Artist Separator 2.0 is a focused browser-based tool for building clean Related Artists data for StationPlaylist Creator. It converts lists of solo artists and collaborations into the semicolon-delimited structure used by the Related.dat file—without uploading or storing playlist data on the server.
Radio automation depends on consistent metadata. A collaboration may appear as David Guetta/Sia, while the same artists also appear separately or in other combinations. Maintaining those relationships manually can be slow and error-prone, especially when a library contains capitalization differences, optional song titles, or artist names that include separator characters.
Artist Separator was created to make that process faster, clearer, and easier to verify.
From playlist lines to Related.dat relationships
The tool accepts one artist or artist combination per line. Track titles are optional, so both of these formats work:
David Guetta/Sia David Guetta/Sia - Titanium
When the list is processed, Artist Separator removes optional track titles, separates the artist names, and builds the relationships required by StationPlaylist Creator. A line such as David Guetta/Sia - Titanium contributes the following relationship:
David Guetta;David Guetta/Sia; Sia;David Guetta/Sia;
The result can be copied directly or downloaded as a Windows-ready Related.dat file.
Processing stays in the browser
Version 2.0 performs all processing locally in the browser. The pasted track list is not submitted to WordPress, saved in the database, written to the plugin directory, or stored in a server log.
This approach is particularly useful for broadcast and production workflows, where playlist data may contain internal naming conventions or operational information that does not need to leave the workstation.
Designed for real metadata variations
Artist libraries rarely remain perfectly consistent. Artist Separator includes controls for the variations commonly found in imported or manually edited playlist data:
- Artist-only lines: song titles are not required.
- Optional titles: entries using the
Artist - Song Titleformat are accepted. - Multiple artists: collaborations can be separated with a slash or pipe.
- Escaped separators: a slash inside a name can be escaped, for example
AC\/DC. - Unicode names: international characters are supported.
- Case handling: capitalization variants such as
ABBA,Abba, andabbaare grouped by default. - Reserved characters: semicolons are rejected because StationPlaylist Creator uses them as field separators.
The Case sensitive option is disabled by default. This is usually the safest choice for playlist cleanup because it groups capitalization variants under the spelling encountered first. It can be enabled when differently capitalized names genuinely need to remain separate.
Clear validation before export
A malformed line should not silently damage an output file. Artist Separator reports validation problems with line numbers, making it easier to find empty artist segments, reserved semicolons, and other formatting issues before downloading the result.
The interface also reports useful processing statistics, including the number of input lines, valid and invalid lines, unique artists, and unique combinations. Copy and download actions remain unavailable until valid output has been generated.
Windows-ready output
The downloaded file uses Windows CRLF line endings for compatibility with StationPlaylist Creator. A common installation stores the file at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\StationPlaylist\Data\Related.dat
The exact location can vary. Before replacing an existing file, make a backup and close StationPlaylist Creator. After saving the new Related.dat, restart Creator so it can load the updated relationships.
How to use Artist Separator
- Back up the existing
Related.datfile. - Open Artist Separator and paste one artist combination per line.
- Select the slash or pipe separator used by the input.
- Leave Case sensitive unchecked unless capitalization must create separate artist records.
- Click Process artists.
- Review the statistics and any line-numbered validation messages.
- Copy the result or download
Related.dat. - Close StationPlaylist Creator before replacing the old file, then restart it.
A small tool for a specific broadcast task
Artist Separator is intentionally focused. It does not attempt to replace a music scheduler, playlist editor, or metadata database. Its job is to convert artist combinations into a predictable format, explain invalid input clearly, and produce a file that can be used immediately.
That focus reflects the wider SoundGates approach: practical tools for radio and professional audio workflows, with clear inputs, useful outputs, and as little unnecessary complexity as possible.