runs through a GitHub repository, a community forum and a Matrix chat rather than a company. The homepage mentions starting internet radio directly from the cloud, but gives no pricing or plan.
Automatic scheduling covers shows and podcasts, while the library holds music, sweepers and long programmes. Playout can reach a console or transmitter as well as a web stream, which makes it useful for mixed outlets.
What stands out
AGPLv3
Library manager
AM/FM or web
Where it costs you
No maintainer or country is named, so ownership of the project is not clear from the site.
Whether it is installed locally or offered as a service is not stated.
Right for
Community stations wanting scheduling that works for both FM and web
Wrong for
Anyone who needs a supplier contract and a service level
Not stated by the vendorFree of charge; AGPLv3 code with documentation under GPLv2
Windows freeware automation with plugins for streaming and processing
Ranked #7 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Version 2 needs .NET Framework 4.7 or later, while 1.8.2 runs on 3.5. Several sound devices can be used as outputs. Podcast support, HTTP stream relaying, ID3 tags and mp3, wav, wma and flac formats are listed, with more via plugins.
Now-playing data can go to a file, the web or a serial port through a plugin. The licence bars charging fees beyond distribution costs.
What stands out
Freeware
Windows only
Plugin audio chain
Where it costs you
No legal entity is named, only the authors and the copyright holder, leaving nobody to sign a contract with.
Newer versions use an external encoder where version 1.8.2 used plugins.
Right for
Hobby and student stations on Windows with no budget for licences
Wrong for
Commercial stations needing a supplier contract and support terms
Not stated by the vendorFreeware licence permitting unlimited use and redistribution with notice intact
Sold by Aiir as PlayoutONE Pro, on your hardware or hosted
Ranked #8 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Media Editor, Quick Keys, Media Finder and LiveMIC sit beside log management that merges traffic and music. Hosting is a choice between your own machines and Aiir managed cloud.
The one price shown is for the PlayoutONE Keyboard hardware controller. A 14-day trial appears only for the wider Aiir streaming offer, not for PlayoutONE itself. Cloud backup is listed among the functions.
What stands out
Aiir-sold
Segue Editor
WebVT
Where it costs you
The subscription amount is withheld behind an Enquire link.
The software is now sold by Aiir, so buyers deal with a platform company rather than a standalone vendor.
Right for
Stations wanting voice tracking and remote broadcasting from a browser
Wrong for
Buyers who want the cost visible before any contact
Not stated by the vendorQuoted on enquiry as one subscription covering updates and support
Desktop playout with 96 cart slots and bundled Creator and Studio
Ranked #9 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The footer reads Copyright 2001-2025 StationPlaylist.com without naming a legal entity. Hosting is offered through affiliations with SoundStack for VPS servers and Securenet Systems for hosting.
The bundle pairs Creator Pro and Studio Pro with a discount of over 25 percent. Because the purchase page was not read, this entry rests on the homepage alone and should be confirmed before relying on it.
What stands out
Desktop playout
96 cart slots
Icecast hosting
Where it costs you
No prices were visible on the pages read, only a bundle discount claim.
A broken Studio page and a missing company name make the offer hard to verify.
Right for
DJs and small studios who want cart-based desktop playout on their own PC
Wrong for
Buyers who need clear terms and a named company
Not stated by the vendorAmounts absent from the pages read; a Creator Pro and Studio Pro bundle is advertised
Browser-based station hosting in four tiers with a 14-day trial
Ranked #10 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Standard allows 20 users and 20,000 listeners with 20GB of storage and 20TB of bandwidth, while Plus lifts these to 50 users and 500,000 listeners. The annual price is not shown separately from the monthly one.
Station tools include tag-based smart playlists, listener insights, team roles, CarPlay and Android Auto support, and the EDGE audio processor. A 14-day trial carries no contract.
What stands out
Four tiers
Browser playout
Listener caps
Where it costs you
Lite excludes the Live Playout Studio, so live shows need a higher tier.
Listener, storage and bandwidth caps rise stepwise, which makes the monthly bill move with audience size.
Right for
Internet stations wanting a hosted setup with no studio equipment
Wrong for
Stations that must run playout on their own hardware
Not stated by the vendorPublished monthly tiers by listener, user and storage caps; 14-day trial
Hosted scheduling and AutoDJ from a Prague company
Ranked #11 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Listener statistics, staff accounts and calendar planning are part of the hosted service. A Radio Page microsite and embeddable player and schedule widgets give a station a public face without a separate website.
The entry rate is advertised as plans from a stated monthly figure in US dollars. Nothing in the pages read describes self-installation, so exit paths should be asked about before committing.
What stands out
Cloud hosted
AutoDJ
Radio Page
Where it costs you
Plan limits for storage, users and streams could not be read because the pricing page failed.
The seven-day trial is short for testing a month of scheduling.
Right for
Small web stations that want hosted scheduling with a free-standing microsite
Wrong for
Studios that need to keep playout on local machines
Czech RepublicPublished monthly entry rate; 7-day trial that asks for no card
Cloud subscription with Live-DJ streaming in two tiers
Ranked #12 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax. Gold allows four external relays, 50GB of storage and 15 additional DJs, against two relays and five DJs on Silver.
Customer testimonials on the site mention library management, quick search, playlist creation and royalty reports. Support hours are given in CST, but no country is stated. PRO is described as software that is always online.
What stands out
Cloud plans
Live-DJ
Listener caps
Where it costs you
Silver caps a station at 120 listeners and 30GB of storage, so growth forces the Gold plan.
The pages leave open whether PRO and STUDIO run as installed desktop software.
Right for
New web stations wanting a monthly cloud plan with live DJ support
Wrong for
Stations that need transmitter playout or unlimited listeners
Not stated by the vendorPublished monthly or yearly cloud plans in two tiers with listener, storage and relay caps
US-built playout for multi-studio groups, scaling up from one workstation
Ranked #13 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Multi-station support gives each outlet localised playlists and separate ads for over-the-air and webstream. The company describes its support team as US-based. Web-based enCloud applications, WebDAD and iDAD, handle remote use.
Audio editors Adobe Audition and Hindenburg Broadcaster are listed as integrations. The owner or parent company is not stated, and the demo and trial options on the contact form are the only evaluation route the pages describe.
What stands out
Multi-studio
Scheduler links
Newsroom MOS
Where it costs you
No prices or trial terms are published, so evaluation starts with a sales contact.
The pages do not say whether DAD runs on-premise or in the cloud.
Right for
Multi-studio groups needing links to existing schedulers, traffic and newsroom systems
Wrong for
Single-studio stations wanting published prices and quick setup
United StatesQuoted after contact; remote demo, demo licence or on-site trial offered
Modular RCS automation with ZettaCloud sync across stations
Ranked #14 of 14 in Best Radio Automation Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Zetta2GO is a browser client for several stations with Voice Tracker, Segue Editor, Logs, Library, Hot Keys and On-Air modules. Zetta Splits handle master and local spot breaks, and Go Local is an emergency backup.
ZettaCloud adds remote voice tracking, emergency takeover, user rights and an Edge Player for low connectivity. Database backups upload automatically and can be restored by the station, which matters for any group running many stations.
What stands out
Modular design
ZettaCloud
Multi-station
Where it costs you
No price or trial is published, so every evaluation starts with the sales team.
Features such as Splits and site replication point to large groups, not a single small studio.
Right for
Station groups sharing logs, voice tracks and spot breaks across sites
Wrong for
Single stations with a small budget and one studio
Not stated by the vendorQuoted through sales contact; no trial named on the pages read
Radio automation software schedules and plays audio from a library by a programme log, blending songs, idents, spots and presenter links, and feeds a transmitter, a stream or both. Differences that change the outcome seldom sit in the features. Here is the sequence we would follow.
01
Decide whether you need a published price
The split is 8 published against 6 quoted. If you want to compare numbers first, start with Jazler, Rivendell, AzuraCast, LibreTime, RadioDJ, Radio.co, Airtime Pro, SAM Broadcaster.
02
Look at where the vendor sits
Jurisdiction is a buying criterion here. The 14 vendors are spread over 5 countries (Elsewhere 11, North America 2, Europe 1), and the home country determines which disclosure rules bind them.
03
Consider whether you want the source
Source code is available for Rivendell, LibreTime. Running it yourself swaps the licence fee for your own upkeep.
Radio automation software: one-time licence, subscription or nothing to pay
Station owners meet three pricing shapes. Jazler sells one-time licences with a yearly support renewal, and mAirList sells licences through a shop after a 30-day trial. Radio.co, Airtime Pro and SAM Broadcaster charge monthly for hosted stations with listener and storage caps, and PlayoutONE is a single subscription quoted on enquiry.
RadioDJ, Rivendell, AzuraCast and LibreTime cost nothing to licence, though a station still pays for the machine, the stream and the engineer. ENCO DAD and Zetta publish no amounts at all. Work out three years of cost for your own studio count and listener peak, because a licence that looks cheap can gain separate tools for recording or jingles, and a subscription can climb a tier.
Price three years including streaming, extra studios and support renewals
Ask what a lost or expired licence key costs to replace
Check whether recording or jingle tools are separate purchases
Where the playout machine runs: Windows, Linux, browser or cloud
The platform decides who does the maintenance. RadioDJ needs Windows 10 or 11 and a database, Rivendell targets GNU/Linux with Ubuntu 22.04 recommended, and AzuraCast runs through Docker on a server or desktop. Radio.co and Airtime Pro work in a browser on the vendor's cloud, while PlayoutONE and Zetta offer local installs plus a cloud route.
OpenBroadcaster also runs on a Raspberry Pi. A station with a spare Windows PC in the studio has different needs from one with no studio at all. Match the product to the machine you already own and to the person who will repair it at night, since a hosted station avoids that duty but pays monthly for the privilege.
List the operating systems your studio PCs run today
Decide who restarts the system when it fails overnight
Test remote voice tracking from the home connection a presenter really uses
Consoles, schedulers and alerts: what ENCO DAD and mAirList connect to
Playout rarely stands alone. ENCO DAD lists five scheduling and traffic products by name, plus two newsroom systems. mAirList offers remote control for several console makers and imports third-party schedules. Zetta adds ZCast to share logs and voice tracks between stations, and OpenBroadcaster ties into CAP emergency alerts with geo-zone targeting.
Write down the mixer, the music scheduler and the traffic system you will keep, then ask each vendor to show that exact connection working. A named integration on a feature list does not prove it works with your version of the other product, nor that both sides support it in future releases. Smaller tools may skip such links entirely, which matters if a presenter must key in every spot break by hand.
Name your mixer, scheduler and traffic system before any demo
Ask for the integration to be shown running on your versions
Confirm how emergency alerts reach the air chain
Listener caps, storage and key hardware: limits that stop a station
Limits appear in unexpected places. Radio.co Lite allows 500 concurrent listeners and 2GB of storage, Standard raises that to 20,000 listeners and 20GB, and the Silver cloud plan from SAM Broadcaster stops at 120 listeners with 30GB. Jazler licences ship with a HASP USB key, whereas Rivendell promises no dongles or unlock codes. RadioDJ is free to copy, while SAM Gold stops at three stations.
Compare your peak audience, library size and number of presenters against each cap before signing. Hosted tiers are easy to climb but each step changes the monthly bill, and a hardware key adds a failure point that a pure software licence avoids. Ask each vendor to put the limits in writing, including bandwidth, and keep the answer with the contract.
Compare peak listeners and library size with each cap
Ask what happens at the moment a limit is exceeded
Check whether a hardware key is needed for each studio
What goes wrong most often when buying radio automation software
Buying a web radio host such as AzuraCast or Airtime Pro for a station that must feed an FM transmitter.
Assuming a free licence means a free station, and forgetting the servers, streaming bandwidth and engineer time.
Picking playout before checking that it talks to the music scheduler and traffic system already in use.
Trusting a feature list without asking the vendor to show it live on your own library.
07
Frequently asked questions
8 answers
What is the best radio automation software in 2026?
mAirList takes first place among the 14 we reviewed. mairlist GmbH sells one family of playout products and lets a station try each for 30 days before buying a licence.
It drives consoles from DHD, Lawo, D&R, Axia, Wheatstone and RODECaster Pro, includes music scheduling and a Shoutcast and Icecast encoder, and runs on local machines. Prices sit behind a shop link, and no hosted delivery is described.
Which radio automation tools publish their pricing?
Published pricing exists for 8 products on this page:
Jazler: Published one-time licence prices in euros, yearly support renewal, demo available.
Rivendell: Free under the GPL version 2; no dongles, unlock codes or software keys.
AzuraCast: Free under the AGPL-3.0; the site shows a Donate link instead of plans.
LibreTime: Free of charge; AGPLv3 code with documentation under GPLv2.
RadioDJ: Freeware licence permitting unlimited use and redistribution with notice intact.
Radio.co: Published monthly tiers by listener, user and storage caps; 14-day trial.
Airtime Pro: Published monthly entry rate; 7-day trial that asks for no card.
SAM Broadcaster: Published monthly or yearly cloud plans in two tiers with listener, storage and relay caps.
The remaining 6 sell by quote.
Is there a free radio automation tool?
Rivendell, AzuraCast, LibreTime, RadioDJ have a free plan or free self-hosted edition.
Where are these radio automation software vendors established?
In 5 countries across 3 regions: Elsewhere 11, North America 2, Europe 1.
mAirList: Not stated by the vendor.
Jazler: Greece.
Rivendell: Not stated by the vendor.
AzuraCast: Not stated by the vendor.
OpenBroadcaster: Canada.
LibreTime: Not stated by the vendor.
RadioDJ: Not stated by the vendor.
PlayoutONE: Not stated by the vendor.
StationPlaylist: Not stated by the vendor.
Radio.co: Not stated by the vendor.
Airtime Pro: Czech Republic.
SAM Broadcaster: Not stated by the vendor.
ENCO DAD: United States.
Zetta: Not stated by the vendor.
Which radio automation tools are open source?
Rivendell, LibreTime.
Which radio automation tools can you host yourself?
OpenBroadcaster. The remaining 13 run only on the vendor's servers.
What should you use instead of mAirList?
Second is Jazler, which suits small stations that prefer paying once and budgeting in euros. Third is Rivendell, which suits Engineers comfortable with Linux who want playout without any licence fee.
Who should not buy mAirList?
Teams wanting a hosted service managed entirely by the vendor. The pages read show no amounts, only a link to a shop, so the budget cannot be built before opening it..
Makers of radio automation software products can ask us to look at theirs. Say what it does and who uses it. We choose what to add, and nothing can be bought; see software advice for what a listing means.
