- Discuss your needs with a supplier. They will not only help you choose the right jukebox but advise you on how to get the best out of it.
- Position the jukebox so that it’s the centre of attention. Watching customers make selections will help to draw others in.
- Take time to ‘profile’ your jukebox, narrowing down available selections to control the mood.
- ‘Sound-zone’ your pub to create a different atmosphere in the bar and in the dining area, for instance.
- Programme the jukebox to change tempo during the course of the day, from laid-back at lunchtime to up-tempo in the evening.
- Take control of the machine’s volume, as well as the available music selection.
Pub jukebox suppliers
Sound Leisure’s Milestones in Music is the most popular digital jukebox in the UK, found in more than 6,000 sites. It contains 30,000 songs and claims to be the only jukebox that includes the official top 40 singles charts. Milestones in Music will typically take around £80 a week, but many take a lot more.
Choosing the right jukebox for the right pub venue is very important, as Leisureplay’s Marc Bird points out. “For example, if you run a rock venue, the best choice is the RockBox, a jukebox that’s completely dedicated to rock and alternative music.”
Pubs are increasingly taking their digital jukebox online, enabling them to profile their music ever more sharply. The VenueHub, for instance, has more than seven million tracks, with the latest hits added in frequent downloads. Enter any date since 1960 and the jukebox displays the top 40 of that week.
On top of that, Soundnet can supply songs from local bands not in the charts and customers with smartphones can access their own online playlists, using the Last.fm app. Licensees can ‘request’ songs on the phone too. Housed within a 32-inch touchscreen, it has the same swipe and scroll gesture controls found on a smartphone or tablet. The screen features scrolling news, too, and can also be used by the pub for advertising events and promotions.
The family business Lounge Lizzard, based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, has recently launched a coin-operated jukebox called BarBeats. The touch-screen jukebox, which is connected to the internet, can be wall-mounted and is linked to the all-in-one system to offer smooth transitions between free and paid-for music.