Music 1 SE is for webcasting and background music providers. SE is based on the source code for Version 6, so they have much the same look-and-feel. But Version 6 has more extensive functions that are not included in the SE version. It can also be used by webcasters and some choose to get that one because of some additional functions it has. SE can be purchased, Version 6 is lease-only.

The primary differences between the two are these:

• Playlist/Log File Output
  Music 1 SE makes only the common and simple .m3u-type playlist that is used by the most popular webcasting playout systems such as SAM Broadcaster, OtsA/V, StationPlaylist Studio, TuneTracker, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, etc. It also has a built-in interface for Live365 webcasters using the Live365.com locker system.
  
  Music 1 version 6 is required for commercial radio. It can automatically create a daily playlist/log file for any and all automation/playout systems used by broadcast radio, webcasting and background music systems.
   
• Advertising Schedule Importing
  Version 6 can import commercial advertising schedule from radio traffic/billing software, merging the advertising scheduling into one playlist/log file that can then be exported to the automation/playout system. SE does not have this function.
   
• Song Cards
  SE has eight user defined "sound codes" which can be applied to Song Cards. Version 6 provides for up to thirty. Sound codes can be used for special scheduling controls. For example, you might create a sound code you name "Novelty", then you can tell M1 to schedule no more than two Novelty songs in an hour and to never schedule Novelty songs back-to-back.
  
  In addition to the Tempo setting in SE, version 6 allows settings for Tempo-In and Tempo-out, which can be useful when scheduling segues. For example, you can tell either version to prevent scheduling two "Fast Tempo" songs back to back, but you might code one Fast song as having a "Medium Tempo" intro. Then, Version 6 could schedule this one after another Fast song, something not so easy to manage with only the one tempo setting.
  
  Version 6 song cards have additional song characteristics: Texture, Mood and Key
  
  Version 6 cards have additional data fields for Composer, Arranger, Composer, Catalogue and Record number, Record Label/Company and Beats per Minute.
  
  Version 6 cards have four user-defined fields that can be used for anything. For example, someone might want to create a field for "Artist Birthday"
   
• Click-and-Hear Auditioning
  Both versions have a built-in player. You can click and hear any song as you work with M1. Version 6 has an extension to the function allowing the "hook" to be set for songs. Then, you can click and hear the full song, or just the few seconds of the hook of the song as you set it.
• 
  Clocks
  SE allows a maximum of 10 format clocks Version 6 has no limit on the number of clocks that can be created. SE has one Clock Lineup, the clocks used in each hour slot can be changed easily, so you can quickly make clock changes (point-and-click) in any hour slot before scheduling the next playlist. Version 6 allows multiple Clock Lineups, so you can have different ones for each day of the week, using different clocks in the same hour(s) on different days of the week.
   
• Categories
  SE allows up to 20 Categies. Version 6 allows any number of categories. With both versions there is not significant limit to the number of songs or units added to the categories.
   
• Dayparting/Hour Restrictions
• SE does not have song hour restrictions. Version 6 has the function allowing any song or non-music item to be restricted from scheduling in specified hours of the day/week.
   
• Daily voice tracks
  Version 6 has standard voice-tracking functions with which announcers can pre-record all their talk segments, song intros and back-sells, etc. and then have them scheduled and aired in proper order. This kind of 'daily' voice tracking is for one-time use, of course. Voice tracks are updated each day allowing the station to be totally automated but to have a very 'live' feel.
   
• Linked Tracks
  With 6, voice tracks and and other non-music units can be linked to individual songs. Then whenever a song is scheduled in a slot that were a 'linked' track item is formatted, M1 will search, find and schedule one of the song-specific voice/audio tracks next to it. For example, with this function, if the station has "artist drops" or voice tracks about specific artists, Music 1 version 6 can automatically schedule one of the units next to songs by the artists.
   
• Auto-Numbered Voice Tracks
  Version 6 has a voice-track auto-numbering function that can be used in conjunction with professional broadcast automation systems. If an announcer shift is pre-recorded each day, with the announcer recording a number of voice tracks each hour, M1 can use one "unit" on the clocks and will automatically number the units in the final schedule to coincide with the numbering system used for daily voice tracking by the station's automation system.
   
• Defined "Announcers"
  In Version 6, Voice tracks can be defined by 'announcer'. You can then direct M1 to schedule tracks by each announcer only in your selected time slots. And, if your "morning" voice is moved to the mid-day shift on weekends, voice tracks from his 'library' can be slotted to be used in the appropriate hours. To do something similar with SE, each the voice tracks of each announcer would need to be placed into announcer-specific Categories, those categories then being placed onto clocks used in the hours where that announcer-voice is to be heard.
   
• Theme programming
  Version 6 allows the creation of a special type of category that we call "selection" categories. This allows any song to be in two categories at the same time. Here's an example of how it can be used. An Oldie station creates an Elvis "selection" category and copies a lot of Elvis tracks into it. The selection list is used for a daily 30 minute "Elvis At Noon" feature and M1 selects and schedules songs there from the Elvis selection category. During the rest of the day, the same songs are scheduled from within the regular 50s and 60s category. So, these Elvis songs are scheduled from within two categories and the rotation patterns are independent of each other.
   
• Specific Track Scheduling
  This function provides a way for automatic search-and-scheduling of specific kinds, types or styles of songs at a specific time. For example, on Valentines Day, you could direct Version 6 to automatically search-find-play a "love" song (from any category or group of categories) at the top of the hour. With SE, you would have to do manually search/select a song.
   
• Non-music transitions
  With Version 6, such items as Jingles may also have a Tempo code. You can then prevent "slow" jingle from scheduling next to "fast" songs.
   
• Percentage rotation of non-music tracks
  Both versions of Music 1 allow you to schedule promotional announcements, jingles and promos. With both versions of M1 you might have a non-music item named "Contest Promo". You might then have you have 3 pre-recorded 'promos' within the category. Both versions of Music 1 will schedule all three in rotation. Version 6 has the additional function with which you could direct Promo A twice to receive twice as much exposure as promos B and C; in other words you can specify the 'percentage' of exposure each item in a Non-music category will receive.
   
• More Song Characteristics
  While seldom used, Version 6 also provides for Mood and Texture characteristics to be added to Songs.
   
• Product/Class characteristic for non-music tracks
  This 6 function allows user to 'type' the non-music tracks, then apply formatting rules. So, perhaps you have several public service announcements that are being scheduled. Two of the announcements are "fund raising" announcements. You might choose to have M1 'separate' these so you would not have two 'fund raising' announcements in the same hour.
   
• Start/End dates for non-music items
   Both versions schedule all jingles, liners, promos and programs. Version 6 allows your Non-music items to have start and end dates. For example: you may have a "Promo" category with four Promo "cards" in the group. Each of the promos could have start and end dates. So, the two promos that were to run on the 6^th and the 7^th of the month would be the only ones played. The promos for the 8^th and 9^th would play only on those days. With SE you must manually click-in the two units that are to be used on the 6^th and 7^th, then before running logs for the 8^th and 9^th, you'd delete those two items (promos) and add the two that are to play on the 8^th and 9^th.
   
• Song Notes
   Song notes are bits of information that can be added to a song card and then printed on a paper playlist beneath the song each time it is scheduled. SE allows only one song-note per song. 6 allows multiple song notes for each song.
   
• Start/End dates for Song Notes
  In Version 6, when you have multiple Song Notes on a song card, they are scheduled in rotation with a different one being printed each time the song is scheduled. So, note #1 might be the album title, note #2 might be the artists' birthday, note #3 might be where the song peaked on the airplay charts, note #4 might be the name of a movie that included the song in the sound track. Further, each of the notes can have start/end dates.
   
• Built-In Auditioning Player
  Both versions have a click-and-hear player so you can audition songs as you work with M1. The player currently works with .mp3 or .wav files. Version 6 has a 'play-the-hook' enhancement. With this, you can specify a short piece of each song (the hook), then when you click the hook-button, the player will play only that piece of the song for you.

Now, all this said, Music 1 SE is still one of the most advanced scheduling tools in the world, and it's low price makes it one of the best and most economical investments a webcaster can make. If you start with SE and later decide to move up to the more advanced Version 6, upgrading is quick and easy.