Setup Guide
RadioDesk installs in under a minute. Download the correct .dmg for your Mac (Intel or Apple Silicon), drag it to your Applications folder, and launch it. macOS will ask for microphone permission the first time you record a voice track.
System Requirements
Before installing RadioDesk, confirm your Mac meets these requirements:
Ventura or later recommended
4GB recommended
A microphone or audio interface is needed for recording voice tracks.
Installation
Which version should I download?
Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. If you see Apple M1, M2, M3, or M4 under Chip, download the Apple Silicon version. If you see Intel under Processor, download the Intel version.
Microphone Permission
RadioDesk needs microphone access to record voice tracks. macOS asks for permission the first time you use the recording feature.
- Click Record VT or Dub Song in the toolbar
- macOS shows a dialog: "RadioDesk would like to access the microphone." Click OK
- Done. This permission only needs to be granted once
If you accidentally clicked Don't Allow: go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, find RadioDesk in the list, and toggle it on. Then relaunch RadioDesk.
Quick Start — Your First Show
Building Your Playlist
- Click + Add Song and browse to your audio files (MP3, WAV, or FLAC)
- Repeat to add more songs. Drag the :: handle on any row to reorder
- Click Record VT to record a voice track. Press RECORD, speak, press STOP, then Save & Add to Playlist
Playing Your Show
- Click Play on any row to start playback
- The Now Playing bar shows track name, artist, remaining time, and a live countdown
- Press the spacebar to stop playback at any time
Saving Your Show
- Click Save in the menu bar to save your show as a .radiodesk file
- RadioDesk autosaves every 5 minutes automatically
- Use Open to load a previously saved show
Key Features
Segue Editor
Click the ~ Segue button between any two songs. Set how long the two tracks overlap and how far the outgoing track ducks. The standard starting point for duck depth is -14dB. The Preview button lets you hear exactly how the transition will sound before your show.
Voice Track Recording & Processing
Click Record VT to open the recording panel. Select your input device, press RECORD, and speak. After stopping, click anywhere on the waveform to scrub to a specific point. Go to VT Processing in the menu bar for Noise Gate, Compressor, High-Pass Filter, and Limiter controls. A light high-pass filter and gentle compressor is a good starting point for most environments.
Using an Audio Interface
Connect your audio interface before opening RadioDesk. In Record VT, select your interface from the Input Device dropdown. RadioDesk automatically prioritizes professional interfaces like Vocaster and BlackHole and remembers your last selection.
Music Library & Song Categories
Click Library in the menu bar to open your music library. Point it to any folder of audio files and RadioDesk will scan it automatically. From the library you can search, sort, filter by category, and double-click any song to add it to your playlist.
RadioDesk supports seven broadcast-style song categories you can assign to any track: Fresh Finds, Currents, Heavy Currents, Recent Favorites, Found Gold, Deep Cuts, and Local. Click the ✎ button on any library row to assign a category. Categories are stored in RadioDesk's metadata system — they never modify your audio files.
Auto-Categorize
Click Auto-Categorize… in the library header to bulk-assign categories based on when each song was added to your Mac. Use the sliders to set your thresholds, see a live preview of how many songs land in each category, then click Apply. Heavy Currents, Deep Cuts, and Local are always set manually.
Liner Rotator
Click + Liner in the toolbar to add a Liner Rotator to your playlist. RadioDesk picks a random liner from your designated liners folder and adds it as a real, playable track — so you can set its segue before exporting. Use the ↻ re-roll button on the playlist row to swap in a different liner. Liner Rotators do not appear on the Cue Sheet.
Category Slots
Category Slots let you fill a playlist position with a random song from a specific category. Open the Library, click any category filter (e.g. Currents), then click + Add Slot. RadioDesk immediately picks a song from that category and adds it to your playlist with a purple badge showing the source category. Use ↻ to re-roll to a different song from the same category.
Cue Sheet Export
Click Cue Sheet in the menu bar to export a CSV log with offset timestamps, media type, title, artist, album, and year for every element in your show. Enter your show name and host name once — RadioDesk remembers them.
Exporting Your Show
Click Export Show to render your entire playlist — crossfades and all — to a single WAV or MP3 file. WAV for lossless quality, MP3 for a smaller file. MP3 export requires ffmpeg:
Need More Help?
Check the FAQ for answers to the most common questions, or email [email protected] with your macOS version, Mac model, and a description of the issue.