There are only two approved ways to playback your competitive cheer team’s music:
- Audio CD (team music played on a CD Player)
- Audio Devices (team music played on smartphones including iphone and android, ipad, ipod, android tablet, chromebooks, computer, etc.)
Specific Instructions for creating/using the audio cd and/or the audio devices are as follows:
Audio CD
- Usable media –Use only CD-R or CD-RW media discs. When buying blank CD’s for burning your team’s music, it is strongly recommended that you use and purchase good quality CD-R discs (these can only be recorded to one time). CD-RW can be used but should only be considered if CD-R is not available.
- Do not use stick-on labels of any kind on your team music disc.
- DO NOT use the following media: DVD video, DVD audio, DVD RAM, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD -R/-RW DL, DVD +r/+RW DL, DTS CD, Photo CD, Video CD, CD graphics, cutouts and most importantly UNFINALIZED CD’s.
- Create the Team Music CD – To ensure that you create your team music CD correctly that will play on CD players, it is critical that you choose the option to burn an “Audio CD or Music CD” and NOT a Data CD from your computer software burning program.
- Note: Some CD players can play a data cd containing for example MP3 or WAV files. You should not assume however that every cd player you use at competitions will have this ability. By creating your team music CD as Audio CD or Music CD you will eliminate the possibility of your disc not reading.
Audio Devices
With so many different choices you can have to playback your team music from an audio device, the following guidelines should be considered as policy across all devices.
- Team responsibilities – Your designated music team member should be familiar with ALL aspects of your particular device. These include but are not limited to:
- Making sure device has full or adequate power charge to it before beginning.
- Cueing the music up on the device to play from the beginning of the music (0:00).
- Responsible for placing device in “airplane mode or uninterrupted mode”.
- Responsible for making sure the device does not “lock out” after a certain time therefore stopping the team’s music from full playback.
- Responsible for bringing any adapters that the audio device will need to connect to the 3.5mm jack from the PA system.
- Checking to make sure that once the connection is made to the PA system that the volume is still at 100%.
- Responsible for starting and stopping the music as the routine requires.
It is recommended that the team music person brings two copies of the team’s music CD and a copy available on a separate audio device. It is your choice of which device you will use as your primary and which will be your backup. The goal is always for the music to work/play so having a couple of different alternatives available should be considered a best practice.
Coaches please note that the DJ or the PA system operator will load or connect all equipment to their system and will control the volume of their system as not to damage speakers or amplification.
If you are holding a competition, please share this with your audio company or individual who will be responsible for the PA system. The PA system responsibility includes:
- Making available to your mixer a 3.5mm jack connection for audio devices.
- A CD player capable of playing audio or music CD’s created as described in the Audio CD section.
