The Touchscreen Triumphs 
For a Growing Number of Nightclub and Bar Owners, Digital Jukeboxes are Driving Dollars

They're not your grandfather’s jukeboxes. Sure, they still glow enticingly, beckon for a few selective hits to be played and patiently wait for guests to feed them money, but times have changed, and that’s where the similarities end.
    No longer do jukeboxes play in one, small area for a group of listeners nearby, no longer do the latest versions play vinyls or even CDs, and no longer are establishment owners thinking of them as novelties or another facet of a club that patrons may like but they take for granted.  
    Day or night, these digital workhorses are the cutting-edge equivalents of a speakeasy Victrola. And although times may have changed, their purpose is very much the same — to entertain listeners — and to boost profits for proprietors.
    These babies run on money that adds up — not a punch from Fonzie.

It’s Never Been Easier
    At San Francisco’s 540 Club, Owner Jamie Brown is quick to testify about his three years of positive experiences with digital jukeboxes.  Why three years? This is how long Brown has been an owner, and he says one of his first operational decisions was to implement a unit into 540. “For a long time, we were the No. 1-earning jukebox in San Francisco,” Brown says. “It’s a healthy revenue stream.” The reasons become apparent as he elaborates on the advantages of today’s systems.
    “Over the years, the content keeps getting better,” Brown says, “and because (manufacturers) are making sure that the artists are getting paid, more artists are getting involved — and this has been a major plus.”
    Because digital jukeboxes keep operators in legally safe confines, especially as more operators are being charged with infractions for playing unlicensed music for profit, Brown adds that this is a stress reducer for him, as well.
    With major digital jukebox suppliers offering as many as 150,000 song selections ready to download, too, the task of sourcing and obtaining tracks never has been easier. Brown says the weekly song availability and hot track updates and the monthly album performance reports he receives are boons for his business, too. “Essentially, I can tailor each month of play based on what the latest happenings are,” he says.

Demographic Diversity
    Another advantage of the newest digital jukeboxes, aside from the ease of downloading songs, is just how simple it is to switch out unwanted songs., Brown says. In about 20-25 minutes, an operator now can download a full album as wanted. Most new jukeboxes download anytime they are not in use pulling up guests’ requested songs or have extended breaks from use.
    Brown says at 540, however, where his jukebox is a definite crowd favorite at the club, it typically sees maybe two hours of downtime between opening and close. “We open at 11 a.m., so it could be Frank Sinatra and Jazz by day, but whatever else a guest wants by night. It has a pretty universal appeal,” Brown says. “Our demographics change throughout the day, but I’d the most use is after 10 p.m., more of a 25-35-year-old demographic for us.”

Proper Placement
    Diverse demographics apply also to the categories of music and the artists behind them, of course, but there has to be a draw to attract patrons to discover that in the first place, right? Brown says his system’s colorful, user-friendly screen often acts a beacon. Whether it displays hot albums or perhaps even an advertisement from an alcohol beverage company, guests are drawn to the glow. Accordingly, Brown says he has his wall-mounted digital jukebox placed toward the back of the club’s long bar on the wall opposite it.
    Enticing guests to pass the length of the bar and to want to congregate in the space behind it is a boon for beverage sales, and they seem more content to stay longer. “It does draw people deeper into the bar,” Brown says. “The party usually ends up in the kitchen, so to speak.”

Counting on Digital
    Guests can pay with cash or debit card, manipulate the touchscreen and utilize digital jukeboxes’ song search function — music genre, artist, album, etc. — and be on their way to enjoying the tunes. “It’s like a big iPod,” Brown says.
    While the debit card function definitely can help spur sales by giving cash-strapped patrons another option, Brown says most guests still prefer to pay with cash. So, how much cash can these tech-heavy beat-boxes earn for a supportive owner?
    “Purely on a revenue standpoint, it’s a fantastic opportunity,” Brown says. He adds that at his 540 Club, he typically counts on between $500 and $700 per week, and he considers his jukebox to be “a very consistent earner.”
    Brown emphasizes that these figures are aggregate, however.
    Still, these numbers are impressive, and there seems to be more opportunity than ever for an owner to reach them and then some.
    With proper planning, placement and promotion, the new era of digital jukeboxes can be a long and lucrative one. NCB