If you don't schedule a clock for a particular hour, PlayIt Live will automatically use the playout pattern to generate playout log items for that hour instead.

The playout pattern is a repeated sequence of track groups that serves as a fallback when no specific clock has been scheduled. PlayIt Live will cycle through this pattern and use the default scheduling strategy (which by default is Smart Selection) to choose tracks from the designated track groups to fill the hour, taking into account any playout policies you have configured to ensure proper track separation and variety.

Smart Selection explained: Smart Selection uses a weighted random algorithm where tracks that were played longer ago are given a larger weight, significantly increasing their chance of being selected. This prevents certain tracks from being played too frequently whilst still maintaining variety in your playout, making it ideal for most radio stations as it provides good variety whilst preventing the same songs from playing too close together.

How it works: When the playout log scheduler runs and encounters an hour without a scheduled clock, it refers to the playout pattern (configured via Manage > Playout Pattern). The pattern might be something like: Songs → Jingles → Songs → Adverts → Songs, and PlayIt Live will follow this sequence, using Smart Selection to choose appropriate tracks from each track group whilst respecting your playout policies for artist and track separation.

Setting up the playout pattern: You can configure your playout pattern by going to Manage > Playout Pattern. This allows you to define the default sequence of track groups that will be used whenever no clock is scheduled, ensuring your station continues to sound professional even during unscheduled hours.

This fallback system means your station will never be silent due to missing scheduling - there will always be content generated for every hour, whether from a specifically scheduled clock or from the playout pattern.