blog post The Genius's Guide to the New CBC Radio 3 Website!

Welcome to the new CBC Radio 3 website!

As you've no doubt read in our Director, Steve Pratt's introductory post, things have changed around here.  And because we really want you to like the site and get the most out of it, we've created The Idiot's Genius's Guide to the New CBC Radio 3 Website! 

Let's start with a quick & dirty look at what's new:   

* Personalized member pages. Add a bio, images, links & web preferences, plus display your favourite music & playlists!   

* Create, edit, share & manage unlimited on-demand playlists.   

* Select & listen to genre-based streaming radio stations. If you want all hip hop, all the time -- no problem. Same goes for rock, pop & electronic.

Read a primer on the new web radio stations.

* New & improved sharing features. Email a song to a friend or post it directly to your Facebook, Twitter, or Delicious account.   

* New music player that displays upcoming & previous tracks.   

* Easy to search nation-wide concert listings for all your favourite Canadian artists.  Sort by location, band, genre, and even filter for specific search terms of your choice.   

You have questions? We have answers! We'll break it down step-by-step. Or feel free to explore the site on your own. It's easy, you can't break anything and if you have any questions, you can always refer to our very helpful 'Help' pages -- so give'r. 

Otherwise, let's get started with the  Q&A!

I'm already a CBC Radio 3 member, what do I have to do to use the new features?

LOG IN 

1. To your left you'll see 2 text boxes.  

2. Type your username in the 1st box and your password in the box below it.  

3. Click 'login' and you should be golden. If not, try typing your username & password again. If you've forgotten your password, you can retrieve it here.

How do I personalize my member page?

SCREENCAST: How to set yourself up with a sweet profile

1. EDIT YOUR PROFILE   

* Under your username you will see several grey boxes - click on "Edit My Profile"   

* Add your contact information, share some of your interests, link to your personal website and write up a snazzy bio. This is your chance to let the world know how awesome you are!   

* Set your website preferences. When you visit the site the music starts automatically. Hate this? Turn it off! It's up to you! Just uncheck the box under "Website Preferences" and hit "save".   

* Enter your account information. You can hide or make your email account visible on your member page. Check the box to make your email visible.   

* Reset your password whenever you like. Type your new super secret password (twice) and hit "save".

2. ADD IMAGES

* Click on "Edit My Images"   

* Click on the white box that says "Browse For Images" to locate an image on your computer   

* Choose an image from your computer and click "Select." Your image will be listed on Your Images page.   

* Click "Upload"   

* Your image will be automatically cropped to fit the site. You can crop your image more using our crop tool.   

* Add credits & captions to your image. Hit "save".   

* Add more images & curate your own gallery! A picture is worth a 1000 words, etc and so on.

And, don't forget, when you leave a comment anywhere on the site, your image is displayed!

Alright! Your member page is now looking prettay, prettay good. Check out your handy work by clicking on the "Go to My Profile" link in the grey box to your left. Nice, right? All that you're missing is some tunes! Time to create some playlists!

Wait! I'm not a member yet, but I want to be! Do I have to be in a band? What do I do?!?

You don't have to be in a band or even look like you're in a band to become a member of Radio 3! If you love Canadian independent music you belong here. It's free and easy to join. Just click on the yellow  "Become a Member" link to your left and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Once you've done that come back here and we'll make some playlists together! Fun!

Playlists? What's new and what do I do?

Better to ask what isn't new and what can't you do! Once upon a time, members could create but one playlist and let's just say you couldn't do so much with it once you made it. Not any more! Now you can create, edit, share & manage an unlimited number of personal playlists! I KNOW! So good and super easy to do.

How do I make a playlist?

1. Click on the grey "My Playlists" box to your left

2. Click on either one of the green "Create New Playlist" boxes on the page

3. Name your playlist. You can name it according to genre, date, artist or choose a pet name. Whatever you like. You've created a playlist! Make as many as you like! What do the icons beside my playlist mean?   

* Click on the envelope to share your playlist.   

* Click on the "x" to delete your playlist.   

* Click on the heart to favourite your playlist.   

* Click on the green arrow or play button to play your playlist. How do I add tracks to my playlist(s)?

* Every track on the site will have a plus [+] sign beside it.   

* If you want to add that track to your playlist, just click on that plus [+] sign.   

* You'll be prompted to select the playlist you'd like to add it to; click the name of the playlist you want, and the track will be added! How do I find tracks?   

* You can add any of the tracks that are now playing by clicking on the plus [+] sign next to the song in the music player located at the top of the page.   

* You can also add the 5 songs that just played and the 5 songs coming up! Just click on the previous or upcoming links located directly below the green play button in the player. A menu with the tracks will drop down and you can add what you like!   

* If you want to find more tracks from an artist that is playing, click on the artist's name and you'll wind up at the artist's member page. All the music this artist has uploaded is here for your track-adding pleasure!   

* You can also search for artists in the white search box to your right.    

* You can add tracks from other members playlists. Again, just click on the plus [+] sign beside the track.

How do I organize my playlist?

Here's everything you want to know about playlists

* Make sure you're logged in.   

* Click on your username (to your left side and in yellow), or click on the grey "My Playlists" box, also to your left.   

* Select the playlist you want to organize.   

* Change the order of your playlist by dragging and dropping tracks into your preferred order.   

* You can also rename or delete your playlists. How do I share playlists?   

* To share your playlist with someone else, click on the envelope icon to the right of your playlist.   

* A screen will appear that allows you to email your playlist to someone or post it directly to your Facebook, Twitter or Delicious pages.   

* You can also grab the "permalink" or permanent link (unique URL that links directly to your playlist) and share it all over the world wide web!   

* You can also grab the permalink to your playlist while it's playing in the music player. The permalink is displayed below the close button.

How do I share tracks in my playlist?

Pretty much the same way you share the entire playlist. Just click on the envelope symbol beside the individual track within your playlist.

Ooh, this member has great taste! Can I favourite their playlist?

You surely can! Just click on the heart icon beside the member's playlist and it will be displayed on your profile. Favouriting other members' playlists is a great way to discover new music and to find like-minded music lovers!

The player looks different. What's the deal?

Keen eye! We've moved the player from the right side of the site to the top of the page where it remains loud and proud, no matter where you navigate on the site.

And that's not all! Now, when you are in 'web radio' mode, you can see the 5 previous tracks played and the 5 tracks that are coming up! You can also favourite or add these tracks to your playlist and visit the artist's member page.

I'm in the mood for non-stop hip-hop. Can I listen to just one type of music with this fancy new player?

Such a good question! You certainly can! We have 4 new genre-based radio stations: electronic, hip-hop, rock & pop. Here's how to listen to one of these new stations:

* Login

* Click on the "Web Radio" button on the left side of the player (look for the red dot)*

 A menu will open up;, click on the genre you're jonesing for

* The player will now stream the genre you chose, sans host chit chat.

* To return to our regular web radio stream, repeat the steps above, but this time click on "Radio 3".

How can I find out when & where my favourite band is playing?

You can check out shows across Canada in our database at a glance! You can also sort by artist, city, venue, genre, etc with a single click!

* Click on the red "Concert Calendar" button to your left

* To view all the shows for the day, click on the orange "By Day" button at the top of the page. You can also view by week or month.

* To view by artist, location, venue, genre or date - click on the corresponding text at the top of the calendar. The results will sort according to your selection!

* To search for a specific artist, you need to filter your results. Type the name of the artist in the white text box under "Filter Concert Calendar". In the drop-down menu below the text box, select "artist". Click on the white "Filter Results" box.

I'm already a Radio 3 artist, what's new for me?

Lots! Radio 3 artists can use all the same new features as members, plus we've improved the editing tools for your band page!

How do I start using the new features?

Log in

1. To your left you'll see 2 text boxes.
2. Type your username in the 1st box and your password in the box below it.
3. Click 'login' and you should be golden. If not, try typing your username & password again. If you've forgotten your password, you can retrieve it here. [link]

How do I edit my band page?

1. Click on the grey “Edit Your Band Page” box on your left.

2. A new window will open up. This is where you will edit your band page.

3. To the left hand side you should see several blue tabs that are links to other sections of your page. These tabs are called:* “Band/ Artist Info” – this is the main page; basic information for your band. Choose your genre, plug in your contact info and list your band members. Give band members the ability to edit the band page & blog by checking the “Blog” and “Edit” boxes. You can make members visible or invisible, as well.

* "Your Bio” – Tell us everything! There’s no text limit and you can dress things up with a little html. Just watch for unwanted html when you're copying text from other websites or even Word documents. 

* “Your Blog” – Enable your blog and start pouring your heart out. This is a great place to keep your fans up to date.

* “Manage Your Music” - You may upload, remove, and change the order of the songs you have listed. Click “Add New Track” button and complete ALL fields of information. Credits: Role: Songwriter / Name: Songwriter’s Name. We only accept MP3 (128k minimum, fixed bit-rate) or WAV files.

* “Upcoming Gigs” – Let the world know when and where you’re playing! Please thoroughly check that the city and venue you are playing hasn’t already been entered into the database and start adding. Our new and improved, cross-Canada concert calendar makes it a cinch for the R3 community to find your show!

* “Images” – Upload images to your band page. These images are different from your profile image.

* “Videos” – Music videos may be uploaded here.

* “NMC Favourites” – Link to other New Music Canada members (Radio 3 members).

3. Once you hit save, all changes are immediate and will display on your page when you make them.

4. Now you can upload more music, photos & videos! Drag and drop tracks to organize & order your music.

Can I create, edit, share and organize playlists?

Yes you can! Just follow the same member playlist instructions above.

I’m in more than one band -- can I manage them all with one membership?

You can manage multiple bands with a single login. To add another band:

1.    Login to your existing Radio 3 artist page.

2.    Click on "Artist Sign Up" in yellow and on the left-hand side of the page.

3.    Repeat the same steps you completed to sign up the first time.

4.    You’ve now added another band! Add as many bands as you like.

5.    Now when you click on “Edit Your Band Page” you should see a list of bands you’ve created. Click on the name of the band you wish to access or edit.