Author: Stu

Bad for Business? Looking to save costs, many publicans choose to just plug in their iPods (or other generic MP3 music players) and use these as a source of background music. Here is why this can be a bad business decision. REASON #1 – Volume Levels MP3s sourced from a variety of different albums and download sites will have varying volume levels and dynamic characteristics. This could be noticeable to your customers, with loud tracks interrupting conversation and prompting them to head elsewhere. REASON #2 – Poor sound quality Depending on the bit-rate the MP3 file is encoded, the...

Many bars and venues see consumer music services (such as Spotify) as a cheap and easy method of obtaining background music. However, there are a number of reasons why this is a bad business decision. REASON #1 – Legality Spotify is not licenced for commercial use in the UK. This means you cannot legally use Spotify in a pub, bar, restaurant for background music. (See Spotify user agreement) REASON #2 – Sound Quality Less than one third of Spotify’s tracks are available at the highest bitrate quality of 320KBps. Most stream at 160KBps which can lead in a noticeable...

It’s All About The Sound Quality Sound quality is an area often overlooked by busy managers. By spending just a few minutes checking and adjusting your sound system – you will help make the music in your venue sound more clear and pleasing to staff and customers a-like. TIP #1: Check the EQ, Bass and Treble controls The bass and treble controls affect the tone of the music. Adjust the bass until drum beats sound punchy, but don’t overdo it or this will lead to distortion and can stress your speakers. Adjust the treble until hi-hats and cymbals are sharp...