StationPlaylist is proven low-cost Windows automation — Studio for playout, Creator for scheduling — that has kept small commercial and community stations on air for two decades. AirWaves is a different animal: one browser-based platform where playout, scheduling, traffic and billing, AI tools, production and streaming are one product on one database. Here is an honest side-by-side so you can decide which fits.
Comparison based on features publicly advertised at stationplaylist.com as of August 2026. StationPlaylist is a trademark of its owner; AirWaves is not affiliated with StationPlaylist. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
| Capability | AirWaves | StationPlaylist |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Browser-based; control from any screen (Windows playout engine) | Windows-installed; Studio and Creator are separate programs |
| Price | Commercial platform — demo available | Published low pricing (Studio $159–$299; Creator separate) |
| Radio automation & playout | Yes — own engine, separate Air and Stream schedules simultaneously | Yes — live assist and automation, satellite feed support |
| Music scheduling | Yes — format clocks, rule tree, energy-flow sequencing, built in | Creator, purchased and run as a separate program |
| Traffic & billing | Full traffic, invoicing, AR & general ledger, network clearance & barter | Commercial logging and traffic-data import; no billing suite advertised |
| AI tools | AI imaging, AI DJ personas, AI newscasts, AI weathercast, AI show prep, AI program director | None built in (compatible with third-party AI voice-track tools) |
| Voice tracking | Yes — markers, dayparts, remote via browser | Yes — overlapping voice tracks in Studio Pro |
| Streaming | Yes — with VAST ad insertion and stream ad replacement | Yes — multiple codecs to Icecast/Shoutcast |
| Audio processing | Full broadcast chain — AGC, multiband, FM clipper, split Air/Stream finals | Crossfading and levels; pair with external processing |
| Production studio | Multitrack editor, segue editor, automatic marker detection | Not advertised — use external editors |
| Use modules with other automation | Every module runs standalone and feeds any automation — including StationPlaylist | Playout + scheduler pair |
For stations that want one integrated platform instead of separate playout and scheduler programs — yes. StationPlaylist remains a solid low-cost choice for small stations whose needs stop at automation, voice tracking and streaming. AirWaves adds full traffic and billing, AI tools, production and browser control in the same product as playout.
Integration. StationPlaylist splits the job across Windows programs — Studio for playout, Creator for scheduling, external tools for production and billing. AirWaves runs scheduling, playout, traffic, billing, imaging, production and streaming as one browser-based platform on one database, so nothing is exported from one program into another.
As of August 2026, StationPlaylist advertises commercial logging for billing export and traffic-data import in its Pro editions, but no invoicing or accounts-receivable system. AirWaves includes the full path: orders, copy, logs, reconciliation, invoicing, AR and a general ledger, plus network clearance and barter.
Yes. Every AirWaves module runs standalone and feeds any automation system, including StationPlaylist — music logs from the AirWaves scheduler, spots from AirWaves traffic, finished AI imaging and show prep files dropped into the folders your automation already watches.
Not ready to switch anything? Every AirWaves module — music scheduling, traffic & billing, show prep, AI imaging, the AI DJ and more — also runs alongside the automation you already own.
Ask for a live demo and compare it against anything you use today.
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