It seems as if there’s a new club popping up every week, trying to outdo last week’s fresh venue with the latest in DJ performance. And, it seems as if every night spot in America supports the DJ craze –– leaving the patron who just wants to have a few drinks with a few friends and listen to a little background music out of the loop.
    Well, the answer to the dilemma of keeping up without selling out to the latest trend has been around almost as long as Rock music itself.
    Jukeboxes are a reliable variable in the nightclub and bar scene, and are an easy sale when it comes to calculating profits versus overhead and keeping your customers happy.

Deciding What’s Best
    According to Broadway Bar Owner Joe Baxley, the math is simple.
    “With a DJ you have to pay them. With jukeboxes, they pay you,” Baxley says. “You might as well make a little money while entertaining your guests.” The customer satisfaction factor works in his favor as well, since the guests who frequent his Los Angeles bar get to decide the soundtrack to their night.
    “The clientele dictates the music played in a bar, which is what you want –– they’re having a good time,” he says.
Wayne Russell, owner of Duffy’s Tavern in Miami, agrees.
    “It’s a good opportunity for the owner to bring people in and keep them in, because you dig in a little extra. It’s like putting their picture on the wall when you play their song,” Russell says.
    Duffy’s is a college haven for University of Miami students, so he can be sure the clientele is going to be versed in the latest popular artists.

Equipment Choice
    While both men cater to a more laid back crowd, Russell and Baxley differ on what equipment they prefer. Baxley went the old school CD route for two reasons. First, his bar has a retro look like a mid-century Sinatra pub. The style of the larger machine adds a little ambiance to the place. Secondly, Baxter believes that the infinite amount of songs on a digital jukebox gives the client too much choice.
    “We want to keep them in a certain genre of music,” he says. “Otherwise, you can get music you don’t want in your bar.”
    Russell chose the digital option for Duffy’s, and it has kept Russell’s business successful for several reasons.
    He can delete songs that he doesn’t want played –– including those with explicit lyrics — songs that aren’t played and customer dislikes. He also went the digital route for space issues. Since his establishment is only 2,000 square feet, he needs every inch, and digital jukeboxes only take up a minimal amount of wall space.
    The digital jukebox also keeps his collection fresh, and he can add requests.
    “It’s definitely a good thing for us. We get a good mix of people,” Russell says.
    Baxley believes that a 99-CD player gives the customer enough variety and choice but keeps it within reason, and his supplier comes in every two weeks to pick up the request list.
    “It’s a good way to keep constantly updated without having to buy all the CDs,” Baxley says. “We make money and don’t have to spend anything.”

Local Flavor
    Lucky 13 Manager Martin Craenkel chose an analog CD player because his bar in San Francisco draws in such a large local music scene.
    “Local bands are part of our clientele. We like to support them by putting them in the jukebox, and with an Internet jukebox, it’s not possible,” Craenkel says. “Plus, choosing a song or editing the jukebox on a digital machine is a complicated, annoying process.”
    Craenkel’s San Francisco company also provided him with a good speaker system and installed it for him.
    “Music dictates a lot of what the client is going to get, much like in a restaurant, food dictates that,” he says.

Taking the Advantage
    One of the main advantages to installing a jukebox is the fact that the owner can simply lease the melody maker from a local supplier. He then splits the profits down the middle, and the company takes care of all the maintenance –– replacing the CDs and replacing the jukebox if it takes any abuse from over-use.
    One thing to consider is that most jukebox suppliers take care of the legality involved in playing music in an establishment, but it’s always a good idea to ask your supplier.
    For myriad reasons, jukeboxes are, and continue to be, a great source of pleasure for owners and patrons, alike. The companies providing them give operators a chance to customize the listening experience, without the drama and expense of dealing with a DJ.
    For David Cunningham, owner of the Comet in Cincinnati, a jukebox embodies his personal approach to the bar experience.
    “People have been coming together in pubs to engage for hundreds of years. It’s where revolutions have started. People and artists exchange ideas, and with a jukebox, they do it all to a nice soundtrack.” NCB