Currently available radio automation software can be roughly divided into two categories: On the one hand, there are commercial systems designed for professional radio stations, full of features, but also with extensive requirements for hardware and maintenance. Additionally, due to their nature as a non-mass product, these systems are often very expensive, usually unaffordable for non-profit organizations or private projects.

On the other hand, the growing popularity of internet radio stations resulted in a number of radio-in-a-box products, offering software-based broadcasting solutions, without the need for a mixer or any other hardware which can usually be found at a radio station.

mAirList acknowledges that there must be something in between --- people making radio in a professional manner, with professional or semi-professional equipment, but without the technical and financial background of a commercial station. mAirList provides an automation system that runs on standard PC hardware and easily integrates with any equipment in your studio due to its various remote control mechanisms.

mAirList is developed and maintained by Torben Weibert, born 1977, living in Dortmund, Germany. Torben is a researcher at the Computer Science department at the University of Dortmund, and in his spare time (when not working on mAirList), he takes care of all technical affairs at Dortmund's campus radio station eldoradio*. Torben's further interests include making music, photography, aviation and flight simulation.