Creating a consistent music program for your venue is crucial. It shouldn’t vary based upon who’s managing or who’s bartending. Playing the right music at the right time has proven to affect customer behavior, check averages and table turnover.
I’ve addressed the importance of music to your operations before, and in this follow-up article I’ll share five more ways to quickly improve, gain more control, and ultimately become more profitable with your music.
1. Create a Signature Soundtrack
Do you have a signature cocktail or entrée on your menu? Think of your music as you would your cocktail or food menus: carefully crafted selections that compliment everything in your venue. Gather your staff and a few regulars to gain insight into what you want your bar or restaurant to sound like, and stick to it.
2. What Time is It?
The music you play during the afternoon shouldn’t be the same as your evening program. Your music should evolve throughout the day and evening to cater to the audience in attendance at a particular time. Make this happen.
3. Music Management is not Free
It’s certainly not $10 per month, either. A typical streaming music service averages between $39 and $69 per month, and sometimes costs even more. You get what you pay for.
4. Unplug the Jukebox
Restaurants have menus for a reason. Along those same lines, you need a music menu. Design a playlist by daypart with your target demographic in mind. Your customers shouldn’t control your music.
5. It’s all About that Bass
Most venues simply do not have enough (or any) bass speakers in their sound system. This goes for restaurants, too. Hire a professional sound company with experience in hospitality sound applications to evaluate your needs. You’ll hear and feel the difference.
Implementing these steps will help keep guests in your venue longer and increase check averages. Start paying more attention to your music and watch your sales soar.
Click here to read my previous article on this topic.
Wyatt Magnum is President of the Magnum Music Group based in Los Angeles, CA. MMG has created soundtracks for thousands of hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs throughout the world. Magnum is a frequent guest lecturer and author on the topic of recorded entertainment programming. You can reach him on the web at www.magnummusicgroup.com.