Do: Understand the Importance of Music Licensing

One of the most critical aspects of playing music in a public space is understanding and adhering to music licensing laws. In the USA and Canada, businesses are required to obtain licenses from performance rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR in the USA, SOCAN and Re:Sound in Canada. These licenses allow you to legally play music in your space, ensuring that the artists, composers, and publishers get their fair share of royalties.

Failing to comply with these licensing regulations can result in hefty fines and legal troubles, which no business would want to face. Therefore, it’s essential to educate yourself about the types of licenses you need, which can vary depending on factors such as the size of your venue and the type of music you intend to play.

Don’t: Play Music Without Considering Your Audience

While it might be tempting to play your personal favorites, remember that the choice of music should cater to the tastes and preferences of your customers, not just your own. The music played should enhance the customer experience, align with your brand’s image, and be appropriate for the demographics of your audience.

For instance, classical music might be fitting for a high-end boutique or a fine dining restaurant, whereas pop or rock could be better suited for a casual dining environment or a clothing store targeting younger demographics. It’s also important to consider the volume—music should be loud enough to enjoy but not so loud that it interferes with conversations.

Do: Use Music to Enhance Brand Identity

Music can be a powerful tool to reinforce your brand identity and create a memorable experience for your customers. Select genres, artists, and songs that reflect your brand’s values and message. For example, a beach-themed bar might opt for reggae or surf rock to complement its vibe, while a bookstore might play soft jazz or classical music to maintain a calm and serene atmosphere.

Creating custom playlists that reflect your brand’s personality can also set you apart from competitors and make your space uniquely appealing to your clientele. Employing services that offer tailored music solutions for businesses can help in curating these playlists with legal reassurances.

Don’t: Ignore Volume Control

The volume at which music is played can make or break the customer experience. Music that is too loud can be overbearing and disruptive, while music that is too soft might fail to add any value to the ambiance. It’s important to find a balance where the music is perceptible but not overpowering. Regularly check the sound levels throughout the day, as the ideal volume may need adjustment depending on the number of customers and the level of ambient noise.

Do: Regularly Update Your Playlists

Keeping your music fresh and up-to-date is key to maintaining interest and enhancing customer experience. Regular updates to your playlists can prevent your music from becoming stale or repetitive. This doesn’t mean you need to change every song every day, but adding new tracks and rotating playlists weekly or monthly can keep things interesting for both your staff and your patrons.

Don’t: Neglect the Legal Aspects of Playing Recorded Music

Apart from obtaining the necessary music licenses, there are other legal considerations to keep in mind. For instance, the copyright law regarding playing recorded music in public spaces varies by country and needs to be respected. Also, if you are considering live music, there are different licensing requirements and potential zoning laws to consider.

Do: Consider the Impact of Music on Behavior

Studies have shown that background music can significantly influence consumer behavior. Tempo, volume, and genre can affect how long customers stay, how much they purchase, or even their overall satisfaction with the service. For instance, slower music can lead customers to spend more time in a café or restaurant, potentially increasing their total spend.

Don’t: Overlook the Power of Silence

While music can enhance the atmosphere, there are times when silence is golden. Depending on the nature of your business, there may be moments when turning off the music can actually benefit the customer experience. For example, during a special announcement, a moment of tribute, or simply to provide a peaceful break during a busy day.

Effectively managing music in public spaces involves a careful balance of artistic selection, legal knowledge, and strategic implementation. By following these dos and don’ts, businesses can ensure that their use of music leads to a positive and legally compliant environment for their customers. Remember, the goal is to enhance the experience, not overshadow it. Choose wisely, play responsibly, and your music can set the stage for a successful business atmosphere.

The post The Dos and Don’ts of Playing Music in Public Spaces appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Understanding Gen Z Shoppers

Before diving into how music can influence youth shoppers, it’s important to understand who they are and what they value. Today’s youth are digital natives, growing up in an age of social media, streaming, and instant access to information. They are accustomed to having their interests, emotions, and cultural touchpoints reflected back at them in real-time. This generation is not just passively consuming content—they are curating their personal brands through the choices they make, including the stores they shop at.

For them, shopping isn’t just about buying products; it’s about aligning with brands that reflect their values, identity, and lifestyle. They are drawn to experiences that feel authentic, personal, and connected to their world. And one of the most powerful ways to create this connection is through music.

The Role of Music in the Retail Environment

Music has a unique ability to evoke emotions, create atmospheres, and set the tone for an experience. In a retail setting, the right music can transform the shopping environment from mundane to memorable. For youth shoppers, who are deeply influenced by the cultural and emotional impact of music, a well-curated playlist can make all the difference in how they perceive and engage with a brand.

Relating to Their Emotions: Youth today face a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, anxiety, empowerment, and the ever-present search for identity. Music that reflects these feelings helps create an emotional connection with the shopper. A playlist filled with tracks that speak to their experiences, whether it’s the empowerment of Billie Eilish’s “You Should See Me in a Crown” or the nostalgic warmth of Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” makes them feel seen and understood. This emotional resonance encourages them to spend more time in the store, increasing the likelihood of making a purchase.

Creating a Brand Identity: The music you play in your store is a direct reflection of your brand’s personality. By selecting songs that align with the tastes of your target audience, you can craft a brand identity that resonates with youth shoppers. For example, a playlist that includes trending hits from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd, and Dua Lipa tells your shoppers that your brand is contemporary, relevant, and in touch with the latest trends. This alignment with popular culture helps position your store as a place where young people feel comfortable and understood.

Fostering Brand Loyalty: When young shoppers feel an emotional connection to a brand, they are more likely to return. Music plays a crucial role in building this loyalty by creating a memorable shopping experience that they want to relive. 

A consistent musical identity across all touchpoints—whether in-store, online, or on social media—reinforces this connection, making your brand a part of their daily lives. When they hear a song that reminds them of your store, it triggers positive memories and emotions, strengthening their bond with your brand.

Practical Steps to Implementing Youth-Driven Music Strategies

1. Understand Your Audience: Invest time in understanding the musical preferences of your target demographic. Use social media, surveys, or even in-store feedback to gather insights into what types of music resonate with them.
2. Curate Playlists Thoughtfully: Create playlists that not only reflect current trends but also align with your brand’s identity. Consider mixing popular chart-toppers with emerging artists to keep the playlist fresh and exciting.
3. Keep it Dynamic: Music trends change rapidly, especially among youth. Regularly update your playlists to keep up with the latest hits and cultural moments. This shows that your brand is always on the pulse of what’s new and exciting.
4. Leverage Technology: Use music streaming services that allow for easy updates and customization of your in-store music. Some platforms even offer the ability to tailor playlists to different times of day or specific store locations.
   

The Importance of Music Licensing

While curating the perfect playlist is crucial for creating an engaging retail atmosphere, it’s equally important to ensure that the music you play is fully licensed. Playing unlicensed music in a commercial setting can lead to significant legal consequences, including hefty fines that could seriously impact your business. In the United States, performing rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers), and Global Music Rights (GMR) are responsible for managing the rights to the music you hear in public spaces.

Global Music Rights, in particular, represents some of today’s most influential artists, including Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Ava Max. These PROs ensure that songwriters, composers, and publishers are compensated for the public use of their work. By securing the proper licenses through these organizations, you not only protect your business from potential legal action but also support the artists and creators who make the music possible. Licensed music guarantees that your store’s soundtrack is legal, ethical, and beneficial to the broader music community. With the peace of mind that comes from being fully compliant, you can focus on delivering a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for your customers.

Jukeboxy: Your Partner in Creating Teen-Friendly Playlists

At Jukeboxy, we understand the power of music in shaping retail experiences. We offer a wide range of licensed playlists specifically designed for retail shops that market to teenagers. Our curated selections include the latest hits and trending tracks that resonate with today’s youth, helping you create an engaging and dynamic shopping environment. With Jukeboxy, you can ensure your store’s music is not only on-trend but also fully licensed and legal, giving you peace of mind while enhancing your brand’s connection with teen shoppers.

In Summary: The Soundtrack of Youthful Loyalty

In the competitive world of retail, building a connection with youth shoppers is not just about offering the latest products—it’s about creating an experience that resonates with their emotions, values, and identity. Music is a powerful tool in achieving this. By curating playlists that speak to the heart of your target demographic, you can craft a brand identity that is both relatable and memorable. Over time, this connection fosters loyalty, turning casual shoppers into lifelong brand advocates.

However, as you curate these impactful playlists, it’s crucial to remember the importance of music licensing. Ensuring that every track you play is fully licensed through organizations like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and Global Music Rights not only protects your business from legal risks but also supports the artists who contribute to the cultural landscape that your brand taps into. By respecting the rights of these creators, you’re not just playing music—you’re contributing to the sustainability of the music industry and reinforcing your brand’s commitment to ethical practices.

So, the next time you think about the ambiance of your store, remember that the right music can do more than just fill the silence—it can create a brand experience that echoes in the minds of young shoppers long after they’ve left your store, all while ensuring your business remains compliant and supportive of the artists who make that experience possible.

The post The Power of Music: Connecting with Young Retail Shoppers  appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Understanding Your Audience

Before curating a playlist, understanding your customer base is crucial. Coffee shops often serve a diverse clientele, from students seeking a quiet corner to work in, to professionals conducting meetings, or friends catching up. Each group might have different musical preferences ranging from soothing classical pieces to lively pop tunes. To cater to these varied tastes without alienating any group, consider creating different playlists for different times of the day or week, matching the energy level and mood of your clientele as it shifts.

Elements of a Perfect Coffee Shop Soundtrack

1. Genre and Tempo: Choosing the right genres and tempos is essential. Soft genres like acoustic, jazz, or indie are universally appealing and can enhance a relaxed atmosphere. The tempo should be moderate, uplifting during busy morning rushes with more energetic tracks, and more subdued in the afternoon for a calmer setting.

2. Volume Control: Volume is another critical factor. Music should be loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that it disrupts conversation. It should fill silent gaps without overwhelming the space.

3. Consistency and Variety: While consistency in style is key to establishing a signature ambiance, variety within that style can keep the playlist fresh and engaging. This can involve rotating songs or subtly shifting musical themes throughout the day or week.

Enhancing Customer Ambiance with Music Selection

The influence of music on customer ambiance in coffee shops is profound and multifaceted. Background music, carefully chosen, does more than just fill the silence; it can significantly alter customer perceptions and behaviors. Research has shown that music impacts how long customers choose to stay in a space. For instance, slower tempo music tends to relax customers, extending the duration of their stay, which can lead to increased consumption of coffee and snacks. This is particularly beneficial during slower periods of the day when extending the average customer dwell time can directly boost revenue. On the other hand, a more upbeat tempo during peak times can energize the atmosphere and improve the efficiency of customer flow through the coffee shop.

The volume and genre of music play crucial roles in shaping the overall customer experience. Music played at a moderate volume encourages social interactions and enhances the perception of privacy among customers, making it an ideal background that does not overwhelm conversations. The choice of genre should reflect the brand’s identity and appeal to the coffee shop’s target demographic. For example, a playlist featuring classic jazz might appeal to an older audience or those seeking a nostalgic or sophisticated ambiance, while indie and modern acoustic tracks might attract younger, trendier patrons. This alignment of musical choices with customer expectations not only enhances their experience but also strengthens brand identity and loyalty.

The strategic selection of music can also influence perceived wait times and overall satisfaction. When customers enjoy the music in a coffee shop, their patience increases, and their perception of the wait time decreases, leading to higher satisfaction rates. Additionally, music can be used to subtly communicate brand values and create a narrative that customers resonate with. This emotional connection forged through thoughtful music curation not only encourages first-time visitors to become regulars but also fosters a sense of community among patrons. By carefully curating a coffee shop soundtrack that aligns with customer preferences and the brand’s ethos, coffee shops can turn mundane coffee drinking into a rich, engaging experience that customers look forward to repeating.

Navigating Music Licensing and Copyright Matters

Using music legally in a business setting involves navigating a complex landscape of copyright laws and music licensing. Public performance rights must be obtained for any music played outside of personal use, which typically involves paying a fee to a music licensing organization. This is where services like Jukeboxy become invaluable.

Jukeboxy offers a hassle-free solution by providing fully licensed music specifically curated for business environments, including coffee shops. With Jukeboxy, coffee shop owners can access a vast library of music that is both diverse and tailored to enhance customer experiences, without the worry of legal repercussions from copyright infringement.

The right soundtrack can transform a coffee shop from a mere place to drink coffee into a memorable destination. By carefully selecting music that resonates with the customers, managing the ambiance through sound, and ensuring all legal bases are covered with licensed music, coffee shop owners can significantly enhance their customer’s experience. Embrace the power of music with Jukeboxy and create an inviting atmosphere that customers will want to return to time and again.

The post Creating the Perfect Soundtrack for Your Coffee Shop appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Pick the right music streaming service for your business – there are many to choose from, so do some research

Picking the right music streaming service for your business can be an overwhelming task – there are so many options out there! It’s important to research and understands what kind of influence a fitting soundtrack could play in marketing and enhancing your customer experience. 

Consider factors like budget, available music library, functionality, flexibility, and ease of use when choosing a streaming service for your business. From retro hits to current releases, the perfect playlist can create a unique atmosphere that sets you apart from your competition. Give some thought to this important decision and find a background music service that fits to make sure you’re making the most out of hearing – because sound matters!

Find a playlist that reflects your brand and what you want customers to feel when they visit your establishment

Finding a perfect playlist for your business can significantly boost the atmosphere you’re trying to cultivate. It’s important to carefully implement the music your customers will be listening to while they frequent your establishment- it should reflect your brand in both its genre and lyric choices. Your settings and audience should be considered when selecting each playlist so that the right sound will be conveyed: upbeat, cheerful tunes fit well with a youth-oriented atmosphere, while slower tunes may be more fitting for an adult-only venue. 

Whether it’s old favorites or new songs from up-and-coming artists, make sure you select music that accurately reflects what you want customers to feel when they visit your place of business.

Extra Read: A Guide to ASCAP Licensing for Music in your Business

Make sure the volume is at a level that won’t be too disruptive or interfere with customer experience

Music is an effective and creative marketing tool for gaining customer attention in a business setting. However, it is important to use moderation when adjusting the volume; too loud or too low an audio level can disrupt or interfere with the customer’s experience. During busy periods, especially, it is best to ensure that the proper music selection is playing at a moderate level; this will help create an atmosphere that customers enjoy while not overwhelming them with direct noise. It is possible to have enjoyment and engagement without being disruptive – all it takes is a good balance of sound.

Implement in-store audio ads as part of your marketing initiatives

Implementing in-store audio ads as part of your marketing initiatives is an excellent way to capture the attention of potential customers. Audio ads played between songs are a great way to promote brand recognition and serve as a platform for delivering key messaging within the store. With the right combination of playlists and in-store audio ads, you can target specific customer segments and provide instant messaging. This approach allows businesses to create a more engaging and stimulating environment for their customers, increasing the effectiveness of their marketing strategies and ultimately boosting sales and customer loyalty.

Important Article: Why do Brands need to Pay Attention to In-Store Audio Advertising?

Be mindful of the rights and regulations surrounding the public performance of copyrighted music

While playing music in a business establishment is a great way to encourage customers to stay around and even return, business owners must be mindful of the rights and regulations surrounding the public performance of copyrighted music. Without the right licensing, businesses can risk hefty fines and legal fees that could easily offset any potential profits garnered from said background music. 

Licensing for public performance is required by established law and must be followed to keep within the law. Business owners should always ensure they have proper licenses and pay royalties; otherwise, they may unlawfully use another person’s property without paying for it or legally infringing upon it. Common sense goes a long way when dealing with copyrighted works; do not simply assume “no one will notice,” as this assumption can often lead down a costly path.

MUSIC IS POWERFUL. It has the ability to change our moods, environment, and the way we think. It’s also a very effective marketing tool when used correctly. If you have a business, there are many things to consider when using music as part of your marketing strategy. From choosing the right streaming service to streaming playlists that reflect your brand identity and everything in between, there’s a lot to think about! But don’t worry – we’re here to help. Jukeboxy is a licensed background music provider that offers a free trial, so you can test out our service risk-free. We’ve helped businesses of all sizes create the perfect sonic environment for their customers, and we can do the same for you. Click here to sign up for your free trial today!

The post How To Market Your Business With Music Streaming Services appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

What is Digital Audio Advertising?

Traditional vs. Digital

The traditional way to deliver radio ads is to purchase airtime from commercial radio stations. However, it is usually expensive to advertise on the radio. It’s like casting a wide net; you reach many people but cannot properly track how many people listened to your ad. Additionally, it is a competitive market for brands and businesses to reach commuters driving to work in the morning slots, which is primetime of radio ads. Your business is also limited to a certain number of stations, shows, and time slots when buying ads.

Compared to traditional radio ads, digital audio ads are distributed via music streaming apps. A broader audience can listen to these nowadays than a car radio.

It is possible for advertisers to serve audio ads directly to their target audiences by selecting specific artists or podcast genres that correspond to their target audiences’ interests. As part of the distribution process, ads are placed at certain intervals throughout the stream. Since audio is streamed whenever people feel like listening, primetime timeslots are not a consideration.

Though we mostly think of audio ads as part of podcasts or music streams, there is another type of audio advertising that can be very effective: in-store messaging. This messaging strategy is a great option to promote sales, special events, or new products and services. You can also provide information about store hours, directions, and parking. By using in-store messaging, businesses can reach a captive audience that is already interested in your products. Consider this option if you stream music in your shop or business establishment.

Benefits of Digital Audio Advertising in Your Business

The utilization of background music for business has increased dramatically in recent years, which is a powerful marketing tool that changes consumer behavior and helps in increased sales. In addition to business music streaming, digital audio advertising is gaining traction, another powerful marketing strategy targeting in-store customers. When the two marketing techniques are combined, you will see increased sales in no time. 

Resource: Why do Brands need to Pay Attention to In-Store Audio Advertising?

Advertising in the digital world offers businesses a unique opportunity to reach their audience. Numerous advantages of this type of advertisement are:

Accurate Targeting

It’s true that a brand reaches out to millions of potential customers with radio or personal use music streaming platform advertising. However, these ads are not necessarily targeting a specific audience. In the USA, every region has different demographics and thus different likings. You are reaching the right audience with location and demographic-specific in-store audio ads.

Creates Impulse Buys and Upsells

Studies show that 2/3 of purchasing decisions are made in-store, meaning in-store audio ads can only help. It is no surprise that online impulse buying is rising in this digital age. However, research suggests that consumers carry out less impulse buying online than in a physical store. 

Products for which touch and smell are important, such as clothing, food, or cosmetics, consumers tend to impulse buy more in physical stores than on e-commerce sites. For that reason, implementing digital audio advertising should be included in your marketing strategy.

Must Read: Why Should Audio Ads Be a Part of Your Advertising Strategy in 2023?

A High Level of Customer Engagement

Many brands prefer digital advertising ads because they are more engaging and have a higher listen-through rate. Unlike video or online display ads, one can’t skip audio ads, and they can digest quicker since listeners only encounter one at a time. A study states that audio ads have a 24% higher recall rate than traditional display ads, even though humans are visual creatures. Advertisers can make a lasting impression on consumers by combining audience targeting and consumer-friendly ad placements.

Conclusion

Brands that want to build solid and lasting relationships with audiences should consider audio advertising. Achieving your business goals is possible with custom digital audio ads.

Implementing in-store audio messaging to reach target audiences when other channels fail is a progressive way for brands to increase sales and create brand awareness. 

These reasons make digital audio ads an essential part of your marketing strategy for 2023.

Bonus Content – How to start with in-store audio advertising? 

If you are already fascinated by the power of digital audio advertising strategy but need help figuring out where to start, Jukeboxy Music for Business can help! 

Jukeboxy subscribers can access the in-store audio ads feature at no additional cost. The low-cost monthly subscription includes licensed background music for business use and digital audio ads. You can easily upload your already recorded ads to play between songs or work with our voice talents to create unique and professional digital audio ad recordings for your business.  Have questions? Live-chat with one of our friendly representatives here. 

The post Why Digital Audio Advertising Should Be Your Next Marketing Move appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Start with the classics

Understanding the significance of traditional holiday music is key because these classics have shaped what we consider the quintessential holiday experience. Christmas music playlist encompasses a wide array of styles and genres, offering everything from solemn hymns to jolly pop tunes. If you’re unsure about where to begin, starting with iconic albums and tracks is a wise choice. Familiarizing yourself with these classics not only gives you a solid foundation of universally loved tunes but also helps inspire your own selections by highlighting what resonates most with listeners during the holiday season.

While it may seem exhausting to sort through these myriad options, especially during the busy holiday period, organizing your favorite classics is a rewarding first step. Begin by compiling a list of must-have albums or songs that evoke the spirit of Christmas music playlist for you. Once you have your essential classics lined up, you can then delve into curating your playlist more creatively. Extract individual tracks from these albums and begin assembling them into a dedicated playlist folder, such as one named “Christmas Playlist Hits” in your preferred music service. This method allows you to mix and match songs from various albums and artists, crafting a personalized playlist that captures the essence of the holiday as you see it, ensuring your Christmas soundtrack is as festive and unique as your celebrations.

Remember the newer hits

It is crucial to explore newer hits when expanding your Christmas music playlist to include fresh and contemporary sounds. Keeping up with the latest releases can breathe new life into your holiday music collection, ensuring it remains vibrant and engaging. If you’re not sure where to start, using a music service like Jukeboxy can be extremely helpful. Jukeboxy curates a wide range of music, including the newest hits and trends, making it easier for you to discover recent tracks that might resonate with your holiday spirit. This approach ensures your playlist is not only rich in classics but also brimming with modern flair that can appeal to a diverse audience.

Additionally, consider leveraging popular online shopping platforms such as Amazon Music to scout for new music. These platforms often have sections dedicated to top-selling albums, complete with user reviews and detailed descriptions. This feature allows you to see what’s trending globally and provides insights into each album, helping you make informed decisions about which new songs might deserve a spot in your Christmas music playlist. By exploring these reviews and top album lists, you can gauge public sentiment and popularity, ensuring that the newer additions to your playlist are well-received and enjoyed by listeners who appreciate current musical trends alongside timeless classics.

Make sure you add in some new favorites every year

Every year brings a slew of new holiday songs and covers from a variety of artists, and these tunes can quickly become new classics if given a chance. Adding them to your playlist not only keeps your selection up-to-date but also enriches your holiday experience with modern takes on the festive season. If you notice a new song gaining popularity upon its release, particularly if it climbs the charts on platforms like Apple Music or Spotify, it’s a good indicator that it resonates with listeners. Such tracks are likely to maintain their appeal for some time, making them perfect additions to your Christmas music collection.

Incorporating these new hits early ensures your playlist remains relevant and engaging. Songs that debut with high ratings often reflect current musical trends and public preferences, making them ideal candidates for inclusion in your playlist. Pay attention to these trends and user feedback on music streaming platforms, as they provide valuable insights into what’s capturing the audience’s interest during the holiday season. By continually refreshing your playlist with new and popular songs, you not only keep the holiday spirit alive but also connect with a wider audience who appreciates staying current with the latest music developments.

Think about what your customer wants to hear

Customers are more likely to listen to music they like, so it’s important that you keep this in mind when making selections for the playlists. You can also see which artists and songs are most popular, which will give you some ideas on where to begin with curating a Christmas music playlist. If possible, ask customers what kind of music they’d like as well!

Extra Resource: How To Soundtrack Your Brand?

Make it a collaborative process

Making your Christmas playlist a collaborative process can significantly enhance its appeal and inclusivity. The best way to create an all-time great Christmas playlist is by involving others in the selection process. If you’re curating this playlist for a business setting, consider asking your customers or employees about their favorite holiday songs. This not only makes your playlist more diverse and representative of your community but also boosts morale by showing that you value their input. For a more personal touch, engage family members in the process. They can offer up fresh suggestions and share recent discoveries that might blend perfectly into your existing mix. This approach is particularly beneficial if you’re crafting a Christmas music playlist for the first time and need a broad base of ideas to ensure it’s well-rounded and enjoyable for everyone.

Additionally, involving others in the playlist creation can spark conversations and build a sense of community around music, which is especially meaningful during the holiday season. Whether it’s through informal polls, social media interactions, or direct conversations, gathering music suggestions can turn playlist building into a fun and engaging activity. This collective effort not only results in a playlist that’s rich with varied musical tastes and styles but also enhances the holiday experience, making it more memorable for everyone involved. By making playlist creation a collaborative endeavor, you not only capture the magic of Christmas music playlist but also foster a shared holiday spirit that resonates well beyond the music itself.

Make sure you are playing music legally at your business

Whether playing from a CD, downloaded Content or a music service, make sure you comply with the Music Copyright Law. 

In the USA, there are four organizations that collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. In order to play music in a business establishment, including Christmas music, a business must obtain blanket licenses from these organizations. If not, consequences could be harsh, as we covered in one of our articles, “What To Know About Music Licensing.”

Creating your own Christmas music playlist might sound like a fun activity; however, there are a few things you should consider:

• Time spent – do you have the time to create the ultimate Christmas playlist? 
• Licensing budget – do you have the budget to cover the fees for all four organizations? A medium-sized business spends a few thousand dollars annually for blanket licenses.
• Explicit Content – did you know that there are explicit Christmas songs in personal use music services? 
• Expertise – creating a playlist for business use is much more complicated than making one for your own entertainment.

Subscribe to a business music streaming service

Now that you’ve made your list and settled on a few songs to include, the next step is finding a music streaming service with all of these features. 

• Commercially licensed background music for business use
• A wide range of tracks 
• Good user interface (UI) for browsing through playlists and choosing songs
• Good mobile app so you can listen on the go without having to open up another app or browser window.
• Customer support

Christmas Playlist

Creating your own all-time Christmas music playlist is an excellent way to start the holiday season. However, a business must keep in mind the consequences of streaming music from their personal library, whether it is from CDs or a music service like Spotify.

Subscribing to a business music service provider as Jukeboxy will:

• Prevent copyright infringement, 
• Give you more time for other aspects of your business and 
• Give you a piece of mind knowing appropriate songs will play throughout the holiday season.

Jukeboxy ensures that there are tracks from different genres and eras in every playlist. This way, you can keep things fresh even after years of listening to the same old hits on repeat!

Did you know? You could transfer your own playlist to your Jukeboxy Music for Business account. 

Suggested Article: Christmas Music – A Checklist to Help You Find The Perfect Christmas Music for Business

The post How To Create An All-Time Christmas Music Playlist appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

How does it benefit your brand?

• Your brand’s soundtrack is the perfect way to set the tone for your brand and create an emotional connection with your audience.
• It can help you stand out from the competition.
• It can make your brand more memorable.

So how do you create a soundtrack for your brand? There are many different ways to use music in your business, and you need to make sure you’re choosing the right music for your needs. With so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. We’ll give you tips on how to choose high-quality soundtracks for your business.

1. Start with your brand’s core values.

What are the main messages you want to communicate? Your soundtrack should reinforce these values. Creating a professional tone for your business is essential, and music can help you do that. Soundtrack your brand

A brand’s identity is the most valuable marketing asset any company can have. It distinguishes your company from the competition, determines your competitive advantage, and influences consumer behavior. Every aspect of your business should be consistent with your brand’s identity. It’s one of the first things consumers notice about your company. For that reason, it’s crucial to include your brand’s core values and unifying messages in every form of your business communication.

Here are some examples of brands’ core values:

Fast is better than slow. (Google)
We persevere. (Uber)
We dare to design the future of sport. (Nike)
Courageous. (Volkswagen)
Inclusion and Diversity. (Apple)

2. Consider your target audience.

What kind of music do they like? What will resonate with them?

Why does it matter? According to a study, 40% of customers spend more time in the store if they feel the music is suitable. Moreover, 21% recommend you if the music resonates with them.

Consider these:

• The age of your customers
• Are they families, singles, or couples who visit you most often?
• What genre of music represents your brand, and your customers are comfortable with?

Hip-hop and R&B are currently the most popular genres in the United States, but rock music is also a big draw. That is also something you should consider.

3. Think about the type of atmosphere you want to create.

Soundtrack your brand. It’s much more than just filling the silence; music is an effective marketing tool. Answering the following question is the first step: Do you want your customers to feel relaxed and comfortable or energized and ready to shop? Second, consider the music itself. Is it catchy and upbeat, or slow and soothing?

The type of background music you stream will change the perception of your brand. People will feel positive about your brand if it’s happy music. Dark or music with no character, however, will have the opposite effect. 

If you have an exclusive, more expensive product or service, don’t play cheap music, and vice versa. No one wants to listen to opera at a grocery store, just like you wouldn’t don’t want to hear hip-hop music in a luxury car showroom.

4. Keep it fresh.

Don’t use the same tired tracks everyone else is using. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and play the same old tunes day in and day out. Be unique and find music that reflects your brand’s personality. Here are some tips on how to keep your business music fresh:

• Change up your playlists regularly. It will keep your employees and return customers from getting bored with the same old songs.
• Make sure your music reflects your brand. Your music should be representative of your company’s image.
• Don’t be afraid to try new things and try to change the pattern. Your business might benefit from something you’ve never considered before.
• Be on the lookout for new music genres that might fit your business well.

Following these tips can keep your business music fresh and your customers coming back for more.

5. Ensure that sure your soundtrack is high quality.

There are a few different ways to find high-quality playlists for your business. You can purchase CDs or download songs from online music stores; however, they usually do not achieve the best soundtrack for your brand. Moreover, it could be illegal to stream this type of music at your business. The most straightforward way to play a high-quality music list in your store is to sign up for business streaming services like Jukeboxy Music for Business. You can choose from expertly curated playlists taking the hassle out of selecting the right tracks.

6. Make sure your soundtrack can be used legally.

Streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music do not cover public performance licensing since they are for individual use, not for business. You must purchase a blanket license from the PRO’s to use published music legally in a business establishment. 

Extra Resource: Can I use Spotify, Apple & Others?

By contrast, Jukeboxy Music For Business offers a vast playlist library, smart tools, and access to business needs. More than forty million tracks are available for an affordable monthly fee, all legally usable in a business environment.

Inventing and creating the musical world of your brand is no easy task. Jukeboxy can help you soundtrack your brand with over 45 million tracks and expertly curated music playlists for various business types. 

The post How To Soundtrack Your Brand: The Ultimate Guide to Music For Business! appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Christmas music is as much a part of the holiday as eggnog and tamales. Many business owners are still looking for the perfect Christmas music with the holiday season fast approaching. But with so many options, finding just the right ones can take time and effort. The following checklist can help you pick this year’s Christmas music and create a Christmas playlist that you and your customers will love (and hopefully, your revenue will reflect it).

1. Play Christmas music that may appeal to your customers

What else you might not know about the music you hear in a shop: The music in a store can increase sales by 40%. So, a music experience leads to more time spent in the store and more sales. However, different songs evoke different emotions, and certain types of music may appeal to specific customers more than others.

But you need to answer some very important questions as the holidays approach. Are your target customers really expecting to listen to Christmas music during the holidays? Do you think you can make your target group happier if you don’t play Christmas music? Is it vital to play Dance, R&B, or Electro to appeal to your younger or more indie customers?

Of course, you can still play instrumental or pop genre Christmas music and appeal to the younger generation. Nowadays, it is much easier than it used to be. Young artists are releasing Christmas cover hits every year, and sometimes even full Christmas albums, which puts a new spin on classic Christmas songs.

2. You don’t have to play Xmas music only

You can easily calculate how long a customer is in your store or office and how many tracks they hear during that time. Even if it’s only 15-20 minutes, they would still hear at least 5-6 Christmas songs. Moreover, your colleagues could listen to at least 100 Christmas songs all day long. That’s certainly a lot. It would be best if you compiled your Christmas playlist so that, roughly speaking, at least half of the tracks are not specifically Christmas songs. For the rest, you should choose songs that have a positive, happy vibe but are not overly Christmassy.

3. Avoid starting too early or stopping too soon

Suppose you started decorating for Christmas right after Halloween; you should wait a little longer before playing Christmas music in your business. If you start playing Christmas music too early, it may cause awkwardness for your customers. Playing Christmas music soon after Black Friday is a good idea. Upon reaching this indicative date, employees and customers know that the Christmas season has begun.

Days between Christmas and New Year still play an important role in the holiday spirit. Every year, more customers visit shops and stores after December 24th to spend their Christmas gratuity and buy gifts for friends and family they haven’t seen on Christmas Eve.

It is safe to play Christmas music until New Year’s Eve and even the first few days of January. However, remember to change your playlists to the regular schedule starting in the second week of January (latest).

4. Adding other music genres and styles to Christmas songs

Mixing Christmas music with Pop, Jazz, Soul, and Lounge is ideal. This mix will work well in particular since the greatest Christmas songs are from genres alike. What is the secret recipe for the perfect playlist? Smooth, high-end, engaging, and non-repetitive Christmas tracks. 

5. Alternative versions of today’s most popular Christmas songs

Check out these fresh and modern Christmas songs. Here’s the ultimate sample list:

• The Jonas Brothers: Like It’s Christmas, I Need You Christmas
• Tuxedo: Wonderful Christmastime
• Aloe Blacc: I Got Your Christmas Right Here, Last Christmas, Funky Ass Christmas (from their “Christmas Funk” album)
• Ariana Grande: Feliz Navidad, Drummer Boy, Santa Tell Me, Baby It’s Cold Outside, We All Need a Little Xmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
• Pink Martini: Silent Night, Shchedryk, Do You Hear What I Hear, Elohai N’tzor
• Phoenix: Alone on Christmas Day
• Gwen Stefani: White Christmas, Santa Baby, Let It Snow, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, Christmas Eve

Resource: Download the Jukeboxy app for the above playlist

6. Set the mood with your playlist by keeping it calm, loungy, or happy

There is a tempo range between 55 to 95 BPM (Beats Per Minute) for most Christmas songs, from the classics to the modern covers. When a track is slow and quiet, its BPM will be low, but when it is more upbeat and energizing, its BPM will be higher. For example, the BPM of a dance music production is between 120 and 140.

If you are building a Christmas music 2022 playlist, ensure your other songs are also in this tempo (55 to 95 BPM).

Your customers will enjoy a smooth, consistent, on-tempo playlist that alternates Christmas songs with non-Christmas songs, bringing variety and freshness. This playlist will engage and inspire your customers during this holiday season and keep your employees motivated.

Conclusion

You should carefully build and schedule Christmas music playlists to avoid getting your staff and customers annoyed and tired of the holiday spirit.

By following the checklist above, you can indeed create a high-quality Christmas playlist. Of course, this is time-consuming, and you probably will only have a little time to do it just before the holiday season. But we have a solution for that too. Check out Jukeboxy Music For Business, where you can choose from over 45 million songs and a wide selection of Christmas playlists in different genres. With Jukeboxy, you will have more time for other aspects of your business while providing the perfect Holiday music to your customers and employees.

The post Christmas Music: A Checklist to Help You Find the Perfect Christmas Music for Your Business appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

In this article, we’ll cover the common tactics of planning a fashion store layout and atmosphere to create a successful business. 

Must read: How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop?

Start at the beginning: The Floor Plan.

Believe it or not, the atmosphere of your fashion store starts with the floor plan. Store floor plans play a critical role in managing traffic and store flow. Your decision will depend on various factors such as the size of your store, the products you sell, and, more importantly, your target market.

Who are your customers? What is their shopping style? Are they hurried or patient? Will your associates guide them throughout the store, or would they prefer to be left alone? Are they looking for the exact items they need as quickly as possible or are they willing to discover products along the way?

These are just a few questions you have to ask yourself before choosing your floor plan. You would want to design the store in a way that your customers get the best possible experience they can, and they come back!  When designing the layout of the store, answering the following two questions will help you decide:

• Are you aiming for quick shoppers? 
• Are you aiming for customers that stay longer and discover and purchase additional products? 

Fun fact: According to a study, nearly all shoppers automatically turn to the right first and browse the store counterclockwise in the U.S., unlike in the U.K. and Australia, where left-hand traffic often causes shoppers to turn left when entering a store.  Keep this fact in mind when creating a layout plan for your store.

Building Your Brand’s Story

There’s a story behind every brand and its founders. Your brand story speaks for you and represents who you are. It portrays your business’s beginnings, values, objectives, and mission.

A brand’s story emotionally connects the founder with its employees and customers, creating long-term loyalty.  We recommend investing in a brand strategy consultant to build your brand’s story. These professionals can make a big difference in your brand’s lifelong success.

“Don’t know what is a brand story and why you need it? Click here to learn more”

Use lighting well for the perfect atmosphere

Lighting can dramatically impact how long your customers stay in the store. Warm yellow light bulbs are easier on the eyes and bring a warm, earthy feel. Bright fluorescent lights can give off a colder vibe that can become increasingly unwelcoming the longer a shopper spends in your store.

If you have higher-priced or exclusive items, adding spotlights over the displays will make a difference and draw attention to them. 

For the dressing rooms, lighting becomes extra crucial. Most shops pay little attention to the dressing room lighting, which may contribute to lesser sales. Excessively bright lighting emphasizes problematic areas like dimples. Bluish LED lights make faces look pale and hair lifeless.  Your customers need to feel good in the dressing rooms to try on more products and eventually buy more. 

Appeal to multiple senses

Research shows that the most successful stores appeal to as many senses as possible; sight, sound, smell, and touch – in some cases, even taste. Let’s look at what this looks like in practice. 

Color scheme matters

When designing your fashion store, one of your first steps should be deciding on the color scheme. You establish the tone and mood for your stylistic theme by choosing a color scheme. While selecting a palette, keep in mind the kind of atmosphere you want to create and the type of experience you want to provide for your visitors.

Your product line is the most significant point to consider when picking a color for your store. 

• Are you selling colorful items? 
• Are you selling products for teenagers or for mature customers?
• Are you selling products that are considered high-end fashion? 

If you sell colorful clothing, your store’s color scheme should be lighter and softer. This way, your customers won’t get overwhelmed and spend more time browsing the colorful products. 

Did you know that purple is often associated with royalty and luxury? If your products are on the high-end price tag, we recommend adding accent furniture in a purple palette. – an ottoman, a rug, or velvet purple curtains for the dressing rooms.  The research suggests that colors have the power to influence our mood. Generally, individuals will associate specific colors with specific feelings. Kids’ stores can be great places to use pastel colors like blue, green, yellow, and pink. On the other hand, red carries a sense of power and quality and could be a great accent color for a men’s store.

When deciding on a color palette, consider how it will enhance the retail atmosphere, making it a space where customers feel engaged and satisfied.

Scents and Aromas

Creating an engaging customer environment is key to retail atmosphere success, where even the scents and aromas contribute significantly to overall customer satisfaction. Scent marketing, a longstanding strategy, enhances brand recognition, enriches customer experiences, prolongs visits, attracts new patrons, and boosts sales.

Background Music

Background music in retail stores is another powerful marketing strategy that has been used for many decades and by many successful brands. 

Must Read: How To Boost Sales with Background Music at Your Store

The key point is choosing songs that enhance (and do not overpower) the atmosphere you want to create. Fitting music for a retail store atmosphere that matches your brand’s story is essential when connecting with your clients. 

The volume level and tempo also affect consumer behavior. Usually, fast-tempo and high-volume music will make customers leave the store quickly. However, younger generation clients may not be bothered too much by this type of music, and it can benefit your sales. For that reason, knowing and understanding your target market is crucial. 

However, when choosing the best background music provider for your brand, remember that using Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube is out of the equation. These services are designed for personal use and are not for business establishments. The music at your retail store must be licensed to comply with copyright law and prevent infringement. 

You can read more about it here: Background Music for Business: Can I use Spotify, Apple & Others?

What is an alternative to Spotify or Pandora? 

Subscribing to a commercially licensed background music provider like Jukeboxy Music for Business is cost-effective and legal for business use.  

Jukeboxy subscription will provide you with a library of 45+ million songs, over 350 curated playlists, and music licenses by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. With expertly curated playlists specific to retail stores, you can impress your customers with the atmosphere you have created for them, from decoration to music. 

Music has the power to connect your brand with your customers on an emotional level which in return helps with repeat business. 

Visit our website to learn more about how Jukeboxy helps create the perfect retail atmosphere, boosting customer satisfaction through expertly curated sensory experiences.

For $24.99 a month, we believe Jukeboxy is a fitting choice for your brand that is a cost-effective investment for your retail business success. 

Did we mention the 14-day free and no-commitment trial? Read how Jukeboxy’s features can help you create the perfect atmosphere.

The post How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for a Retail Store? – A Complete Guide 2022 appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

What is a PRO?

Performing rights organizations (PROs), also known as performing rights societies, collect royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers, creating a link between owners of composition rights and music users (from radio stations to streaming services to your local business broadcasting music). 

As a technical matter, PROs are just a subset of a broader landscape of collective management organizations (or CMOs), which handle royalties due to public broadcasters of music works.

What is ASCAP? Why should I know about them if I want to stream music in my business?

ASCAP is a short form for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. It is a not-for-profit membership organization representing more than 850,000 songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. They are the only performing rights organization that was formed and is run entirely by its members. ASCAP catalog has more than 16 million musical works. Their members receive royalties ensuring that their hard work is compensated.

In 2021 alone, $1,254 billion in royalties made available for their 850,000 members.

How do ASCAP fees work?

ASCAP provides a wide array of licensing options to accommodate the varied needs of businesses using music. With over 100 different license types available, ASCAP ensures that businesses from all sectors can find a licensing solution that aligns with their specific requirements. As a business owner, exploring ASCAP’s diverse offerings is crucial to understanding the potential costs associated with using music in your operations. Whether you run a small cafe, a large retail chain, or host live events, there is an ASCAP license tailored to your business’s size, type, and music usage frequency. Each license is designed to cover the use of any song within ASCAP’s extensive catalog for a specified period, typically on an annual basis.

To effectively manage the music licensing fees, it’s important for business owners to assess their music usage and choose the most appropriate ASCAP license. This process involves considering factors such as the type of venue, the frequency of music played, and the audience size. By carefully selecting the right type of license, businesses can ensure they are fully compliant with copyright laws while supporting the artists and composers whose music enriches their customer experience. Purchasing an annual license from ASCAP not only legalizes the use of a vast catalog of music but also contributes to the ongoing creation and distribution of music by compensating the creators fairly.

How much does ASCAP licensing cost?

The cost varies depending on the business type or size and the intended use of the ASCAP license. They charge an annual fee for access to their library. Some of the variables for the licensing costs are: 

• the type of business
• whether the musical work is performed live or recorded
• the size of the potential audience at the venue

The minimum ASCAP music licensing fees are $390 per year, so you will never pay less than that to access their catalog.

How much to join ASCAP?

To join ASCAP, you must pay a one-time fee of $50, whether you’re a songwriter, composer, or publisher. This fee grants you access to ASCAP’s extensive catalog of over 16 million musical works and ensures you receive royalties for your creations. Once a member, ASCAP handles the licensing of your music and collects royalties on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your creative work while ensuring you are fairly compensated whenever your music is played publicly.

What is included in an ASCAP license?

A license from ASCAP gives a user access to the PRO’s repertoire, which includes millions of songs by famous and brand-new artists over many decades. ASCAP offers different licenses for various types of performances, including cover songs, recorded music played in public, ads, feature films, etc. 

With an annual contract with ASCAP, you are only receiving the rights to use the music in your venue; you are not getting a subscription to a music streaming service and music streaming license cost. 

Do I always have to pay the license fee to ASCAP?

According to ASCAP, you do not have to license the music when you play music for a small area through the radio or television in your establishment “if the performance is by means of public communication of TV or radio transmissions ” says ASCAP. 

However, you will need to contact a PRO like ASCAP for larger sound systems. Businesses with more than 3,750 gross square feet of space must purchase licenses to access ASCAP’s catalog. There are around 150 licensing representatives who work for ASCAP across the U.S. They inspect venues to ensure no violations of in-store copyright exist.

How much is the fine if I didn’t pay for the ASCAP license?

Failing to obtain the necessary ASCAP license for playing music in your business can lead to severe financial consequences. The penalties for violating ASCAP copyrights can range from $750 to $30,000 per violation, depending on the severity and nature of the infringement. These figures aren’t arbitrary; they are grounded in federal copyright law, which outlines statutory damages for copyright infringement. For businesses, this means that each unauthorized use of a song could potentially result in a hefty fine, rapidly accumulating significant costs that could impact the financial health of the business.

Historical examples illustrate the seriousness with which these fines are enforced. Numerous businesses across various industries have faced substantial penalties for not securing proper music licenses. For instance, a small bar or a restaurant playing copyrighted music without a license could end up paying thousands of dollars in fines after a routine inspection or a reported violation. Larger establishments, such as nightclubs or event venues, where music is a central element of the atmosphere, have also been subjected to fines reaching the upper limit of the statutory range when multiple violations are involved. These examples serve as a stark reminder of the importance of compliance with copyright laws, emphasizing the need for all businesses using music to secure the appropriate licenses from entities like ASCAP.

Must Read: ASCAP Sues 13 Venues Nationwide – How To Comply With The Copyright Law?

Buying an ASCAP license isn’t the only option out there

Buying an ASCAP license isn’t the only option out there for businesses looking to use music legally. While ASCAP is a major player among Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) and is known for its transparent pricing structure, it might not always be the ideal choice for every business. ASCAP’s extensive catalog covers a broad range of music, which could be a perfect fit if their library matches your business’s musical needs. However, it’s important to note that many artists distribute their rights across various PROs, not just ASCAP. This distribution means you might find yourself needing to secure licenses from multiple PROs to access a comprehensive range of music that fits your brand or customer experience perfectly.

Acquiring these licenses from ASCAP or other PROs like BMI or SESAC doesn’t include a music streaming service. You would still need to subscribe to a separate music service provider that offers a professional, ad-free, and high-quality music streaming service. The cumulative costs of licensing and streaming can escalate quickly, making it essential to consider all aspects of music usage and potential expenses. Given these considerations, exploring alternatives such as direct licensing deals or different music services that bundle licensing fees into their subscriptions might prove more cost-effective and tailored to specific business needs. This holistic approach ensures you’re not only compliant with copyright laws but also managing your music-related costs efficiently.

ASCAP or BMI? Do I need both ASCAP and BMI?

You probably will need both ASCAP and BMI licenses to play a variety of artists and songs in your establishment. As mentioned above, there are four PROs in the United States representing musical works of different songwriters, composers, and publishers. A song you stream at your businesses may be in BMI’s catalog and not ASCAP. 

For example, if you played one song licensed through ASCAP and another through BMI, you would have to pay licensing fees to both organizations. So should I buy a license from both?

Let’s give you another example:

Suppose you like the musical band Old Dominion and want to have access to all their discography. In that case, you then need both BMI and ASCAP licenses. Why?

“Break Up With Him,” performed by Old Dominion, is registered with ASCAP. On the other hand, their song “Bad At Love” is controlled by both BMI (74.99%) and ASCAP (25%). In this case, you need licenses from both organizations, as these songs involve ASCAP members.

Suppose you do not want to negotiate a contract and pay licensing fees to a PRO like ASCAP or BMI. In that case, you can search for other types of songs, such as royalty-free songs, Creative Commons music, or public domain music.

However, these options have no trendy or famous songs, which may not be the best option for storefront music or background music for business settings. Finding the fitting soundtracks for business use may also be time-consuming and frustrating with these solutions.

Great Alternative for Streaming Business Music: Jukeboxy

As an alternative to paying licensing fees to the PROs and spending time to find fitting music for your business, you can subscribe to commercial music streaming services, such as Jukeboxy Music for Business. 

With more than 45 million songs in its library, Jukeboxy Music has one of the largest music libraries in the industry. Their database provides your business with the best variety of music from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR libraries. All at a much lower price than buying licensed music from PROs.

The post A Guide to ASCAP Licensing for Music in your Business appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Have you ever considered having professional background music playing in your establishment? When the right song plays at the right time, it can significantly impact your customers’ behaviors. For that reason, the professional use of background music is becoming increasingly popular in business establishments, such as restaurants, hairdressers, shopping malls, and even in the waiting rooms of doctor’s offices. Music is also an essential part of any business, but one thing is very little talked about. And that is music licensing. This article will explore this topic, looking at what PROs are and the background to music licensing.

Private or Public Music – When is a License Required?

The key finding is that a “private performance” of copyrighted music does not require a license. However, it is one of the most challenging aspects for music copyrights to navigate the difference between a “private” versus a “public” performance when performing music, whether recorded and played or performed live.

“Private performances” are complex and have been the subject of many court cases. Downloading a song from iTunes, or streaming from Spotify, the “performance” rights you receive with the musical work are limited. In particular, it allows an unlimited number of “private performances.” For instance, listening to music on earbuds while running is the equivalent of a private performance. Playing song in your car counts as a private performance as well. However, it can get a little complicated if you decide to go beyond that.

A music performance becomes a public performance when enough people hear the music, and a public performance requires additional licensing fees. The question is: when is a performance no longer private? Music played over a sound system in a public place such as a bar or restaurant is not a private performance. So if you want to play music in a business environment that your colleagues or clients can hear, you’ll need to obtain a business use music license. Many business owners do not take this seriously, or simply do not know about it. They are the ones who will end up paying a fine of tens of thousands of dollars to a music rights organization as a result of their audits.

What are PROs, and Why Should I Know Them?

PROs are organizations that represent artists’ rights, advocate on their behalf and collect royalties for public performances. These types of Organizations are available in almost every country on Earth, and they each represent hundreds of thousands of members. It’s no different in the US. 

If you are playing music for commercial purposes at your business, you will need to sign a contract with one or more PROs. Each PRO represents different musical works. If you prefer to have access to an extensive music library, you will need to sign contracts with more than one PRO, possibly with all of them.  The following list provides insight into the US music industry’s largest and most well-known PROs. Most PRO members – artists, songwriters, publishers – belong to these organizations, but they only relate to North America.

ASCAP: the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers

ASCAP is among the top PROs in the United States. Founded in 1914 in New York City, ASCAP is the oldest PRO in America and is the second largest, in terms of members, with more than 850,000 songwriters, composers, music publishers, and 14 million songs.

The company is a nonprofit, meaning that it will use any surplus income it earns to improve its service quality instead of going to shareholders.  ASCAP has many notable artists in the modern era, such as Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson.

BMI Music License: Broadcast Music, Inc.

BMI vs ASCAP vs SESAC. Who needs a BMI music license? What is bmi music license? BMI was founded in New York City in 1939 and is a nonprofit business entity like ASCAP. It is the third oldest and largest PRO operating in the United States, registering over 1.2 million publishers, composers, and songwriters. BMI represents over 18.7 million musical works.

Do i need a bmi music license? BMI is the home of several popular contemporary artists, including Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ed Sheeran. Some older songwriters are or were with the company, including Dolly Parton, Sam Cooke, Willie Nelson, Fats Domino, and John Williams.

SESAC Music License: The Society of European Stage Authors and Composers

Founded in 1930, SESAC music licensing is the third-largest PRO (Performing Rights Organization) operating in the United States. Originally called the Society of European Stage Actors and Composers, it has operated solely under the name SESAC since 1940.

SESAC reached a deal with various artists and currently covers around 400,000 pieces of work by roughly 30,000 writers, which is less than BMI or ASCAP. A few examples of contemporary members who have made a deal with SESAC include Mariah Carey, Adele, and Mumford and Sons. Artists from the old school who worked with the organization SESAC include Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Woody Herman.

GMR Music License: Global Music Rights

Founded in 2013, GMR is a relatively new PRO. With just around 48,000 licensed works, the organization has a relatively small client list compared to other North American PROs, with only several hundred songwriters and publishers enrolled.

However, their client list is very high-profile, with artists such as John Mayer, Drake, Harry Styles, Childish Gambino, and Travis Scott.  Additionally, they hold the licensing rights to deceased songwriters such as Prince, George Harrison, and John Lennon.

Why Music Licensing Deals With the PROs’ is Problematic?

Different PROs offer different blanket licenses for their respective catalogs of musical works. It is the user’s responsibility to make sure they buy the scorrect license for whatever song they intend to play. Sounds simple, right? Not exactly.

In almost every case, there is no way to know for sure what musical works are included in a PRO’s repertoire. Whenever you want to stream music from major acts like Drake or Bruce Springsteen, you should contact GMR. For Beyonce, on the other hand, you might have to contact ASCAP, BMI, or even both at the same time. Even though most PROs have searchable databases on their websites, they also include disclaimers stating the information may not be accurate. You can find the following statement on their websites:

“no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information found within the search results.”

As a result of the lack of transparency of who owns what, most venues end up paying thousands of dollars in license fees to all four PROs or face the risk of copyright infringement. For that reason, most business establishments choose not to play song. They feel it is not viable economically to play song due to confusion, costs, and liability concerns. 

Although background music is a valuable element for most venues that helps set the mood and create brand recognition, the complexity and risk associated with it outweigh the benefits. Artists, venues, and songwriters all suffer from this phenomenon. The negative impact on enjoying music in the community is undeniable.

Navigating the world of music licensing can be challenging for businesses looking to play music legally in their establishments. When videos or audio featuring works are unilaterally removed due to copyright violations, it often catches businesses off guard, especially if they were unaware of the licensing requirements. Performing rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR play a critical role in managing these licenses, as they represent songwriters and publishers and collect royalties for public performances. If a business fails to secure the necessary licenses, it risks costly fines and potential legal action. Understanding these requirements is essential for ensuring compliance and avoiding disruption.

MUST READ: What is a BMI licensing for businesses, and why do businesses need to comply with Copyright Law?

What is the Alternative?

Fortunately, music streaming providers, such as Jukeboxy Music for Business, have agreements with the PROs to provide a commercial license for their entire music offering. By subscribing to a commercially licensed background music service, you don’t have to sign separate contracts with each PROs. 

Every business background music provider is different. They may provide licensed music by all four PROs or less; it is important to check before deciding according to your needs. 

Jukeboxy Music subscription, on the other hand, has agreements with all four; ASCAP, BMI, SESAC music licensing, and GMR. Additionally, Jukeboxy has direct contracts with Indie labels. This extensive licensing model gives our customers access to over 45 million song library and professionally curated playlists for all types of businesses.

What are the Advantages of Subscribing to Jukeboxy Music for Business?

Cost savings – obtaining licenses directly from the PROs requires an annual contract. Combined costs start at $2,000 for a small sized business. With Jukeboxy, you can opt for a month-to-month, no-contract subscription at a lower price – $29.99/per month – and save thousands of dollars.

Music streaming technology – Obtaining licenses directly from the PROs is not enough. These licenses give you the right to play track in your establishment only. You will still need a subscription music service to stream quality music that is ad free. Jukeboxy subscription gives you the music repertoire of all the PROs + the music streaming service. You can quickly install the Jukeboxy app and start streaming music legally.

Additional tools for marketing purposes – With a Jukeboxy Music subscription, you will also have access to in-store audio messaging and on-hold music services. Both tools are effective and powerful marketing strategies that increase customer experience and revenues.

Want to learn more about Jukeboxy? You can find more details here: Jukeboxy Music for Business.

The post What to Know about Music Licensing? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Looking for a reliable music streaming platform that fits your business can be exhausting. The variety in prices, number of licensed songs, features, and the massive lists of music genres all add to a very overwhelming experience. We understand this, and we want to aid you in making a decision. Your company stumbled upon Jukeboxy for some reason and probably wants to see what we have to offer. We could further your frustration by presenting our great pricing, the number of songs and genres, and ease of use, but we will not subject you to that. Instead, we will explain what truly makes us one of a kind, our DJ Set feature.

What and Where is the Jukeboxy “DJ Set”?

Whether you are a potential customer or a new customer, you still might have some questions about what the Jukeboxy DJ Set does. At first, it might confuse you, but the DJ Set is not physical DJ equipment. It is simply a feature of Jukeboxy. In basic terms, our unique DJ set feature allows our customers to customize their music experience beyond a playlist or music genre. The DJ Set mode is on the home screen of the Jukeboxy Manager application, which is available for download on Android, Apple, and Amazon devices.

First, to fully optimize your use of the DJ Set mode, it is crucial to understand all of the features it has at its disposal.

Features of Jukeboxy DJ Set: Naming and Creating a Set

After first clicking the DJ button on the Jukeboxy Manager’s home screen, you are greeted with a large gray button saying, “Create New DJ Set”. When selected, you are then allowed to title your set. We recommend titling this with your musical genre, time, and even season for optimal flow and organization. For example, a restaurant owner should name a Folk music set for Fall brunches something along the lines of “Folky Brunches – Fall 2022”. 

Mood Setting

The first step into actually creating your set is selecting your mood. Under the mood tab in DJ Set, the user can see a colorful Mood Wheel with a sliding dot and four modulators. The two tempo modulators are Energetic (on the top) and Mellow (on the bottom). These modulators allow for the customization of the tempo of the music. When the dot is closer to the energetic side, the tempo of the songs in the set will be quicker, while when it is closer to the mellow side, the tempo of songs will then be slower. There are also two mood modulators, Happy (on the right) and Emotional (left). Like the tempo modulation, when the dot is closer to either Happy or Emotional, the music is generated to match the mood based on where the dot lies. Not only the Mood Wheel is user-friendly, but it also allows for tons of customization by using both tempo and mood in conjunction.

Genre Setting

The next step in creating your DJ Set is customizing the genre of music. Under the genres tab, the user is met with tons of different genres of music to choose from, anything from Pop Music to Metal. When a genre is selected, you can then use the slider (located directly under each genre) to dictate the percentage of each genre you want the set to play. For instance, to create a mainly Country music, slightly Rock playlist, you slide the Country genre slider up nearly all the way and the Rock genre slider just a bit. After selecting a primary genre, sub-genres based on that genre will be available for selection. Like when users select the Rock genre, they can also select which of the various sub-genres of Rock they want in the set, such as Alternative, Progressive, Metal, and more.

Decade Setting

The final step in creating your DJ Set is choosing the decade of your music. The user is greeted with various decades of music to choose from within the decades tab in DJ Set. After a decade is selected, the set then plays music strictly released during that decade. If a user selects the 1950s and 1980s as their set’s decades, the set will only play music from those chosen decades.

Uses of Jukeboxy DJ Set & How to Optimize it for your business

Now that you understand all the features of the Jukeboxy DJ set, we will go over how you should apply it to your business. As we have explained in several other articles, it is essential to use your customers’ musical styles and preferences as a baseline. You should still continue to do so with the DJ Set. While Jukeboxy’s seemingly infinite number of playlists might seem like enough, there are times when more specific music should be playing throughout your business.

One use we specifically recommend DJ Set for is catering to the time of day. If a restaurant’s customer base is into Soul music, that is fine. Still, those customers probably don’t want to hear sappy Soul music first thing in the morning while trying to enjoy their breakfast. Time scenarios like these are perfect for Jukeboxy’s DJ Set. Instead of making their customers deal with a random bunch of Soul songs, DJ Set allows for two separate sets, which they can then schedule to be played in the morning and at night. The restaurant can customize the morning playlist to play more upbeat and lighthearted Soul songs for a happy start to the day, as they can customize the nighttime playlist to play more emotional and slower soul and R&B, perfect for a romantic dinner date. Catering to the time doesn’t have to be exclusively for the time of the day; users can also use DJ Set for the various seasons and holidays of the year.

Must Read: How to Increase Sales Using the Right Restaurant Background Music

A hotel might always be playing Pop Music, but the type of pop music should not be the same during the winter and summer. By using DJ Set, this hotel can fully customize the mood and kind of Pop they want to play during each season. Some energetic, happy tunes in the summer and some slower, emotional music in the winter.

Extra: How Does Music for Hotels Affect Consumer Behavior?

We recommend another use of our DJ Set is to cater to your customers’ age. Yes, a playlist might cater to a particular time or genre, but not to the same specificity of our DJ Set. If a local pub knows their customer base is 50% people in their 20s and 50% people in their 50s who both like something in the genre of Rock, playing just one specific decade of Rock will not cut it. Instead, with our DJ Set feature, the user can create a set that plays Rock from an even mix of the decades that will please both age groups.

Again, one other significant advantage of DJ Set is using different sets with different types of events. Suppose you own a bar that turns into a nightclub at night. This would be the perfect time to use different sets. You can still use the same main genres of music that apply to your customer base, just with different variations. As for the regular bar hours, it is excellent to play generic pop. You can create the DJ Set during the nightclub hours to play more energetic and happy music, which is better for a party! Besides these primary functions, Jukeboxy DJ Sets are great for experimenting. For a customer or client, repetitively hearing the same music can quickly turn them off your business. Using DJ Set, you and your company can make things sound fresh and new while still maintaining the genres and music types that work so well for your customer base. Refresh your sound and refresh your business with Jukeboxy’s DJ Set.

The post A Guide to Jukeboxy’s DJ Set appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

For many businesses, the decision to have your telephone system play music on hold seems to be an obvious one. Yet, when done without much thought or consideration, your hold music can be detrimental to business. Throughout this comprehensive article, we will go over all the ins and outs of hold music and which kind you should choose. 

What is On Hold Music?

On hold music, or music on hold (MOH), is simply the act of playing recorded music in place of the silence that would otherwise be heard by the customer while on hold. As of 2020, an estimated 78% of businesses with telephone systems use on hold music for their business. Source

Why Use Hold Music?

In customer service, having a comfortable and understanding environment is crucial. Being stuck in silence on a customer service line is not exactly considered to be comforting. Instead, playing music is a way to avoid creating this discomfort. In stressful and undesirable calls, having simple tunes to calm and slightly distract the caller can be a very beneficial business practice. The music during those, and various other calls, can be reason enough for why the customer chooses to stay on the line, and the data backs that up. According to several consumer studies, customers hearing music while put on hold will be on the call 75% longer than those on hold with silence. Similar data also shows that almost 30% of callers that would have hung up when greeted with silence will stay on the call when treated with some music.

What Hold Music Should I Use?

As a form of art, music can be a very subjective medium. While there might not be any clear-cut answers what music your business should use on telephone calls, there are still quite a few helpful guidelines when choosing it.
The first thing that a business should be mindful of is what kind of customer preferences your company has. All on hold music a business uses should not be too loud or annoying; still, slight variations based on customer preferences can be crucial. For instance, on hold music for a skate shop might be something of the rock or punk genre, as some on hold music for a jazz club would probably be something in the genre or subgenre of jazz. There is a reason for this switch in genre between the two businesses; each business knows to play the music that specifically caters to its unique customer base.

While a customer base can be a crucial aspect of on hold music for businesses, the type of phone line the customer will call is also quite important. For a phone line assigned just to answer some questions, picking music based primarily on your target market is perfect.

Extra: Music Genres

While using a consumer base is helpful for those simple telephone lines, it is not the same for all types of telephone lines.

For something such as customer relations or customer service phone lines, it is probably best to stray away from your regular on hold music. On customer service lines, it is most beneficial to play some mellow tunes that calm the nerves of even the strongest of complainants.

Similarly to using customer preferences, a business should also decide what type of business and brand they want to present to the public. For example, if an organization is keen on being seen as clean and professional by the community, some simple instrumentals are perfect. While, if other businesses want their brand to seem more personable and relaxed, they should probably be looking for something off the top 100. Even things that might seem basic, such as your hold music, are huge indicators to the consumer of what type of business you are running. Therefore, it is crucial to match every detail of your operation to how you would think it should be perceived by the world as.

How Can I Have Engaging Hold Music?

No matter what type of music your business chooses, it is necessary to keep things sounding fresh and new. Even with some of the most simplistic genres of music, you can easily make your music selection sound unique. A business should periodically change the grouping of songs it has been playing to achieve this task. Of course, this does not mean switching up any of the genres or other aspects of music that you picked for your business’s phone lines. All you should do is switching a batch of on hold songs with another group of songs that fits seamlessly with your business. We recommend doing this anywhere from once a month to once every six months.

Where Can I Get Hold Music For My Business? 

Contrary to popular belief, your business is not just allowed to play music over the telephone. Music licenses are needed to be able to play any copyrighted music over the telephone line. Buying licenses for all the music you want to play would cost way too much time and money. When it comes to getting affordable licensed music for your business, there is no better place than Jukeboxy. With the ultra-competitive price of $29.99 per month, you, and your business gain access to all of the premium features of Jukeboxy, such as broad music licensing with more than 45 million songs, expertly curated and custom playlists, dedicated software and hardware, and even custom audio messaging. To make the most of the business music experience, it is best to partner with Jukeboxy, which has the same dedication to detail as we know you have. Call or contact us if you need more information on the perfect on hold music or what our business offers.

Additional Benefit of Subscribing to Jukeboxy Music for Business

With a Jukeboxy subscription, you are not limited to using the service for on-hold music only. You can add an account for streaming music at your business if you have a storefront. This combined subscription model will allow you to stream the same playlists you play at your store that your customers love and associate with your brand. You will not only save thousands of dollars in music licensing fees, but you will also create brand awareness. 

The post All About Hold Music for Business appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Before deep-diving into the importance of music in coffee shops, let’s learn when the coffee house concept was originated.

History of Coffee Houses

According to historians, Coffee Arabica is the first species of coffee to be cultivated and traded. The Yemeni part of Arabia started producing coffee in the 15th century. By the 16th century, coffee was grown in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. According to historians, the first coffee house dates back to 1475, when a shop named Kiva Han opened in Istanbul (Constantinople).

During those times, in the Middle East, public coffee houses were places where people could listen to music, watch performances, play board games, and catch up on the latest news. Coffee houses were also important as a center for information exchange.

When the first coffee house in Europe opened in Venice in 1647, then in England in 1650, coffee houses became an essential part of European men’s lives as a social gathering point. Their presence acted as a catalyst for several cultural and political transformations during the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition to exchanging views and nurturing public opinion, they helped foster a sense of community. As a meeting place for like-minded scholars, the coffee houses were popular with natural philosophers, antiquarians, and historians who assembled there to share ideas, read, and debate. Political groups frequently used coffeehouses as meeting places. 

Today, cafes serve a similar purpose as they did back then: people go there to socialize, work, read, or simply to pass the time. There are about 65,000 coffee shops and cafes in the US alone. Source

With this growing interest in coffee houses, we now see multiple coffee shops and cafes in the same neighborhood. For that reason, coffee shop owners need to be creative to differ from others. It could be a loyalty program, organic beans, vegan options, and music.

Why Coffee House Music Playlist Matters

Researchers have found that coffee and music, specifically the tempo, influences the length of time the customers will spend at a café or coffee house. Generally, a fast-paced environment forces customers to grab whatever they want and leave quickly. On the other hand, slow-tempo music provides your customers with a sense of total relaxation. As a result, they will be spending more time and money at the coffee house.

The genres may vary depending on your clientele, from jazz to soft-rock, alternative to blues, or electronic chill. The playlists should be relaxing enough not to interrupt their work and conversations, but they shouldn’t be monotonous to make them sleepy and unenthusiastic.

Must Read: Coffee Shop Music Genres – How to Choose the Right Music for Coffee Shop?

Background music is an essential part of any establishment. When correctly used, it can positively impact your bottom line. For that reason, it’s crucial to evaluate your coffee shop’s atmosphere and choose the coffee house playlists accordingly. 

As mentioned above, a fitting coffee house soundtrack can influence a customer’s time spent at your shop. However, coffee and background music can do more than that. Let’s review a few of its benefits.

1. Increases spending 

According to studies, you can increase customer average ticket size with slow-tempo background music. Research suggests that customers buy more drinks and add-ons such as desserts or snacks in coffee shops when pleasant and slow-tempo music is in place. 

2. Increases customer satisfaction and patience

It’s scientifically proven that music affects our taste buds! For example, high decibel sounds decrease our taste perception, meaning the food will be less tasty when loud coffee and music is on. 

Additionally, other experiments show that coffee tastes sweeter when a test subject drinks coffee with a higher-pitch frequency. 

Slow to medium tempo music will help your customers enjoy the coffee shop’s atmosphere without interfering with their relaxed mood. 

Waiting in line for a coffee isn’t something everyone enjoys, but we all have to endure it from time to time. Introducing music gives the mind something to concentrate on, making the wait more bearable.

3. Sets the right mood

Song lyrics can affect how customers perceive your coffee house. Too sad or emotional tracks may bring customers’ moods down and even bring back negative memories. 

Playing slow to medium tempo music doesn’t mean sad songs. You can play instrumental tracks or tracks that are empowering. Knowing your target market will help you choose the fitting soundtrack for your coffee shop. 

4. Makes your staff happier and motivated

With pleasant music playing throughout the day, your coffee house workers are also more relaxed, less tired, and more welcoming to customers at the end of the day. Coffee and Music reduces stress and increases satisfaction. Not just for your guests.

It is essential to remember that your staff is there for long hours and almost every day. The playlists should have enough songs, so they don’t hear the same songs repeatedly. 

Bonus: How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop?

For coffee house owners: do this to get professional background music

It would be easy to think that all you have to do is turn on YouTube or Spotify, and the coffee and music playing from your speakers will make your guests instantly happy. But this is not the case. A coffee house music playlist can quickly become counterproductive if you don’t choose the right one.

The wrong genre or style of music can negatively impact your business. It is essential to consider your target group’s demographics, age, income level, and music preferences before selecting the type of music to play.

Not to mention the fact that if you use the sources mentioned above to play your background music, you could be subject to heavy fines. Spotify, Pandora music, or other personal use music providers are for our personal entertainment, not for the business environment.

Don’t worry; we have a solution below. Read on.

The solution is a business music streaming provider that gives you a commercial license, a huge selection of coffee and music, and other tools – such as curated playlists – to help you keep your background music professional.

Jukeboxy Music for Business gives you all this and more for a very affordable monthly fee. And with a 14-day trial subscription, it’s a must-try. Find details here: Jukeboxy Music for Business

Final Thoughts

Having background music in your coffee house is crucial. A fitting coffeehouse playlist can do much more than you think for your business. 

There is no one “coffeehouse music genre” that works for all audiences. Coffee shops must carefully choose them. For that reason, expertly curated playlists are essential, and the results are guaranteed for brand recognition, thus, increasing sales. 

The post Importance of Music in Coffee Houses appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

There are 200+ million people drinking coffee every day in the U.S. alone, which clearly indicates that there has never been a better time to open a coffee shop. There is a growing trend among Americans to visit their neighborhood coffee shops rather than drink at home.  

As of 2022, there are 65,410 Coffee & Snack Shops businesses in the U.S., an increase of 2.4% from 2021. Source

With many coffee shops or cafes in most neighborhoods, you don’t want to open the next one; you want to open the unique one that is different from the rest in many ways. Otherwise, it may be challenging to make your business a success. 

In this article, we want to help you do just that.

For a unique coffee shop to be successful, there are two main factors:

• thoroughly carrying out the basic design tasks
• creativity

The following are necessary, of course, but we won’t go into details because these are not the steps that will make your coffee shop unique:

• business plan: don’t start without it
• find the right location: considering expected pedestrian traffic and parking facilities
• file for permits and licenses: it is crucial to note that waiting for approval on your permits may take time
• finding suppliers

And now for the exciting part – the tasks you need to do if you want to open a unique coffee shop. Let’s go into more detail.

Importance of the layout

Try to focus on serving people efficiently, especially during peak times. A much-needed rule of thumb is to make sure that your floor plan for your coffee shop provides employees with sufficient space to work efficiently.

The two most important questions you should ask when planning your layout:

• Could your staff be moving around effortlessly?
• Is seating comfortably accessed?

The layout of your coffee shop tells your customers exactly where to go while drawing their attention to the products you want them to buy. Customers are more likely to purchase more than just a cup of coffee if bags of coffee or merchandise are placed in their line of sight as they put their order.

Create a space that’s Instagrammable and interactive

Studies show that the restaurant industry is still doing well because people like immersing themselves in experiences, such as going out to eat. Additionally, with the growth of social media, and platforms like Instagram that allow people to share their experiences, more people look for places that are “instagrammable.”

When you design the interior of your coffee shop with eye-catching, attractive elements, you are aiming for the best coffee shop experiences for your guests, but you could also be generating free social marketing.

If you have outdoor space, creative decorations like colorful flowers can attract the passerby, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee will sure make them purchase one.

MUST READ: How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop?

Choose a theme and build the atmosphere around it

Coffee shops should be decorated according to a theme to enhance their distinctive features. You can, for example, use colors and styles from the 1950s if you are looking to have a vintage-style cafe. Color trends from the mid-20th century include pastel colors schemes, black and white dots, pink, mint green, turquoise, blue and pale yellow. There was also a time when black, white, and red colors were in vogue. 

When designing a coffee house for a specific demographic, complementing colors and lighting – dim or bright – are also important considerations. 

Strong themes are sure to attract a specific type of customer base. An example of this would be a dog-friendly or cat-centric coffee shop, which would cater almost exclusively to pet owners.

Find furnishings and decorative elements – such as sculptures or expensive art – that enhance the mood of the theme. Large and impressive is fine, even if you must sacrifice a few seats. Believe us; you’ll be more successful if your café’s interior is unique than if you had three more seating available. Perhaps you should invest in some designer coffee machines or a counter—something you won’t find anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Internet access

It may not sound exciting or important at first, but believe us, it is. Your coffee shop must provide customers with Internet access in this digital age. Students and working professionals who need to check email, conduct online research, or write a complicated term paper often seek refuge at coffee shops. Customers choose coffee shops instead of libraries and book stores to accomplish their online tasks because they want a fresh alternative to a muted location.

Are your customers likely to spend a lot of time working on their laptops? How many electrical outlets do you have? Many people who work from their computers choose coffee shops based solely on whether they can charge their computers or phones. You can also differentiate your coffee shop by having the fastest Wi-Fi, the most outlets, and the most laptop-friendly space.

Put the cherry on top with the coffee shop background music

Suppose you’ve completed the previous steps diligently; there’s still one more thing to consider in order to achieve creating a really unique coffee shop! And that’s background music. 

What makes the background music in your coffee shop unique? If you don’t play the same coffee shop genres as everyone else.

Choosing the right type of music for your cafe depends on the mood you want to convey. Consider a relaxed/chilled environment. It will help if you design a place where your customers can feel at home and enjoy their coffee or snacks while having conversations with others. To create such an environment, you must have genres that promote this type of atmosphere—some ideas for the music genre: jazz, deep house, and lounge.

MUST READ: How to Choose the Right Music for Coffee Shop?

These days, there are plenty of online resources for playing music. These include YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. However, they all provide a personal license, so you cannot use them in a business environment, including cafes, or you will face very high fines.

“Can I use Spotify, Youtube and Apple music as a commercial music provider? The answer is here.”

To solve this problem, you’ll need to select a business music streaming service that offers a wealth of tracks, curated playlists, and other helpful business features in exchange for a low monthly subscription fee.

One such provider is Jukeboxy Music for Business, which gives you the industry’s largest selection of music for $29.99 a month, and in a few minutes, you can have fitting music playing in your coffee shop. 

You can see what features are available with your subscription here:

Jukeboxy Music Features

Takeaway

To summarize, these are the areas to look out for if you want your coffee shop to be unique:

• design a great layout for your shop
• provide the fastest Wi-Fi and the most electrical outlets
• create an eye-catchy space for Instagram sharing
• choose a theme for your niche and build an atmosphere around it
• play coffee shop background music that is unique to your business

What makes a coffee shop unique?

A unique coffee shop stands out through a combination of a well-thought-out layout, fast Wi-Fi, ample electrical outlets, and an Instagrammable, themed atmosphere. These elements create an inviting space that draws in customers. Additionally, playing distinctive background music tailored to your café’s vibe can set your coffee shop apart. For a seamless music solution, consider Jukeboxy Music for Business, offering a vast selection of tracks and curated playlists for just $29.99 a month, ensuring your coffee shop’s ambiance is as unique as your brand.

The post How to Open a Unique Coffee Shop in 2022? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

High-quality products, excellent customer service, fresh baked goods are key factors for a coffee shop’s success, but they are not the only ones. As part of the aesthetic element, the ambiance and music played in the background should also be considered. Having good background music helps create a relaxing mood within the coffee place. When people take a sip from their favorite coffee blend, the coffee shop soundtrack enhances their overall experience. Coffee Shop Music Genres;

When you ask coffee shop owners about the secret to their success, they will probably give credit to the music they play in the background. If you are a coffee shop owner or planning to open new one, you should consider implementing brand-fitting coffee shop background music.

How to create a coffee shop playlist?

Looking to develop a better customer experience at your coffee house? Make sure to avoid the two common mistakes coffee house owners make when choosing the type of music to play:

• following the latest trends
• playlists are created based on the preferences and tastes of them or their staff

While both seem logical enough, they have little connection to what you want to accomplish. It’s not about creating a different sound, but rather about boosting your business. So, what are your options when it comes to coffeehouse background music?

For your cafe to have a certain mood, you’ll need to choose the right music. While your customers enjoy their coffees and snacks, they also want to read or chat with their friends, at least at most coffee shops. Choosing a chill and relaxed vibe would be a good choice. On the other hand, some coffee shops in large cities and busy areas usually have more in-and-out customers, streaming chill and mellow playlists will not work well in these types of cafes. 

Jukeboxy Music for Business caters to many coffee shops around the country. While analyzing their playlist usage, we noticed that they all use different types of genres to appeal to their target market.

“Check out some of the examples of coffee shop playlist“

We’ll break down the coffee shop music genres below to help you find the right sound for your store and your customers.

Chill and Lo-Fi beats for cool coffee shop vibes

Lo-Fi stands for “low fidelity,” and research suggests that this genre is an excellent choice for focus and studying. If your coffee shop caters to people who come to study, work, or read, this would be the best choice. 

Chill beats also create cool coffeehouse vibes. If that’s the vibe you’re going for, this genre is the perfect choice for your coffee shop.

Jazz for enhancing coffee shop experience

The dynamic element of jazz makes it a popular music genre in many businesses, including coffee shops. Jazz is a mixture of musicians’ instrumental diversity, vocal melody, and the whole act of improvisation. Generally speaking, jazz creates a calming atmosphere that is ideal for relaxing settings like coffee shops.

Jazz is usually associated with a calm mood. However, since its birth, different styles of jazz music have been created, and they all cater to different moods. Depending on your coffeehouse’s atmosphere, you can create a fitting vibe with coffee house jazz music that your customers will enjoy. 

Types of jazz music that we think would go well with coffee shops:

• Early Jazz, often called “Dixieland Jazz” is a good choice for creating a positive and happy coffee shop music vibe.
• Bossa Nova, born in Brazil, also known as Brazilian Jazz, is an excellent choice for coffee shops with a Latin cafe vibe. 
• Nu Jazz has been around since the early 90s, which blends jazz elements with electronic music. This genre is excellent for trendy coffee shops with Generation X customers.
• Soul Jazz is a blend of jazz, r&b, gospel, and soul music, and it’s often instrumental. This type of jazz music allows people to have conversations and creates a relaxed atmosphere. It is an excellent choice for coffee shops with lots of seating areas for customers to enjoy their company.

Acoustic and instrumental music for a relaxing atmosphere

Acoustic or instrumental music for coffee shops is another excellent choice. It’s soft, soothing, and doesn’t distract our attention. For that reason, it’s a good match for coffee shops that provide a space for studying, reading, or having a conversation. 

This type of music may sound like a boring choice, but it doesn’t have to. There are many instrumental and acoustic versions of popular songs that your customers can enjoy while not being distracted by the background music.

Upbeat music for coffee shops in metropolitan areas

Big city coffee shops are usually bustling almost all day long. Playing relaxing, chill, or instrumental music may not be the best choice if your coffee shop is always busy with in-and-out customers. 

We recommend the following coffee shop music genres: 

• Electronic music – we’re not suggesting techno or trance music here, but you can try electronic chill, deep house, and electronic-pop
• Indie music – there are many types of Indie music out there; we recommend Indie Dance or Indie Pop music which can blend well with your energetic atmosphere.
• Pop music – you can never go wrong with upbeat pop music, especially if you cater to different generations. Try mixing different decades from the 70s to the present day. 
• Classic Rock music – another “you can’t go wrong” genre for busy coffee shops with different generation clientele. Study shows that even Millennials love the “Classic Rock” genre. You can read more here.

There are, of course, many other genres that would go well for coffee shops. When choosing the coffee shop music for your store, you should consider the following: 

• What type of coffee shop vibe you are trying to achieve? 
• Who is your target market?
• What is your table turnover goal? Do you prefer many in-and-out customers, or would you like people to spend hours at your cafe?

It may be overwhelming to find the fitting soundtrack for your coffee shop, but don’t worry! There’s a reason there are background music services for businesses that can provide the best sound for your store!

Extra Read: How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop? 

Use a business music streaming service

You might have searched for “coffee shop indie music” or “coffee shop sounds” in your browser and found all these amazing Spotify or YouTube playlists. Then, you start streaming Spotify in your business. In a perfect world, you are all set with the background music at your store.

In reality, however, you are illegally streaming music at your business!

Check out our guide: Can I use Spotify, Apple & Others? 

Music streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube are for personal use only. They provide a private license for a single user to enjoy music for their own entertainment. Using these services in a business environment is considered “Copyright Infringement” and has serious legal consequences. 

The other disadvantage of subscribing to a music service where you need to create playlists is; it takes time and effort to find the right tracks. Do you really have that much time to spend on music curation for a cafe playlist? 

We recommend subscribing to a monthly package from a commercially licensed business music streaming provider to avoid these pitfalls. Such as Jukeboxy Music for Business, which has one of the largest music libraries in the industry. There are over 350 expertly curated playlists in different genres, moods, tempos, and decades. You can find coffee house playlists specifically curated with various types of coffee shops in mind. This way, you’ll always have the kind of music your patrons love. 

You can try it all with a 14-day free trial and a monthly subscription of $29.99, thereafter. Most importantly, the music at your business will be licensed through ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR.

The post Coffee Shop Music Genres – How to Choose the Right Music for Coffee Shop? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop? A coffee shop must have an eye for design. There may even be other reasons people visit coffee shops apart from drinking coffee. The environment and how you present your products play a significant role in attracting customers through your doors. There is nothing more satisfying than achieving your dreams after investing thousands of dollars, putting in hard work, and remembering that little details matter as much as the products you sell.

Attractive characteristics of your establishment, like scent and mood, may increase foot traffic and sales. Furthermore, a robust design and layout of your coffee shop will help you stay in people’s minds, encouraging return visitors. From the furniture to the espresso bar, ambient lighting to the background music in your coffee shop has a noticeable effect on how your customers enjoy their beverages.

Here’s what you need to look out for when creating the best atmosphere in your coffee shop.

Step #1: Plan the layout with attention

What does this mean? A great ambiance is not just something that happens by chance. A good layout is at the heart of a great atmosphere. Look at your plans through the eyes of your customers long before you sign any contracts with interior builders. Which features are most important to customers? Are there features that make things easy for them?

For example, confusion over where to order is often a source of trouble. The presence of an order counter near the entrance helps customers feel less lost as soon as they enter. Ensure that people have easy access to the condiment counter and a trash can where they can quickly flavor their coffee without reaching over to other patrons or objects.

Ideally, your coffee shop should be bright and clean, with plenty of natural light and comfortable seating. Provide seating to single customers and groups of various sizes with a mix of seating and table types.

Consider hiring a professional interior decorator for layout, furniture, and flooring, if you have no prior design experience. When your coffee shop has a distinctive, personal touch that separates your establishment from nearby ones, it will draw more customers.

Step #2: The right colors to use

Experienced baristas and delicious cappuccinos or lattes will attract customers surely, but your decor should also be appealing to customers on a holistic level.

Once the store’s layout is finished, the next step should be figuring out the color scheme.

It can be time-consuming to decide on a suitable color palette for your coffee shop. But don’t worry, we gathered some well-researched information below that we believe can help you make a decision pretty quickly.

Based on market studies, an earthy color scheme is a classic choice for many coffee shop owners to provide a relaxed and welcoming coffee shop. You can find browns, beige, umber, and dark orange shades in this palette.

On the other hand, if you are creating a unique coffee shop atmosphere than a classic one, you can mix the earthy tones with brighter colors. You can use beige and brown shades with teal, turquoise, or reds. However, the bright colors should not empower the entire atmosphere and should be used minimally as accent colors.

Step #3: Choose the lighting wisely

Choosing the right lights for your cafe is a great way to create the mood you want. Instead of regular bulbs, you can install dimmers to create ambient lighting throughout the day. Adding attractive ceiling lamps instead of spot or industrial lights will add extra appeal and help to create a great coffee shop ambiance.

Whenever possible, you should utilize natural lighting to take advantage of organic light and save energy at the same time. If natural light is

not available in your store, you can use cool-toned lighting as they create a similar look and feel to daylight. Cool lighting is also a good choice for reading and studying.

Warm and soft-toned lighting is a good choice for the evening hours.

They create a more comforting atmosphere in a dark room due to their gentle contrast from the darkness. For example, Starbucks stores usually use dimmed lighting to create a cozy ambiance.

Step #4: The importance of scents

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the smell of a café is an integral part of the overall experience for coffee shop customers. The scent of freshly brewed coffee or pastries often attracts passersby. It is not just important to attract new customers, but it is also essential to keep them.

Adding pleasant scents to your coffee shop can also encourage people to linger around for longer. For example, almost every retail store, including coffee shops, uses holiday-themed fragrances to lure people into the stores during the holiday season. The scent of spice, vanilla, or pumpkin is a known marketing strategy to capture the holiday mood and eventually increase sales.

Step #5: Coffee shop background music

Science has repeatedly proven that you need to impress your customers through all their senses to be successful. To thrive in a competitive market, tasteful decor, scent marketing, or excellent customer service will not be enough. The create the perfect atmosphere in your coffee shop, you need to implement the fitting soundtrack for your business.

The background music at a retail shop is an integral part of the marketing strategy, and it’s no different for a coffee shop. However, choosing the right music for coffee shop is vital.

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop? What to consider when choosing the music for coffee shop?

There is no one playlist or genre fits all mentality anymore. You may hear a piece of excellent background music at one coffee shop and think it would fit yours perfectly, but it may not! While choosing the playlists for your coffee shop, consider these:

Who is your target market? The young generation, old generation, or a mix?

What makes your coffee shop different than the others? Gourmet coffee beans, attractive interiors, energetic baristas? The music should fit the brand.

How early and how late your coffee shop is open? The early crowd needs different types of music than the late crowd. Consider creating a different playlist schedule for the entire day and the week.

We highly recommend working with a professional background music service provider for all these reasons mentioned above. But, there’s more to consider when choosing the music service provider for your coffee shop.

Every business, including the coffee shops, must obtain background music licenses by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. When you subscribe to a commercially licensed background music service provider, they will pay for your licenses on your behalf, and you won’t have to worry about getting hefty fines.

On the other hand, if you choose to play Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube without obtaining these licenses, you can face harsh penalties. You can read more here.

These services are not commercially licensed. You can only use them for your own entertainment, as you can read on their terms and conditions page.

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop? We recommend Jukeboxy’s business music streaming service, which you can join in just a few minutes with a $29.99 monthly subscription. With over forty million tracks and curated playlists, you will find the fitting background music for coffee shop that your guests will love.

Some of the exciting features Jukeboxy has to offer:

• Jukeboxy library has music from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR libraries, major and independent labels to provide you with the most variety.
• Jukeboxy Music is available on Apple iOS and Android devices, as well as PC and Mac computers, Sonos speaker systems, and Alexa enabled devices. Our dedicated hardware, Jukeboxy Player Box, is also available for purchase.
• From your computer and anywhere in the world, you have access to Jukeboxy’s online dashboard to manage the music at your businesses.
• You can create a continuous stream of non-repetitive and fresh music for your business by mixing an unlimited number of playlists in a time slot.
• When you use Jukeboxy Music, you can create custom playlists quickly and easily. The Jukeboxy Manager App comes with a “DJ SET” feature that lets you create unlimited playlists based on mood, tempo, genre, and decade. Adding these custom sets to your weekly auto-play schedule will allow you to mix them with other playlists or play them individually. It is also possible to transfer your playlists to Jukeboxy. With Jukeboxy Music, you can share any custom playlist you have on Spotify or Apple Music for no additional charge.

Summary

A coffee shop with these simple characteristics is usually all that customers need to make a space that is appealing and cozy where they can enjoy coffee with a sense of comfort. Don’t forget the proper layout, an inviting color palette, the lighting, the scents, and the background music to make your coffee shop atmosphere inviting and customer-retaining.

The post How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for your Coffee Shop? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

As more states have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational use, legal sales of cannabis in the U.S. grew by 46% in 2020 and 40% in 2021. As the market has expanded, dispensaries have become more sophisticated and streamlined to meet the changing market demand.

Dispensaries need background music that fits their more streamlined appearance and better addresses their expanding clientele. But where to start when finding music for cannabis dispensaries? In this article, we strive to show your business where to begin when choosing background music for marijuana dispensaries.

How many states have legalized both recreational Cannabis and Medical Cannabis?

Before even choosing a soundtrack for business use in the cannabis dispensaries, it is crucial to understand the laws and regulations around marijuana in your State. Currently, recreational use of cannabis is legal in 20 States, and medical use of cannabis is legal in 36 states and four territories.

Soon more states will allow for either medical, recreational, or both types of marijuana use. It is difficult to argue that opening a marijuana dispensary to meet this increased demand is a terrific idea.

Who is visiting the dispensaries?

Knowing your clientele is another critical area to consider before picking the perfect type of music for your dispensary. The base statistics appear to look like this:

Millennials – 51.5% (23-38)*

Generation X – 25.7% (39-54)*

Baby Boomers – 15.8% (55-73)*

Gen Z – 5.9% (23 or younger)*

*Paratheis specify each generation’s age range                                    

So, now that you know the age range of your clients, there is more to the story. Now, you would need to consider gender. According to research, men are much more likely to buy cannabis or cannabis-related products (ranging from 60%-67%). Men are also more likely to purchase recreational products, like marijuana concentrates (70%). On the other hand, women are likely to spend more on CBD products (66% more than men). A fun fact; a recent Nielsen Consumer Behavior Study has shown that 74% of people who purchase CBD products own dogs or cats. Who knew!? Maybe canine friends should be considered when picking the music for your business!

What music should you play in your dispensary?

Given the uniqueness of your business, addressing the question of what type of music for marijuana dispensaries you should play may not be easy.

First, let us address the elephant in the room. There is a common misconception that all people who use marijuana are “stoners” who only listen to music genres such as Hip-Hop/Rap or Reggae. Popularized mainly by modern pop culture in movies and rap song lyrics, this is simply nothing but a myth. In 2021, the people who use marijuana stretch over a wide range of cultures, religions, races, ages, everything! That is why most dispensaries should play a wide variety of music genres to accommodate vastly different groups of people. Especially in the states where marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use, it is important to play music that appeals to an array of clients.

Playing from a range of musical genres will allow your business to reach all types of clients without singling out any groups. Additionally, you may want to customize your business’s music genres to match your region. For instance, it would be more beneficial to play more pop-country hits in Colorado than in New York. It can be tricky to find the balance between appealing to a varied clientele and alienating some clientele by narrowing your focus too much.

On the other hand, if appealing to a particular population segment is your business’s goal, you can use music to help you do that. Suppose you are in a state where recreational use is legal, and you want to take over the niche market of the younger and hipper crowd that uses marijuana recreationally. In that case, choosing a genre that specifically attracts your target group is crucial.

For instance, in a more urban area, playing more Hip-Hop/Rap than Reggae would allow more success as you specifically target your demographic and location. If your business is located in a more rural or suburban area playing more Classic Rock or Country could aid in your success in that niche market.

Finally, one last large group of dispensaries needs a slightly different approach. In states where marijuana use is only legal for medical use, the dispensary’s music shouldn’t be exactly like the music for the other dispensaries we have just talked about above. For the dispensaries selling marijuana exclusively for medical purposes, it is most beneficial to play soft background music regardless of geographic location.

When playing background music for businesses serving a medical needs clientele, a calming and non-intrusive atmosphere is best, and music plays an important role. Like a local pharmacy, the customers of a medical marijuana dispensary are going to collect their medication. It just happens to be marijuana as opposed to pills. Picking up a prescription is never a task that is for fun. It is just an errand that needs to be completed. Like any task that doesn’t require much mental effort, the music shouldn’t take much effort to listen to. The music should just fade into the back of the customer’s mind.

So, where can your business find the right music?

Just as there are many rules and regulations governing the marijuana dispensary business, many rules and regulations apply to the commercial use of music for your business.

That is where Juxeboxy Music for Business comes in.

With a Jukeboxy Music subscription, the background music in уоur business will be fully licensed by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, and SOCAN. No matter where your dispensary is located within the USA or Canada, or the clientele you are serving, there is no better option to find the right commercially licensed music for dispensaries than Jukeboxy. Jukeboxy has expertly curated playlists that can perfectly fit your dispensary’s customer base. Or, if you are so inclined, you can work with our music team to create a custom playlist from our 45+ Million song library. And even better, Jukeboxy is very competitively priced at only $29.99 per month.

Tired of reading about how great Jukeboxy will be for your dispensary?

You can sign-up for a 14-day free trial with no commitment (no cc required) and see if Jukeboxy is a good fit for your brand.

Jukeboxy music team suggestions:

• Create a weekly playlist schedule with multiple playlists to accommodate a variety of clientele with Jukeboxy’s scheduling tool 
• Create a different vibe throughout the day with different genres
• Think about your employees; avoid playing the same playlists over and over again
• When in doubt what to play, consult with the Jukeboxy music team to create the fitting sound for your brand and clientele

The post Finding the Best Music for Marijuana Dispensaries appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Bakery? Did you know that the first bakers’ guild was established in 168 BC in Rome? Even in the Roman Empire period, baking for commercial reasons was a popular income-generating business. Whether it’s for our own consumption or for business, baking has become more popular since the 1920s.

Today, we see a bakery at every corner, if not more. How can a bakery stand out from others when there is so much competition? Undoubtedly, one of the most important aspects is your bakery’s atmosphere. Creating an appealing atmosphere in your store needs time, research and professional help like an interior designer.

Its environment and atmosphere are critical to a bakery’s success and profitability. Although it’s easy to get distracted by the specifics of the design or the layout of the storefront, it’s vital to make sure the bakery itself enhances the experience of its customers.

The decor of your bakery will determine how customers perceive their experience, which can impact both the buying experience and the return on investment.

Designing a bakery can be a fun and rewarding venture. If you take the time to do it right, it will be profitable, too. Imagine baking a cake without the necessary tools, which is not a great idea, right? The same goes for creating the right design and atmosphere for your bakery. If you don’t invest in the time and the money, the store will be mediocre and will look like any other bakery in your neighborhood.

We’ve got the recipe for creating the perfect atmosphere for your shop. We created this article to help you establish a successful bakery. How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Bakery? Read on.

The Basics

The design of your bakery serves to welcome your customers and promote your brand. Making your cake/pastry shop stand out with a few simple design basics can help convert first-time visitors into regular customers. Here’s what to look out for:

1. Start from the Entryway and the Storefront

2017 research by UCD food scientists shows that freshly baked bread’s smell brings “odor-cued memories” and boosts Pavlovian response and impulse buying.

For that reason, we recommend incorporating Dutch or half doors and a vent fan above the door which can help lure passersby with the aroma of freshly baked goods. Also, the entryway of your bakery should be spacious enough to provide enough space for multiple people to line up.

If you have enough storefront space, placing display cases for your baked goods might help bring in more shoppers. Including different types of goods is an excellent idea to let the window shoppers know what you can offer.

Do you create custom cake designs for birthdays or anniversaries? Showing quality prints of your designs in lovely frames on the walls is another idea to bring more customers who need customized cakes.

2. Make Sure It Has Good Lighting

Lighting is another essential aspect of a successful bakery. Bakers often invest in high-quality display cases; however, without good lighting, the brilliance of food colors will not be as vivid. High-quality lighting also helps preserve the freshness and appearance of baked goods.

However, the lighting of the bakery is not limited to the display cases. There should be a consistent light color throughout the store. To create a welcoming atmosphere, use the same light colors across the store; some areas may have more lights and some less, but it is crucial to choose the same light colors. Our suggestion is to stay away from fluorescents. Fluorescents have green-yellow and magenta cast, and your baked goods and the store will not look good in that bulb color.

3. Make the Space Happier

Two things belong here: colors and plants.

It would help if you considered adding color to the interior, as color adds life to any space. Think about adding color to your walls, windows, floors, tables, chairs, etc. Use colors that match your brand identity. For example, if you sell cupcakes, you can create a colorful space with pinks, blues, and oranges. Cupcakes are fun to look at and eat, so why not provide a fun atmosphere to your customers?

If you’re aiming to create a high-end bakery feel, then black and white colors with French bistro-style seating will do the job.

Light colors, such as cream, beige, white, or pale yellow, create the illusion of a bigger room. We recommend using soft tones to make the space look more spacious and inviting if you have a smaller store.

You can also add an accent wall within the color scheme. Your bakery will appear uncluttered to visitors if you use a simple color palette with one dominant or accent color.

Plants! Adding plants or flowers will add a great touch to your bakery. If you use fresh herbs in your baked goods like thyme, mint, or rosemary, you can create a corner for small planters and use the fresh herbs to decorate the baked goods.

4. Create a Comfortable Environment

Customers need to feel comfortable while shopping at your bakery; whether they are there for dining or take-out, making them feel comfortable is crucial. Take-out customers need space to move around and look at the displays to make their selections. Sit-down customers need comfortable seating and friendly staff to enjoy your bakery and potentially come back.

If you have a small space, we recommend not overcrowding the seating area. Passageways between tables and chairs should be 18 inches wide. An overcrowded aisle can result in an uncomfortable experience for customers, and it may negatively impact sales. Instead, you can offer reservations for seated customers. This way, they won’t get disappointed when there is no space to sit.

Ventilation is another essential aspect to consider when designing the perfect atmosphere for a bakery. Without proper ventilation, you could end up with a lot of heat buildup inside your bakery, which will result in uncomfortable employees and customers.

5. Get Creative with Your Decoration and Your Display Cases

• Baskets are a fantastic way to display items such as pastries. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll never run out of options. Don’t be afraid to decorate with baskets.
• Bakeries specializing in wedding cakes can display photos of local couples cutting their cakes. If your bakery specializes in English tea cakes, choose wall art from England to showcase its nationality.
• Display cases are typically made of glass or metal. If you can find a custom display case maker, you can order the ones in your brand’s color, matching the general atmosphere of the store.

The Advanced Level

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Bakery? 

1. Use Mirrors Like the Pros

Mirrors behind the counter are a great design idea. They reflect light, enhancing the displays and increasing the sense of space. Displaying a custom design cake in front of a mirror will show customers both the front and the rear of the cake.

2. Improve Customer Flow with a Bakery Floor Plan

Designers suggest that the bakery isles should be at least 4 feet wide to prevent congestion. However, they shouldn’t be too long either. A study shows that if customers feel your aisles are too long, they may skip the aisle, which may be over as much as 2 percent of your products.

Making your aisles shorter but not congested will allow your customers to engage more with your products and help in increased sales.

3. Background music in a bakery can be the cherry on top

Engaging a customer’s five senses in your bakery will surely help your bakery succeed. You are already providing them with the sight, smell, taste, and even touch with your baked goods. Why not appeal to their fifth sense? The sound! We recommend adding a brand-matching soundtrack for your business to achieve this.

Pleasant, brand-fitting background music for a bakery will complement the interior design and the atmosphere.

Imagine a French bakery with excellent Parisian decor and French pastries but no music. The customers will hear lots of chatter and utensil noises while trying to enjoy the pastry and maybe a friend’s company. Not so great, right?

Now, imagine the same French bakery with an excellent choice of background music. Imagine eating a “tarte aux framboise” accompanied by a French Chanson by Edith Piaf. You will feel transported to Paris when you are at the bakery and leave feeling fabulous, right? Wouldn’t you go to that same bakery the next time?

Bonus Read: Impact of background music on businesses

Let us help you find the fitting background music for your bakery. American, French, Italian; every bakery needs to have background music that matches its characteristics and target market.

Extra: Playlist Samples

If you’re thinking, “OK, I’ll turn on the radio, YouTube, or Spotify,” you’re on the wrong track. Firstly, these services are not commercially licensed providers, which means there can be severe penalties for using them in a business environment. Secondly, it’s not going to sound very professional if you’re playing the music just to play it. A non-curated, any type of music will not do any good for your bakery.

The best way to do this is to subscribe to Jukeboxy’s business music service, which gives you a vast music library (45+ million tracks) and hundreds of curated playlists. You don’t have to spend hours choosing what music to play, you can set up the service in minutes and impress your customers.

How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Bakery? Having good background music is directly related to increased revenue. Read the details here.

The post How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Bakery – from basics to advanced appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Living in a condo building vs. house living is a matter of preference for most, but it is also a matter of lifestyle. According to research, more and more people live in an apartment building than at any point over the last 50 years.

Condo living comes with many benefits like easy maintenance, increased security, community connection, and great amenities such as a gym, pool, or clubhouse. With an increased interest in condo living, residential buildings need to appeal to current and future residents to compete with their competitors.

For the people who live in your residential complex, the quality of the living spaces is vitally important. But amenities are also essential. A 2017 study conducted by the National Multifamily Housing Council and Kingsley discovered that tenants would move to another building if they found a property with the right mix of amenities. Offering background music in addition to the amenities in your apartment complex can help set it apart from the competition.

Let’s look at the benefits of streaming background music in a residential building.

Conveys quality

The following criteria come to mind when it comes to high-quality housing, which is the same for all high-end buildings.

• Materials and fittings of high-quality used for construction
• Well-designed interior built with ergonomic design
• Well utilized spaces

Putting a residential building ahead of its competitors in the current market will take more effort than just these criteria. The friendly, helpful, and respectful staff, easy communications with the management, scent marketing, and the right background music can make a residential building even more desirable.

Must Read: A Guide to Playing Music in Your Business

In the past years, developers have less recognized the power of music as an opportunity to create the perfect living environment. However, this is changing as we see more and more residential buildings sign up with Jukeboxy Music in recent years. Both the building developers and the management companies realize the advantages of the music, which helps them to be ahead of their competitors and make the building more appealing to their residents.

Research has shown that the food quality is much better when background music matches the atmosphere and target audience in a restaurant. A similar scenario applies to residential buildings. A fitting soundtrack for residential buildings increases people’s perception of that building.

Our experts well explained that How to Increase Sales Using the Right Background Music. 

Adds value to the atmosphere

The lobby of your building is the first impression of a potential renter or buyer. Therefore, the atmosphere, including the decor, the color scheme, the scent, impacts one’s perception of the building as soon as they set foot in the lobby. Your building may have incredible amenities, but those first few minutes in the reception area may impact the decision of a potential future resident.

When you think about how much value background music adds to the atmosphere of a restaurant, shop, or even an office, it’s easy to agree that the same is true for residential buildings.

Creates a positive mood-boosting effect

Music has always been a popular way to cheer up people. It has become an integral part of our culture. People listen to music at work, at home, parties, and in their cars. Almost everywhere. Numerous studies prove that upbeat music improves mood, makes you feel happier instantly, and helps your brain function better.

Why not offer background music to your residents and staff members in the common areas of your residential building? Imagine a resident entering the lobby after a long and stressful day and hearing the music that can instantly change their mood and make them feel at home? Or, think about your staff members who are working tirelessly for long hours to make your residential building a top-notch place to live. Would they be happier in a lobby with no music or with music that can help them be motivated? The short answer is the latter.

Increases the value of your building

Background music alone in your residential building will not increase the value of your building. However, it will support the other aspects of your building and help increase the value.

Many condo buildings use different marketing tools to stay ahead of the game and attract new tenants. These tools are scent marketing, hiring interior designers for common area decorations, or using specific color schemes for different areas. All these combined impacts a potential renter or buyer’s decision. Adding background music to this combination that matches your building’s target market and atmosphere will surely increase the value.

As you can see, there are clear benefits to background music for residential buildings. Let’s discuss the factors to consider when choosing the right music streaming for residential buildings.

How to choose music streaming for residential buildings?

The first and most important is to develop a soundtrack adapted to the target group of your residential building. For example, music from the 60s to 80s would attract people in their 50s and 60s. If you have a younger target group – under 35 – you’re better off not selecting music from the 1950s. In other words, your target market will help you choose the best music for the building and residents.

Another important aspect is that the music should fit the part of the day. You can play upbeat, cheerful music in the morning and leave the slower, relaxing music for the late afternoon and evening. The volume level of the background music is as important as the choice of music. In residential buildings, the volume level should always be the same regardless of the part of the day. Loud or constantly changing volume levels can disrupt the staff members and won’t be pleasant for the tenants.

If your building has multiple areas that require different types of music, it is crucial to choose a service that can provide you with a multi-zone music streaming option. A cheerful and instrumental music might be a good fit for the lobby, but it’s not the best match for the gym area.

About music licensing

When you play a song at your residential building, it is a public performance. Every time a song starts playing in public spaces, it generates royalty fees for the songwriters, composers, and recording artists. The U.S. Copyright Law requires all establishments to obtain the necessary licenses for the public performance of a song.

The law applies to both recorded and live performances

• In public spaces
• On radio, television, internet
• In restaurants, retail stores, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, offices, etc.

Copyright owners are entitled to royalty payments each time their song is played in public under this law. In the event of a violation of this law, companies can face fines of tens of thousands of dollars. To prevent hefty fines or, even worse, a lawsuit by a Performing Rights Organization, residential buildings like any other business should always use commercially licensed music service.

Here’s how you can do it.

Choose a reliable business music streaming provider

Firstly, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and Youtube are incompatible with the Copyright Law for business use.

Checkout the guide about music licenses

If you subscribe to one of these services, you get a non-commercial, private use license. What does that mean? It means that you can only use these providers for your own entertainment; at home, in the car, or through your headphones. These services are not for business use and they all mention this in their terms and conditions section.

However, with Jukeboxy, the music at your residential building is fully licensed by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. Jukeboxy takes care of all the necessary licenses on behalf of your company and ensures that your business is 100% compliant with the Copyright Law for music streaming.

With a subscription, besides the commercial licenses, you get access to a vast selection of music, over 45 million song library, and more than 350 playlists.

Get Jukeboxy Music for only $29.99 a month with a 14-day free trial and multi-location discounts. Click here

The ultimate question: What playlist should I create for my residential building?

This question probably still stays in mind after reading the article. We can also address that problem, as the Jukeboxy subscription package includes dedicated support, hundreds of curated playlists, and complimentary consultation for playlist selection.

The post Importance of Background Music at Residential Buildings – From Lobby to Recreational Areas appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

The one thing people will always need is food. That’s why we have so many grocery stores in the United States – an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Since the 1990s, grocery sales have nearly doubled, and the industry is expected to continue growing. Reports indicate that the industry is growing much faster than other retail types. Grocery stores are the backbone of the American economy, and most people don’t realize that they can open their own grocery store if they do their research thoroughly.

A local grocery store is a relatively easy business to start, and it doesn’t require a lot of capital. A grocery store’s success depends on many things, but the most important would be providing the right products for your target market and keeping a stable inventory. The best part is, you can run your grocery store as a family business and leave a profitable business to the next generation.

If you are reading this article now, you’re probably wondering how to open a grocery store and want to learn more about it. It’s a big decision, and there’s a lot to consider:

• How much space do you need?
• How much money do you need to start?
• What kind of licenses and permits do you need?
• How much will it cost to start and run a grocery store, and how much do you think you’ll make?

In all likelihood, you’ve read many articles on the subject already. In this article, we decided to skip the topics like the business structure, obtaining the legal documents you need, or preparing a business plan. Below, you will read about the exciting steps to open your grocery store. Our goal is to inspire niche selection and create the right atmosphere for your grocery store; read on.

Finding your niche and creating a terrific store

So you want to start your very own grocery store—the dream is to sell the freshest local produce, baked goods, and maybe even a few imported treats. Almost anyone can open an average grocery store, so why not try something different? Running a more exciting, customer-centric business is much better than running a run-of-the-mill, monotonous shop.

In most grocery stores, you’ll find aisles of processed foods that are over-flavored with artificial sweeteners and loaded with sodium. The truth is that most Americans don’t need to eat these foods—and they’re packed with chemicals, additives, and unhealthy fats. Several companies have sprung up to create a grocery store that offers fresh, organic, and natural foods. These stores provide jams, organic produce, other gourmet foods, and local artisan goods and meats. Try to get started on this journey yourself, or take inspiration from the list below. Select the niche in which you will specialize. Here are some ideas:

• Local suppliers’ products in rustic space
• Futuristic concept
• Kid-focused groceries
• Gluten-free foods
• Drive-thru grocery store
• Millenial-centric groceries
• Gourmet foods
• Ethnic foods and ingredients

Creating an appealing grocery store atmosphere

Retail stores need to improve their in-store customer experience to motivate customers to come back and shop more often.

Malls and supermarket chains generally strive to create an inviting and calming environment for their customers. The atmosphere of a store seems to affect consumers’ shopping decisions.

Combining multiple senses like vision, sound, and smell creates a store’s atmosphere. It creates an image that keeps customers coming back. It’s called atmospherics. Indeed, one of the most critical aspects of the retail business today is the customer experience, which is driven by the store atmosphere.

Let’s take a look at what to focus on if you want your grocery store to have a unique and inviting atmosphere. We will explore three areas: lighting, color, and music.

The power of lighting

A little mood lighting goes a long way – even the color temperature of the bulbs makes a difference.

• The warm yellow glow of an incandescent light can be comforting and inviting for customers. In addition, it gives off a nostalgic atmosphere.
• By using blue light, your customers will feel more alert and feel more relaxed. Furthermore, tighter store floor plans will appear more spacious if you use cooler lighting.
• An elegant, minimalist track lighting design sticks out much more than a chandelier covered in crystals.

Of course, you need to adapt the lighting to your target market, the concept of your store, and the layout.

Colors are your friends; use them wisely

Color choice goes beyond what first meets the eye. The psychology of color has been studied for a long time. In fact, it plays a vital role in creating an atmosphere that encourages customer loyalty and purchases. Customers can be strongly influenced by your color scheme, leading them to buy or even become hungry. Blue, for instance, increases customer return rates by 15 percent because it symbolizes trust and loyalty.

Take into account color psychology when choosing your flooring, as well as your walls, fittings, and fixtures. In contrast, brighter floors create a clean, cheerful look, while darker floors lend a masculine, rustic vibe.

The magic of grocery store background music

The impact of music on the customer experience is as significant as the décor, lighting, colors, or the products themselves. Fortunately, implementing the right music in our grocery store will be by far the least of our expenses. As you create the ambiance of your store, you need to know who your target customers are, especially when it comes to grocery store music. If your store caters to younger shoppers, you incorporate music that is energetic and upbeat, while professionals and middle-aged customers need music that encourages positive emotions.

Practical advice: don’t rely on YouTube or Spotify to play background music for your grocery store, as they don’t help you get the music to match your business, and they have a license that makes them unusable in a business environment, except at home or in the car on the road. And the fines can be pretty high.

Please check out this guide, Can you use Spotify, Apple & Others?

The easiest way is subscribing to Jukeboxy’s business music streaming service for $29.99 a month. You will get over 45 million commercially licensed tracks, more than 300 curated playlists, and dedicated support. And you don’t have to worry about the fines for not using commercially licensed background music at your grocery store. The music with Jukeboxy comes with a license that you can use in your business.

The post How to Open a Unique Grocery Store? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Waiting rooms are a crucial part of your healthcare experience. They are the first place where a patient will see a healthcare professional, providing a critical first impression. In fact, in this experience, a patient’s first impression of a waiting room can be so powerful that it can significantly impact how the patient ultimately feels about the treatment.

Does your waiting room enhance the mood and comfort of your patients? Read on, as experts share their tips on how to design the right atmosphere in your waiting room.

Medical treatment is not one of our most enjoyable activities; therefore, the most important goal when designing a waiting room should be providing the patients with a pleasant atmosphere.  We need to create an environment that soothes them, which eventually helps them relax during the treatment.

What colors to use and how?

Colors that inspire calm and tranquility are best for medical offices. Choosing blues and its shades for medical waiting rooms makes sense. Dark blue tones convey a sense of seriousness, while light blues convey a sense of serenity. When using blues, add warmer colors to avoid creating a cold environment. If you wish to keep the white walls, choose furniture pieces that are brightly colored. An inspired choice might be a modular seating system made from turquoise and blue elements.

Consider hanging a few paintings on your walls. Artwork with dominant colors such as blue, green, and yellow will introduce life into your waiting room. Your wall art is the perfect way to tie together an ideal waiting room’s aesthetic. Make your room visually interesting and pleasing by finding wall art that matches your color scheme.

Furniture choices make a difference

The majority of waiting rooms in medical practices are the same. Chairs arranged in rows, tables piled high with old magazines, a TV tuned to the national news. Patients often feel uncomfortable and less relaxed when they are sitting next to someone they don’t know and who is as anxious as they are.

Consider arranging waiting room chairs around a coffee table for families, creating a quiet area for professionals, and creating a child-friendly corner to keep children entertained. Having modular furniture gives you further control.

Your furniture should reflect your healthcare practice’s style, material, and color. For example, practices that want to be known for their cutting-edge services and equipment might choose furniture with clean lines. On the other hand, Holistic health offices may use neutral colors and natural materials.

Whether you’re furnishing a waiting room from scratch or revamping an existing one, invest in furniture that your patients will find comfortable. It’s important to select durable pieces which would withstand some wear and tear. Spend time researching your options instead of choosing the first option you see.

The role of lights is not negligible

Your patients can become uncomfortable and anxious if your lighting is too bright. You can have dimmable or adjustable lights installed or choose standing or table lamps that are softer. The brightness should be closer to your living room at home rather than an operating room.

Liven up the place

You want your waiting room to be a lively and welcoming place. Adding some natural decor would be a good idea for a calming atmosphere. A few potted plants can naturally aerate a room and make it feel less stuffy. Potted plants are also attractive. Moreover, multiple studies have discovered that plants can have a calming effect. Select plants that give off a pleasant, relaxing scent like lavender, as well as a few colorful species.

You can also consider installing a fish tank in your waiting room. According to a study, the sound of running water and fish watching calms the nerves. These subtle choices help patients relax ahead of otherwise nerve-racking treatments. All these elements, a soothing color scheme, wall art, plants, and a fish tank, will add a special touch to your waiting room, and the patient will be pleased to be back.

Get to know your community

Doctor offices are local businesses, and people like to be connected to their community.

You can show your ties to the community by hanging a community bulletin board with fliers about local hikes, farmers’ markets, and other healthy activities. Partnering with local artists to display their artwork for sale is another great idea to connect your community.

Pay attention to the music

Once you’ve set up the interior of the waiting room, there’s one more important element you need to take care of, and that’s the background music. The background music in your waiting room significantly impacts the comfort, convenience, and atmosphere of those waiting there.

Extra: How Does Music Affect Business? 

Music in waiting rooms has several benefits:

• Smooth the conversations between patients and staff
• Music creates a more intimate atmosphere
• It makes everyone feel more relaxed
• Music waves stimulate the brain, which has multiple health benefits
• Music reduces anxiety
• Study shows that certain sounds can promote positive emotions in therapies

Adding music to waiting rooms is essential for improving the customer experience. By stimulating positivity, background music at healthcare helps reduce the patients’ stress levels. It also makes them feel good during the wait. Overall, music allows customers to enjoy their waiting experience. A memorable experience might make a difference in retaining return customers and referrals.

Before you start implementing music in your healthcare waiting room, make sure you read this article:

Here’s why not to use YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music: Background Music for Business: Can I use Spotify, Apple & Others?

(briefly: you could pay heavy fines because these are non-business licensed music streaming services)

So what is the solution? Jukeboxy. For $29.99 a month, you will have access to a music library of over 40 million tracks, curated playlists for healthcare, and many other valuable features. You can find more about Jukeboxy features here:

Jukeboxy Features with a 14-day free trial

Your waiting room may not determine whether patients choose your practice or not, but it will affect their memory of their visit. Creating a healthy, productive, and beautiful waiting room is essential for making patients loyal customers.

The post How to Design the Perfect Atmosphere for Your Healthcare Waiting Room? appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

You Don’t Need to Settle with The Ordinary Christmas Music.

How do you keep your customers engaged in the holiday season? It makes a difference whether you’re talking about a retail shop, a restaurant, or a hairdresser because the Christmas music season will be different for each of them. If you’re in retail, you probably want to keep them coming in and purchase more. Due to the nature of the business, a retail store wants to start the festive season and Christmas music much earlier than other businesses. They begin the Holiday season in November, the day after Thanksgiving, because they sell something different than a barbershop, pet store, hotel, or grocery shop.

You can notice how retail brands are increasingly embracing the prospect of music as a tool to help their customers connect with their brands. It’s no surprise that major retailers, such as Costco, Zara, and Target, actively use music streaming in their stores. That is because music is a crucial part of the retail experience, and retailers need to create an atmosphere that customers love. It’s appropriate for retailers to play Christmas music earlier than other businesses and, in some cases, through New Year’s Day. There’s a science behind the obvious. Why do we say this? Read on to find out.

Importance of Christmas Music for retail shops

Music affects our thoughts, feelings, and actions, as well as our shopping behaviors. Positive emotions color our perceptions of our surroundings when we hear the music we enjoy. As a result, we judge merchandise favorably. Consequently, the happier we feel, the more likely we will stay in a store, look around, and find something we like, even if the item is not on our shopping list. Thus, an appropriate background music selection will increase sales and customer satisfaction.

The question, of course, is always what music to play in the background, especially when it’s Christmas. That’s what we’re going to reflect on below.

Resource: How Does Music Affect Business

Why playing the same old traditional Christmas music is not good anymore?

Christmas is the season of joy; baking cookies, wrapping presents, decorating trees, shopping for gifts, and family gatherings make the holidays one of the most memorable times of the year.

However, the music that accompanies all of this holiday spirit can get a little cheesy, and it gets even cheesier when played in the background at retail shops.

If you play a favorite song on repeat too frequently, it will eventually become a hated song. Scientists have discovered that a musical piece’s unexpected transition surprises the brain; therefore, that piece becomes a favorite song for many and becomes a classical hit. However, if the music lacks surprises, it loses its likability. During the holidays, hearing the same Christmas songs from the same artists over and over can lead to this all too quickly.

People enjoy listening to music for its own sake because it can be a ‘flow’ experience. Their attention is fully absorbed, distracting them from everyday concerns. The activity, though, should use a person’s skills in a way that is satisfying enough to make them feel ‘in the flow.’ The flow that comes from immersion in the music will soon disappear if the music is not sufficiently stimulating for the listener, leading to the music falling out of favor. Because of this, it’s essential not to repeat holiday music too much as this will diminish the holiday shopping experience.

Many retailers play traditional Holiday music, and it bores the consumer when they hear the same Christmas music everywhere. It doesn’t help your business at all, and your customers won’t be very enthusiastic if they’re listening to the sixth Jingle Bells or We Wish You a Merry Christmas that day. So what should you do? Forget playing traditional Christmas songs and fill your shop’s playlist with more modern, fresh Holiday soundtracks instead. They can be Christmas-themed, but don’t have them on the radio every hour. Additionally, many winter-themed songs are available; they are joyful, fun, and fresh to the ears.

Country, pop, jazz, you name it, believe us, many people will appreciate that you don’t play the same background music in your retail store that they hear everywhere else. Alternatively, you can mix regular playlists and holiday music in your retail store.

How can Jukeboxy help your business during the Christmas season?

With a discounted subscription to a business music streaming service like Jukeboxy Music for Business, for just $29.99 a month, your retail store can be the star of the Christmas shopping season for background music. We provide commercial licenses for your streaming soundtracks, so you don’t have to worry about being fined for tens of thousands of dollars for playing your private playlist on YouTube or Apple Music (we’ve seen it happen, unfortunately).

Extensive music library

With more than 45 million tracks, Jukeboxy has a vast music library. To make things even easier, we’ve also provided you with over 350 expertly curated playlists, including many Christmas ones. From Traditional to Jazz, Non-denominational to Christian Christmas, you can find the perfect Holiday background music at Jukeboxy. In just a few minutes, you can set up the fitting soundtrack for your business during the Holiday season and after.

Jukeboxy Music is available on Apple iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Tablets, PC and Mac computers, and Sonos speakers. You can also play it on Alexa-enabled devices. With multiple platforms available, you can select the best option for your budget and business. If you prefer wired and dedicated hardware for music streaming, our Jukeboxy Player Box is the perfect solution for your business.

Mix different types of Christmas music in the scheduling tool

Using the online and centralized dashboard of Jukeboxy, you can schedule a week of auto-play by day-part and from anywhere. It’s possible to mix an unlimited number of playlists in one day-part slot to create non-repetitive and fresh soundtracks for your business.

Exceptional service

Jukeboxy’s outstanding customer service makes it a popular choice for businesses. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, you have direct access to your account representative for easy and fast communication. Our customer service team is on hand to help our customers via phone, live chat, or email 7 days a week, including the Holidays.

Takeaway

In the retail industry, Christmas is the most important time of the year. No retail business can afford to be left behind in innovation. This also applies to the appropriate use of background music to encourage shopping, which has received increasing attention in recent years. Jukeboxy can help you beat the competition in this space as well.

The post Christmas Music for Businesses appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Christmas is around the corner, and there is that one song that is stuck in our heads already; “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way..”

It is no surprise that businesses use music to entertain customers not only during the Holiday season but the entire year. As discussed in our previous articles, brand-fitting background music for business helps with brand recognition and increased sales. It is no different during the holiday season. The music reflects the season’s joy in retail shops, restaurants, and bars, making people happier while they shop or dine. The happier the customers, the more money they spend. Since everyone is probably wondering what Christmas music has to do with revenue, first, here are some facts about streaming music for business.

Why do retailers use background music in business establishments?

It’s about the money. But let’s go into more detail. 

We all know that music sets the mood, whether we’re driving in the car or at home listening to a playlist while cooking. On the other hand, ambient music is so common in retail shops or shopping malls that we rarely notice it. But the fact that shoppers aren’t paying too much attention to music doesn’t mean retailers don’t use it as a way to increase sales.

Researchers have conducted many studies at grocery stores over the years to understand how shoppers react to different volumes, tempos, and modes of background music. However, several of these researchers pointed out that not all strategies are applicable everywhere. Some methods work in one store but not in another.

Music plays a fundamental role in influencing shoppers’ mood and sense of atmosphere in a shop. The most significant effect of ambient music on shoppers has to do with its pace or tempo. Fast-paced music encourages shoppers to browse the store faster. By doing so, they are less likely to make impulsive purchases or notice all the items available on the shelves. The opposite effect of slow-tempo music is that it slows down shoppers and makes them spend more while shopping. Consequently, the supermarket earns a significant increase in daily profits just by playing slower background music within the store.

According to the studies, the musical genre playing in the store affected the sales; however, the exact cause of the behavior is not known. Contrary to the music’s tempo and mode, which influenced sales volume, the music’s genre influenced the quality than the quantity. Rather than buying more of less expensive products, the customers spent more money on expensive items when Classical music was playing. It all sounds very scientific, but it’s true. And now back to Christmas music.

The scent only works with music – striking research suggests.

One study examined a multitude of scenarios in a mock-up shop. In one shop, they played Christmas music; on another, they diffused Christmas scent. On the third one, they combined the Holiday music and the scent. Shoppers’ behavior was negatively affected by the smell alone, according to researchers. Researchers created a more coherent experience by combining the scent and the Holiday music. On the latter one, shoppers’ reaction was more positive. Based on these results, it seems that music can reinforce a message and emphasize the influence of the overall shopping experience on customer behavior.

As you can see, the intended use of background music in retail stores is a scientifically proven fact. On the other hand, Christmas music is still not purposefully used in many shops. As a result, it affects the sales negatively at those businesses.

The Employees and the Holiday Music 

When it comes to Christmas background music, we should not only think about our customers. During the Holiday season, employees usually work overtime and listen to the same music for long hours and days. It may not seem like a problem, but it is! And sadly, few store owners realize the negative effect of it on their employees. 

Psychologists contend that retail workers suffer the most because they listen to the same music all day long. Christmas music may remind people who work in the retail of a hectic shopping time of year, and hearing the same set of songs over and over again can be stressful and demotivating. According to a study, the lack of variety in Christmas music is also frustrating for the employees. Unfortunately, stores usually play only a handful of popular Holiday songs, and hearing the same songs over a six to eight-week period is challenging and overwhelming for many. 

A standard CD with 16 tracks on a loop will create repetition; as a result, both your customers and staff members will complain. Since your employees are too busy to change the music, the same songs will play in a loop for weeks. Sadly, many stores still use CDs or a single Spotify playlist during this time. It is also not legal to play a CD or any personal use music service at your business. The US Copyright Law requires all companies to obtain a license to play background music in a business establishment.

However, the alternative is commercially licensed to play in your business. It will offer more diverse music, ensuring that both your customers and staff are satisfied with the Christmas music at your business. 

Bonus: A Guide to Playing Music in Your Business: From Beginner to Pro. 

How to avoid overwhelming your employees?

We suggest combining non- Christmas music with Holiday music during this season. Additionally, it would be a good idea to mix different Christmas music genres rather than the “usual” Christmas music you hear everywhere. By doing so, you can create a unique Christmas soundtrack for business. However, before mixing different genres, please consider your target audience. It may not be wise to stream Jazz Christmas music at a store where Country music lovers frequent. 

Bonus Read: Christmas Music for Business

With Jukeboxy, retailers can mix multiple playlists in a day-part box and create an eclectic and fun Holiday music experience. Using Jukeboxy’s online dashboard, you can configure a weekly auto-play schedule by day-part from your computer’s web browser from the comfort of your home. With over 350 playlists and 20+ Christmas music playlists in different genres and tempos, your business can play music for long periods without being repetitive and outdated.

The Bottom Line

Music is no longer a background element; it is now an integral part of a retailer’s identity which meant to attract the type of customer the store wants. The music not only sets the mood but also conjures up your emotions. The impact of background music on consumer behavior has economic potential for businesses.

Businesses should not play music only to retain customers, but they should also think about their employees’ well-being and motivation. As we always say, “happy employees, happy customers.”

Be unique with your Holiday music selection this year. After all, we all hear the same Christmas music at every store we visit. When you combine multiple playlists and create the ultimate Holiday soundtrack for your business, your customers will recognize the difference and have a better experience at your store. Both your customers and staff will be grateful.

Try Jukeboxy and provide background music for your customers and staff this holiday season that will make them happy to come into your store. 

The post How to Use Christmas Music in a Retail Store? Avoid Overwhelming Your Employees appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Background music at restaurants is not a new concept. For many years, small or large, restaurants have been using background music to provide an enjoyable dining experience to their customers. And the practice has become a staple within popular restaurants. Some restaurants stream various music playlists, whereas some tend to have limited offerings. However, many of them fail to do it correctly. Playing a varied music playlist doesn’t mean that it is done right. This article will help you fine-tune the music for your restaurant and explain how you can increase sales with the right music that matches your restaurant’s theme. 

Why you should play music in your restaurant – benefits

The concept of your restaurant is what gives your restaurant its identity and uniqueness. For that reason, the restaurant background music should complement that concept. The music can be just as important as your staff, the decor, the atmosphere, or the food.

Researchers analyzed nearly two million transactions from 16 restaurants of known chain restaurants in 2016. The results indicate that restaurants with a carefully selected mix of music representing their culture can increase revenue by more than 9 percent. Another recent research shows that the right music can boost food and drink sales up to 40%. As you can see, the importance of music in restaurants is rising quickly and substantially.  

In a separate survey, more than 2000 restaurant guests rated the impact on their experience of brand-specific music versus random after visiting a restaurant. According to the results, guests’ satisfaction and well-being increased when they listened to brand-fit music compared to random popular music. Furthermore, getting your brand’s music wrong or inappropriate can reduce overall sales by 4%, according to the industry blog FastCasual.com. Isn’t it incredible how much impact the music has on consumption? When choosing the background music for a restaurant, owners and general managers should not ignore these numbers.

How to increase sales

When you walk into a restaurant, you’re not just there to eat. You’re there for the ambiance, the atmosphere, the music, and the food. The branding and marketing strategies that high-end restaurants use affect how we consume food and make us repeatedly go back to their restaurants and restaurant background music. Let’s discuss these techniques, which will help you retain customers and increase sales. 

Bonus Read: Does Music Increase Business Sales? 

Music and Sense of Taste

Did you know that music can affect our sense of taste? Research suggests that sound has a significant impact on how we perceive flavors. For example, high-pitch sounds are associated with sweetness, whereas low-pitch sounds bring out a bitter taste. 

Famous and high-end restaurants use this knowledge and create a playlist schedule that will impact food consumption – to their advantage. 

Soft and melodic tunes have a calming effect on people, and when this type of genre is playing, people seem to be more relaxed and enjoy the food for longer and better. On the other hand, when loud and energetic music plays, it rushes people to eat quickly and with less taste. 

To retain and bring more customers, you need to choose the music that complements both the atmosphere and the food.

Keep an eye on the volume

Always make sure to pay attention to the volume, no matter what kind of music your restaurant plays. In most restaurants, the noise level should not exceed 70 decibels (including ambient sound), while more vibrant bars can play the music that’s between 75 and 80 decibels comfortably. You want to choose a decibel level that is pleasant for your customers and employees. You can turn up the music in your restaurant if it serves late-night food or drinks (especially if it has a dance floor). Paying attention to how your guests interact with the music will help you to adjust the volume level when needed. 

You should keep the background music in the background if you’re primarily a sit-down dinner type of restaurant. As mentioned above, studies have shown that guests cannot perceive sweetness and saltiness when the music is too loud and can have a negative impact on their experience.

Speed and tempo 

The first question you should answer is, “Do I want to improve the table turnover rate, or do I want people to stay longer and spend more on high-priced items?” 

If you prefer more people in and out quickly, you need to play faced-paced music at a louder volume, which is a proven table turnover trick. Studies show that people eat faster, drink more, and leave sooner. On the other hand, when classical music or soft instrumental music is played, dinners tend to order more on high-priced food and beverages, like a vintage bottle of wine. However, they also stay longer. 

Determining what you want to achieve will help you reach your goal faster with the right speed and tempo music. Additionally, you may choose to use both techniques to achieve different purposes throughout the day.

The music should fit the time of the day

To summarise the previous two points, restaurants should use a slower tempo and lower volume background music to achieve higher sales through high-priced items. To maximize sales by improving the table turnover rate, slightly louder and faster tempo music is suggested. 

Another critical aspect of the restaurant background music is matching the music with the time of the day. Playing energetic and high-tempo music during early hours for breakfast time may displease your customers. 

For lunch rush and early afternoon, slightly energetic, fun, and light tunes in the restaurant background will most certainly please the crowd. Lunch hours, especially during the weekdays, are for business meetings or to catch up with friends. People need to have comfortable conversations during these times. 

Play vibrant, instrumental music or indie selections that complement a fun, hip atmosphere during weekday evenings between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. 

After work, your restaurant will be more popular since people can come for a drink and take a break. At dinnertime, you can try to change the music to match the ambiance you want to achieve. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and think about what you want to convey. Classic rock and jazz playlists are often the right choices. Playing upbeat music at your late-night restaurant will keep your customers entertained and encourage them to stay and spend more.

Avoid leaving it to your team

Restaurants are known to be busy at most times. Taking care of your customers and preparing high-quality food does not leave you or your team much time to create playlists. 

Premade playlists are easy to use. You can even schedule the music ahead of time for the week and for different times of the day. It will allow your staff to focus on their jobs without worrying about what to play next and provide your customers with an excellent service. 

Choose the best business music streaming provider

When you subscribe to Spotify or Pandora, you may think that you can use these services to stream music over the loudspeakers in your restaurant, aren’t you? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. All businesses, including restaurants, are required to stream music that is licensed for business use. Spotify, Pandora, or any other personal use music service will not cover your music licenses for commercial use. 

Streaming copyrighted music in your restaurant without paying the necessary licensing fees could lead to severe fines and penalties.

SESAC, BMI, ASCAP, and GMR are the four Publishers Rights Organizations (PROs) in the United States. Each represents different artists and musical works, and you have to pay a fee to gain access to their music. Depending on the size of your venue and how frequently you play music, your licensing fee will differ and can be costly.

What is the simplest solution that is legal and doesn’t cost thousands of dollars in license fees? Jukeboxy.com!

• $24.99 / month
• 45+ million songs
• music licenses for business use included
• hundreds of curated playlists
• perfect for your restaurant
• try it today

The post Restaurant Music: How to Increase Sales Using the Right Background Music appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Several people reported increased symptoms of stress and anxiety last year as a result of the unprecedented conditions. Two out of three adults report experiencing an increase in stress as a result of the pandemic. Their increased sensitivity to their physical and mental health has made them more aware than ever. People have started visiting spas more often in the post-vaccination world, giving spa enterprises worldwide significant growth. Thus, if you want to launch a wellness business this year, now is the time! We’re here to assist you.

Let’s look at the adventurous path you need to take to run a successful day spa.

Do Some Market Research

The first thing you have to do when opening a day spa is thorough market research. Engaging on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can be an excellent way to start your research. You can learn what’s trending, what people are looking for, and what already established spas have to offer. 

Even better, you can visit your local competition, explore their setup, book an appointment with them, and get to know how they operate. There is nothing simpler than this.

Your business can be more distinguishable from your competitors when you choose your service offerings carefully. Maybe you would prefer to offer a more limited range of services instead of providing everything. Alternatively, you may decide to offer services not yet available at other spas, like a trending spa treatment that is making headlines in European countries.

Find the ideal location

Do you want to learn the secret of a successful spa? 

Location, location, and location! An excellent rental space is essential to your business, and you need to research before you settle on one. Find an area that will match your target audience. Also, it is crucial to find a place that will cater to all the services you are offering. Having one room for both waxing and massage will not work well as a first impression and will stop returning customers. 

Your target market will also help in finding the right location. If you plan to open a high-end spa, you need to consider a place close to upscale neighborhoods. On the other hand, if your spa will be approachable to many, choosing a location with a parking lot or accessible by commute will be ideal. Once you decide on the target market, finding the place will be easier.

Calculate the startup costs

Depending on what type of spa you wish to open and how large the space is, the cost of opening will vary. But it’s unlikely to start a day spa with less than $100,000. If you do, you will need to be very creative and resourceful. For example, you can rent your equipment rather than buy, gradually expanding your services to make the initial setup as less expensive as possible.

All businesses have to obtain a business license, but when it comes to the spa business, there will be additional licenses and certifications that you need to acquire. Depending on the State, the fees for these licenses will vary.

The cost of the equipment and furniture will depend on the type of services you offer and the size of the space. For example, if you are offering medical-grade treatments, the cost of the equipment will be higher. In addition to the equipment and furniture, the startup costs include, but are not limited to:

• Construction – architect, interior designer, and cost of labor
• Subscriptions – appointment software, magazine subscriptions for waiting areas, tv and music subscriptions. 
• Professional fees – accountant, website designer, social media content creators, marketing professionals, etc. 

It’s important to leave extra room for error by adding 10-20% to the estimated startup costs.

Hire your staff

Your employees must possess a high level of expertise and professionalism to succeed in your day spa business. Consumers can be harsh when it comes to criticism. Based on their previous experiences at other spas, they may expect a high-quality service, and you must be ready to meet these expectations. Provide your customers with services that are delivered professionally and efficiently by experienced technicians.

You should start with at least two highly qualified, senior-level technicians. You can then hire talented recent cosmetology graduates who can help with basic services and whom you can train well for more success in the future. You can contact your local cosmetology schools and schedule interviews with their best students.

Obtain spa equipment for your spa treatment rooms and lobby

Contact a supplier to rent or purchase spa equipment like massage tables, portable sauna rooms, facial steamers, etc. You should contact multiple distributors to compare the prices and quality of the products. 

If renting, it is crucial to know the lifecycle of that specific equipment. If you rent equipment nearing its lifespan, you may end up with a broken piece. In that case, you may need to pause the services until you receive a new one, which will be costlier than purchasing a brand new one. 

If you have friends or family in the industry, don’t be shy to ask for help or advice. They may know a reputable supplier, or better, they may have extra pieces to offer you. It’s worth giving it a try as it can save you a lot of money.

Create the perfect spa environment

Returning customers are the best kind of customers. You need to offer your clients a memorable experience every time they come to your spa establishment to achieve return customers. Successful spas are always maintained open communication with their customers. Asking for feedback on what’s good and how to improve the experience always impacts consumers positively. 

As a day spa owner, your goal is to provide a holistic experience based on your customer’s needs and provide the perfect environment to relax and enjoy themselves.

A few tips to ensure your customers have a great spa experience:

• Keep your equipment in top condition to guarantee a luxurious experience
• Use mood-soothing colors in your spa design
• Provide high-quality products and supplies
• Put relaxing scents in the treatment rooms
• Have sound-proofed rooms to deliver the best experience
• Provide extra amenities like locker rooms, smoothie bar, and gift shops
• Set the lighting and music right to create a calming atmosphere

Background music for your day spa

Music is the perfect supplement to relaxation and well-being. When implemented correctly, the music will help your customers to enter into the zen zone and de-stress. Finding and managing the music can be a headache, however. One of its most challenging aspects is choosing the specific soundtrack for spas and playing it in compliance with the legal regulations. 

Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) collect royalties on behalf of copyright holders from the parties who wish to use copyrighted works publicly in locations such as shopping venues, restaurants, and spas. For that reason, using a personal use music streaming service like Apple Music, Spotify or Pandora is not an option. Ignoring the Copyright Law can incur some severe penalties. 

Information: Background Music for Business: Can I use Spotify, Apple & Others? Click here.

What’s the solution, you may ask. Choose a commercially licensed music streaming service provider that takes care of these licenses on behalf of your business at a low monthly subscription fee. 

Jukeboxy, for example, costs just $24.99 a month, with over 45 million licensed tracks and hundreds of curated soundtracks for business use. Jukeboxy’s spa-specific playlists are expertly curated to create the relaxing atmosphere your clients are looking for.

And, one last step: Host a grand opening party

A few months before your grand opening party, make sure you already have a social media presence. You should post about your upcoming grand opening, start an ad campaign and offer complementary treatments to first visitors. 

Offering a spa tour, complimentary mini-treatments, and gift bags with sample products will help your future customers better understand your services. Do not forget to include a spa menu in the gift bags. 

It will help if you offer discounts when your guests book their next appointment during your opening party. 

Remember, your opening party is to excite your future clients and offer them an excellent first impression. For that reason, spending some extra money on your opening party may have a fantastic outcome. 

Conclusion

Those who visit day spas have a particular goal: to relax. To provide the best relaxing atmosphere, it is crucial to pay attention to the following:

• Hiring the right technicians and staff members
• Renting or purchasing the best possible spa equipment
• Keeping the spa clean and tidy
• Fitting interior design that reflects the spa’s mood
• Implementing the perfect spa background music

When done correctly, you will have a thriving spa business. 

The post How to Open Your Own Day Spa In 7 Steps appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

If you are an animal lover with an entrepreneurial spirit, opening a pet store may be the right thing for you. An animal store offers a lot of fun and personal fulfillment along with the financial rewards of dealing with furry, finned, and feathered creatures.

According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spend more than $75 billion a year on pets. So, there is a considerable market to profit from, especially if you love animals.

The most valuable customers are those who look after their pets as they are family members. Your perfect target customer will handle their pet carefully, have a well-trained pet, understand what they’re seeking, and be open to suggestions. Regular customers are essential to the success of a pet store as a local business.

The following 6-step guide will help you find out what to look out for if you want to open your own pet store.

Establishing a business plan

Identify your purpose, goals, and outline your steps to accomplish your goals in a business plan. A good business plan involves research of the market to determine your target audience and profit expectations. Be sure to mention your potential sources for pets and pet supplies, as well as the prices you expect to charge for high-priced items. When applying for a business loan, you should print out your business plan to present to your lender. The Small Business Administration helps all types of small businesses. If you have any questions, you can contact them for advice and assistance. 

Many pet stores offer animal training, grooming, and boarding services. A diversified service portfolio will increase your chances of success. In addition to other services and products you provide, you may find it helpful to specialize in one area to attract more clients. For instance, selling organic food would be a good idea, especially in this decade where consumers have become more health-conscious. This type of consumer wants their pets to have a healthy and long life. Targeting organic food enthusiasts will differentiate your store from others and may bring more customers.

Creating a brand

Starting a business requires establishing a unique brand identity. Choosing a catchy business name should be the first rule. You can have a lot of fun coming up with ideas for your pet store’s name as it is a unique business type. The store’s name should be inviting, friendly, and creative, like “Pet’s Paradise” or “Paws & Claws.” If you search for “cute pet store names” on the internet, you will find many creative and fun ones for the store. You can then eliminate those that are not a good fit or modify them to find the best fitting pet store name for your business.

You can get the name idea here.

Being familiar with the legal requirements

When it comes to pet and food sales, state and local laws change constantly. Research the laws and regulations carefully and thoroughly in your State and City. Some states, for instance, require pet stores to provide customers with vet-issued certificates when selling dogs, cats, or ferrets. In most cities, pet stores require a license, which means your store must undergo health and safety inspections. Even if you may not need a pet shop license, you will still need a general business license from the state.

Be sure that the animals you choose to sell are legal in your state or country before choosing them for your pet store. Keeping certain animals as pets is illegal, including groundhogs. States, however, have different restrictions. The American Bar Association says exotic animals require permits in most jurisdictions. You may even need a license from the United States Department of Agriculture. Or, you may decide to have a franchise pet store. In that case, the umbrella corporation will likely take care of licensing and other details for you.

Choosing a location for your pet store

Picking a location that is suitable for your pet store is not a two-minute exercise. A shopping mall or neighborhood near a dog park will give you easy access to people with pets. Also, remember that if there is too much competition nearby, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

While looking for the location, you should also consider the size of the store. If you are selling pets, you will need ample space to house them, along with a meet and greet area for future pet parents.

Getting your equipment, supplies, and pets

To sell pets, you will need to ensure they are cared for, healthy and happy while waiting for their forever homes. Invest in aquariums and cages that are large enough to hold your animals. Install the housing, including the food and water areas, before obtaining your pet stock. Ensure that the animals you acquire are healthy and have all the necessary paperwork by purchasing them from a reputable distributor or breeder. It’s crucial to research the breeders before making any purchase arrangements. The breeders must be breeder verified and have the necessary licenses. Choosing the less expensive breeder may sound good for your start-up costs but remember, purchasing from a cruel puppy mill will not do any good.

Creating the ideal atmosphere

Setting up your pet store design and layout is the first step before you can welcome customers. The space ought to be cozy and lively. When choosing a paint color, consider the colors that our furry friends see the best. According to research, dogs can see blue, yellow, and some shades of blue. Cats are believed to see blue-violet hues the best. So with this knowledge, choosing blue paint will work for both dogs and cats. To create a natural habitat for the fish, decorate the aquariums with objects that mimic the ocean life. A well-decorated aquarium will also help you cross-sell the products in it. 

It is also essential to keep the space clean, tidy, and easy to move around. The products you sell should be well-stocked and displayed for easy browsing. 

It is also a good idea to ensure the store has plenty of natural light. It will create a welcoming and natural atmosphere. And don’t forget about the background music. Yes, you heard it right! We will explain why; scroll down.

The importance of background music in a pet store

Let’s look at a surprising study that researched the relationship between music and dogs. Research has found that classical music initially calmed the dogs; however, they became bored after several days. Reggae and soft rock worked better when it came to reducing stress, barking, and heart rate. Interesting, isn’t it?

Background music, as you can see, plays a huge role in animals’ lives as well. A fitting pet store soundtrack will make your shop a more friendly and cheerful place for your pet parent customers, too. 

If you’re thinking of implementing background music for your business, forget about Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. They’re all private licensed music streaming providers, which means you could face a hefty fine if you use them in your business.

Luckily, there’s a low-cost solution for business music streaming which is Jukeboxy Music for Business. For $24.99 a month, the subscription to Jukeboxy gives you over 45 million tracks and hundreds of curated playlists with a business license to create the perfect background music for your pet store.

The post 6 Steps Guide to Opening a Pet Store in 2022 (Updated) appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Owning a hair salon is probably one of the safest bets for starting your own business, especially if you have been in this industry for a while. Each year, the beauty industry generates more than $500 billion. Also, the beauty industry is often unimpacted by recessions, which makes it a stable business. However, it takes patience and knowledge to launch and maintain your own business.

Owning a salon may be your dream come true; however, you should remember that it’s a small business like any other. It requires working long hours, being innovative, doing research, and sometimes even being lucky. A better understanding of the process of salon opening is the best way to reduce the variables that could lead to failure. Here is an eight-step guide that you should read if you want to open a salon. 

Find your target customers

Depending on the type of customers you expect to serve, you will have to make some business decisions. Just a hair salon isn’t enough. To start with, you may want to consider services that are more accessible by many. There might be plenty of options for high-end or trendy hair salons in the area you are planning to open your first hair salon and spa. But are there enough for those looking for basic services at a convenient location without spending half of their paychecks? Maybe you can cater to busy moms and professionals who need a quick hair fix. It really depends on the area and what you are planning to achieve. Take your time, do your research and determine your target customers.

Find the right location for your salon

Commercial retail spaces are known to be expensive, especially if they are at prime locations. On the other hand, it’s crucial to find the right neighborhood for your first hair salon. Ideally, it should be in high foot traffic and easily accessible by car or public transportation. In addition, you should ensure that your salon is far enough from competitors who offer similar services. The store’s rent might take up most of your start-up budget, but it is possible to quickly increase the sales and create a profitable business if you open your store at a prime location.

Set up a business plan

Having a business plan provides a roadmap for your hair salon business. It is also crucial to have one in hand if you plan to borrow money from financial institutions or investors. Even if you can envision the future of your business, writing it all down will help for a successful opening and future growth. 

While writing a business plan, you should understand the hair salon market in your area, including but not limited to; the industry size, growth rate, current trends. You can better envision how you’ll compete with other salons using this information. Additionally, it would help if you had a clear idea of your target audience.

In a good business plan, all aspects of the business should be covered, such as:

• Marketing: How are you going to advertise your business? Who is your target market? 
• Finance: How are you financing your hair salon? Have you created a budget for the next year? Do you have a sales forecast for the next year? 
• Personnel: How many employees will you need? How much compensation will you offer? 

Operating procedures: Do you have a day-to-day operations manual? What are your opening days and hours? Do you have a plan for buying supplies?

Choose your legal structure and register your business

You’ve likely had a name for your salon since you first dreamed of it. There might be state-specific requirements, such as requiring the business’s name to contain the word “Salon”. Take the time to choose the right name, so there are no surprises before the opening. Changing a business name later would be time-consuming and may look like the ownership has changed. The latter can confuse your frequent customers. 

Once you have the name of your salon, you must decide on the legal entity. Choosing a legal entity for your business will determine who is legally responsible for it. It will also affect how your taxes are filed. If you are not familiar with this, you should seek expert advice.

Get licenses, permits, and insurance

If you plan to open a salon, you’ll need a business license as well as any permits that your State and City may require. A seller’s permit is also needed if you plan on selling products.

Where you live, and the type of salon you’re opening determines which laws and regulations apply to you. Salons providing only hair services will require different licenses from those offering facials and massages.

Following are a few of the standard licenses and permits salons need:

• Salon license
• Cosmetology license – if offering facials 
• Sanitation
• OSHA requirements
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Insurance is often overlooked when planning; however, this might be another high-cost item in your start-up budget. A salon usually needs multiple insurances; General Liability Insurance, Commercial Property Insurance, Professional Liability Insurance, and Workers Compensation Insurance. 

Bonus: A Step-by-Step Guide to Opening a Wine Shop

Choose suppliers, distributors and purchase your equipment

You will need a distributor to obtain products for your salon, such as chairs, mirrors, conditioners, and so on. Distributors can be local, national, or wholesale with local agents.

To avoid unplanned delays and ensure that you have enough time to set up your salon, order major fixtures 8-10 weeks before your grand opening. These items are shampoo sinks, styling chairs, salon stations, and furniture for the waiting area. You’re better off being careful than sorry, even if some items may take less time to arrive. 

Hire and train your staff

The quality of your salon is directly related to the staff you hire to run it. In beauty, skill, knowledge, and friendliness are vital for success. Your check-in staff is the first person your customers will encounter, and that’s when the first impression of your salon will take place. It’s essential to hire someone who is friendly, easy-going, and professional. 

Seasoned stylist rates are higher than newbies but having at least one senior hairdresser in your salon is vital. They can help train the other stylists and will bring their long-time clients to your salon. 

Make the employees’ training and motivation a priority. The time you spend training your employees will help you maintain a professional image and make the business run more smoothly.

Set the tone of your hair salon with commercially licensed music for your business

Do you feel like everything is ready for the opening of your salon? You should not overlook another crucial point. It’s about creating a pleasant atmosphere, which you can accomplish best with background music. A study reported that 61% of hairdressers said background music significantly impacted customers to return to their salon more often.

Unfortunately, turning on YouTube or running music from your Spotify account is not an option. These are not commercially licensed services, and the fines can be very high, not worth the risk!

Public Performance Licenses (PPL) are required to play background music in your hair salon. How can you obtain this PPL license as quickly and cost-effectively as possible so you can play music in your salon? Consider using a business streaming music service such as Jukeboxy to avoid fines and keep your salon playing great music.

Jukeboxy gives you access to professionally curated soundtracks for your hair salon and an extensive music library with 45+ million songs to play commercially licensed background music for only $29.99 a month.

Whether you plan to create a calming environment or an upbeat atmosphere, you will find the fitting soundtrack for your hair salon at Jukeboxy.

Get 14-Days FREE Trial

The post 8-Step Guide to Open a Hair Salon appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

Multibillion-dollar market exist for coffee globally. The US coffee industry alone is a $14 billion market. In 2020, COVID caused a slight decline, but the trend toward coffee is increasing again. The coffee industry’s growth is underway, making it an excellent time to open a coffee shop. You may not be sure where to start; we will go over the steps to help you open your own coffee shop in this article.

Step #1: Choose a business option

Starting a coffee shop business can be achieved in three ways. If you’re wondering how to open a coffee shop, you can do one of the following:

• Open your own shop from scratch
• Buy coffee shop franchise rights
• Rent or buy an existing coffee shop

These various options all have pros and cons. As a franchise owner, you are bound by many aspects of that franchise, from the type of beans you can use to the shop’s decor. On the other hand, you might have fewer costs if you buy another coffee shop like construction. Consider both pros and cons before you decide which option would be the best to start.

Step #2: Establish a business plan for your coffee shop

A coffee shop business plan is primarily a document that describes the idea behind the business and how it will succeed. The questions it answers include how much it will cost to set up your cafe, how you will fund those costs, and how much money you expect to make. Considering your competition, target market, and pricing structure is an essential part of your coffee shop business plan.

When you finalize your business plan, you can present it to potential investors, financial institutions, and partners who might help you to open your cafe. This document is crucial, so you should take the time and effort to make sure it’s right.

Step #3: Look for commercial space

Finding the best commercial space for your cafe is important because a good location can increase your customer base. The space itself is also crucial and should be taken into the account. In addition to where the store is located, it is essential to consider both the location and the physical space to determine whether it is suitable for a coffee shop.

• Is the street busy with foot traffic?
• How many coffee shops are nearby?
• Are you able to fit in as many tables as you predicted in your business plan?
• Is the kitchen space sufficient?

To ensure all the required paperwork and regulations get filled out, we recommend hiring a lawyer when you find the perfect location.

Buy or rent?

If you have the funds, you can buy a store and forget about future rent increases. However, we are assuming that this will be your first coffee shop. In that case, starting with a rental would make more sense and less risky. Suppose the location is not what you have imagined, or you decide to expand in the future; you can find a new rental store without a mortgage liability.

Planning to open a coffee shop? Checkout our guide about Best Sound Systems for Cafe and Restaurants in 2021. 

Step #4: Apply for licenses and permits

When opening a coffee shop, there are some licenses and permits that are necessary. If you fail to obtain these licenses in a timely manner, it may delay opening your location or result in penalties from multiple agencies. Legal assistance may help you outline the steps and ensure that you do not miss anything under the local and state laws. Generally, the easiest way to get permits is to start with the required business licenses for your coffee shop in your State and then work your way down from there to the local requirements. 

Step #5: Buy and install equipment

Purchasing of new equipment

The equipment like fridges, coffee makers, coffee grounders, etc., will be the highest-priced items on your list, but you can find ways to save some money. If you can purchase directly from the manufacturer, you will eliminate the middleman and extra mark-ups. If buying from a distributor, consider the market and the prices available. Spend some time browsing, search multiple distributors, and get quotes from different ones to find the best price that will fit your budget without compromising quality.

Purchasing used equipment

Used equipment will be cheaper than the brand new one for sure; however, you need to consider the lifespan of that specific machine. For example, when buying a used espresso machine, a professional one can last anywhere from 1 to 15 years, depending on how well it was previously maintained. Ensure to check all the previous maintenance or service on the machine and the original receipt to see the date of purchase. 

If the equipment is about to reach its lifespan, spending more money and buying reliable equipment will be better in the long run.

Free (sponsored) equipment

When you sign long-term contracts with food & beverage suppliers, they may sponsor your fridges or coffee makers. It’s a win-win for both the supplier for marketing purposes and for you for saving money on the equipment. It may require some skills and luck, but don’t give up on this option if your budget is lower.

Step #6: Hire and train your employees

One of your biggest challenges will be hiring the right staff; baristas, general managers, cleaning staff, pastry chefs if you are offering food, and so on. Retaining your employees will also take a lot of work in this very competitive industry. You can reduce the turnover with competitive salaries, education benefits, holiday bonuses, and motivation. 

It’s also important to clearly explain your expectations when hiring and training the employees. You can invest in trainers from the industry who will provide constructive criticism while praising a job well done. There is no substitute for practice when it comes to interpersonal communication.

Step #7: Create an inviting atmosphere 

Customer satisfaction relates to the way you present your coffee and decorate your shop. Many people visit a coffee shop because of its “vibe,” so you should consistently convey how you want your consumers to feel. The cafe is both a relaxing place to sit quietly and study, as well as an excellent place to meet with friends over coffee. Here are some ideas:

• Set the mood by using color
• Create a condiment station for customers
• Provide books and magazines
• Make latte art

+1: What about music?

There was a reason that we saved it for last, as we believe music can play the most crucial role in creating the right atmosphere. Avoid streaming music through Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube.

Read our guide about using Spotify, Apple and others.

These services are for personal use and will not cover your business music licenses. If you ignore the Copyright Law, in other words, if you play such music in your café, you could be fined thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. You need to choose a commercially licensed background music provider if you want professional background music and compliance with the law.

Such providers are not expensive at all, so you don’t have to worry about spending a significant part of your budget on music. Try Jukeboxy, where you can get tens of millions of songs and curated soundtracks for as little as $24.99 a month. Create an unforgettable atmosphere in your coffee shop and play the music that will keep your customers coming back for more.

The post Guide to Open Your Own Coffee Shop in 7+1 steps appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.

“Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.” — Alexander Fleming, the Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin, said.

Wine is the second preferred drink of US adult consumers at around 30%, followed by hard liquor. Many say drinking wine helps them unwind after a stressful day; it is also the number one choice of host gifting. And remember, drinking wine engages our five senses, from hearing to sight. 

Owning a wine shop is a great way to combine your passion and knowledge for a successful business while earning a living at the same time. Who could ask for a better job than discovering new wines, traveling to vineyards, talking to customers, and recommending favorite bottles? Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. Having an interest in wine does not ensure success in selling it.

If you plan to open a wine shop, you should consider each step for a successful business. The process may be scary and challenging, but it is worth it if you’re willing to work through it. You may have some knowledge about opening a wine shop already, but there are many aspects that you need to put together. In this article, you will learn about the various steps of opening your wine shop.

Our recommendation: trust yourself and don’t listen to all the naysayers. You can do it if you are thorough and if you take your time in planning.

Make a business plan

Entrepreneurship success depends on a clear plan. You will be able to uncover some unanswered questions and map out your business’s specifics. Refrain from reinventing the wheel. Learn how things work by asking an expert. Below are a few things to keep in mind:

• opening costs and ongoing expenditures: rental fees, salaries, equipment, etc.
• determine your specific target audience
• pricing, profit expectation
• business name, registration, permits, and licenses
• commercial space: location, size, accessibility

Legal tasks

This part is the least fun, but it is the most important one. It is probably also the one that will take more of your time than any other steps. There are legal requirements and permits to start any business. However, you will need additional licenses like a liquor store license for a wine store. For that reason, allow extra time for this task and make sure to do the following: 

• Choose a business structure
• Register your business
• Get federal and state tax Ids 
• Open a business bank account 
• Get necessary permits and licenses
• Acquire business insurance
• Apply for a license issued by your State’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Bureau of Licensing
• Subscribe to a commercially licensed background music provider

Pick your location for your wine store

No matter how impressive your wine shop idea might be, you may fail if it doesn’t have a fantastic location with lots of foot traffic. When searching for a store, consider the neighborhood, the easiness of parking, the foot traffic, and most importantly, the competition. If there are more wine shops within two miles of your store, you may have no choice but to compete on price and the target market. It is all about the location! The following points can help you in your decision:

• Consider a location with many residential buildings around
• See if there are any stores in your budget in a city center where there is lots of foot traffic
• Size – make sure you have enough space for storing a variety of wines both on the shelves and in storage
• Mood – you should choose your shop’s layout to align with your concept and your brand’s identity

Increase sales with add-on merchandise

Most successful wine shops offer more than just wines. They increase sales with complimenting merchandise like wine openers, wine magazines, snacks, and other alcoholic beverages. You can also increase the revenue when you find ways to make better use of the physical space you have such as wine tasting events, live music to attract more customers, a corner for wine-related products, and so on. Talk to your customers and get feedback; they will be happy to tell you about their needs and what they would like to see.

Stock your wine inventory

A well-stocked wine shop is an essential aspect of the business. The start-up inventory and cost will vary depending on the size of the store, international and high-end vs. locally sourced and inexpensive wines. Depending on the location of the store, you can determine the budget and inventory variety. Create your start-up inventory by:

• Selecting wines in various price ranges for popularity and a smaller selection of exclusive wines
• Coming up with a start-up budget and sticking to the budget
• Researching different products and prices based on your shop’s needs
• Applying for 30 or 60-day payment terms with the distributors

Launch a website and create social media accounts

Websites and social media accounts are a must for every business today. Establish your wine shop’s presence on the internet by buying a domain. Inform your visitors about the location and hours of your store via your website. Give customers access to inventory details so they can find what they want. Your store should contain a page that tells the story of what the store means to you. Use Instagram and Facebook platforms to promote your business with local ads, targeting your preferred audience.

Create a welcoming atmosphere in your wine shop

Visit other stores that consumers frequent and observe these shops to understand why they work. Visit less popular wine stores to see what they are doing wrong and avoid repeating their mistakes. Take notes and write down ideas constantly. Take your time to go through your notes and implement all the best things you have observed and learned. 

Once all the equipment, design, and stock are ready, it is essential for a thriving wine store to implement one more aspect. And it is the background music. It will not only set the mood in your wine shop, but it will also unknowingly direct your customers to purchase specific wines. Research suggests that when French music was playing, French wines were the first ones to sell out that day. 

Can you afford to miss out on the ambiance that music can create? The answer is no. It is proven that background music in business – any type of business – can boost sales. You want to set the tone of your brand with a fitting soundtrack for your business and target market. For example, suppose you are selling high-end wines, international music or classical music will create a high-end atmosphere and help increase the sales.

Background music for your wine shop

As for the background music, it must comply with the legal requirements and Copyright Laws. You cannot use personal use licensed music streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, or Pandora Music. You must choose a music streaming service with a business use license.

Bonus Read: We have a guide about “Can you use Spotify, Apple Music and others for commercial background music?”

That’s where business music streaming services like Jukeboxy come into play. You can get licensed background music from major labels and indie labels as well as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR with a subscription to Jukeboxy Music for Business. With Jukeboxy, your wine store will be 100% compliant with Copyright Law for streaming background music and all for only $24.99 per month.

What is a BMI licensing for businesses, and why do businesses need to comply with Copyright Law? Read more…

And an interesting fact to conclude our article; research shows that background music affects the taste of wine:

• When there is powerful and heavy background music playing, the perception of wine is enhanced as rich and powerful.
• Those who listened to refined background music were more likely to perceive the wine as subtle and pure.
• Background music that is zingy and refreshing can enhance the perception of wine as more poignant and freshening than when there is no background music.
• When mellow and soft music is played, it affects how the wine is perceived, unlike no music played. 

When organizing a wine tasting event in your wine shop, paying attention to the background music is a good idea. With Jukeboxy, you can change the music instantly from your mobile phone or online dashboard to match the day’s events and your clientele. With over 45 million song library and 350+ expertly curated playlists, it’s a guaranteed success! 

Get FREE 14 Days Trial, Sign up now

The post A Step-by-Step Guide to Opening a Wine Shop appeared first on Jukeboxy Blog.