What is Centova Cast Auto DJ and How Do I Set it Up?

Updated: 22 October 2026 · Applies to: Centova Cast

Auto DJ uploads media to your Centova Cast server and streams it automatically, so your station keeps playing even when nobody is broadcasting live.

Turn on Auto DJ

1. Log in to your Centova Cast control panel.
2. Under Management, click Configure Server, then open the AutoDJ tab.
3. Set AutoDJ status to "Permitted and enabled".
4. If the stream is currently running, click Stop Server under Server Management first, then save this change.
5. Once you have uploaded music and have at least one active general playlist, click Start Server to begin streaming.

Upload media from your computer

Upload files over FTP, for example with FileZilla (free, from filezilla-project.org):

1. Open Quick Links in your control panel to get your FTP host, username and password; the port is 21.
2. In FileZilla, enter the host, username and password, then click Quickconnect.
3. Your computer's files are listed on the left, the server's on the right. Open the media folder on the right if it is not already open.
4. Drag the files you want from your computer into the media folder to upload them.

Update the media library and build a playlist

1. In the control panel, under Management, click Media Library, then Update media library at the bottom left.
2. Click back, then open Media Library again to see the uploaded files.
3. Drag songs from the Media Library into a rotation playlist folder (Light, Standard or Heavy Rotation). At least one song must be in a general rotation playlist before you can start the stream.

From there you can build further playlists, set the order songs play in, and set how often each playlist or folder plays. Full instructions are in the Centova Cast User's Guide PDF, available from your control panel (playlist management on pages 21 to 31, Auto DJ on pages 8 to 9).

Switch to a live broadcast

On Icecast, you can leave Auto DJ running continuously and connect your live source to the /live mount point; Auto DJ automatically steps aside while the live source is connected and resumes when it drops, with no dead air in between.

On Shoutcast, click Deactivate Source under Server Control to turn off Auto DJ, then start your live stream. When you are done, click Activate Source in the same place to hand control back to Auto DJ.