NEWSLETTER FOR CUSTOMERS OF SOUNDNET EAG & ICE SHOW SPECIAL I EDITION 09
OFFICIAL SINGLES CHART
Welcome
ONLY WITH SOUNDNET
Soundnet has signed a ground-breaking deal with the Official Charts Company, making it the only jukebox music company in the UK providing the Official Singles Chart. Soundnet’s Simon Davis says: “The Official UK Chart has featured on our jukeboxes since 2006 and is hugely important to our customers, as 80% of tracks chosen on jukeboxes are chart and new releases. This new deal will only benefit customers and jukebox income.” Giles Jones, Head of Commercial at The Official Charts Company commented; “The UK singles market set a new record in 2012 with 188.6 million singles sold. We are delighted to renew and exclusively extend our agreement with Soundnet and significantly increase the reach of the
Official Singles Chart to theconsumer through this key partnership.” A number of exciting features and services are to be launched by Soundnet over the coming months highlighting content and initiatives from the Official Charts Company. Soundnet’s jukebox data for 2012 revealed that 80% of jukebox income comes from chart based new releases, with the ‘Chart & New Releases’ category accounting for over a third of all searches. Customer demand for chart based new releases, combined with the firm’s unrivalled provision of back catalogue tracks will further strengthen Soundnet’s position as the UK’s leading jukebox music company.
customers. Just as the Mayans predicted an apocalypse, so to has the industry been focused on its woes in recent times – but we are still here in 2013, so lets think about the future! The bar market is still changing fast and Soundnet is embracing that change. Pubs increasingly have their own broadband – so greater numbers will be able to make use of our online technologies; once these new features become embedded, they will bring much-needed savings and cashbox increases to operators. Soundnet has also looked closely at the service we offer our customers, from the very first contact and made changes to improve this experience wherever possible. Certainly, there has never been a better time to buy Sound Leisure jukes - with deals to be had on hardware and music - the longevity of the product can’t be bettered. Our upcoming developments will only enforce this fact. Make 2013 a reinvestment year you shouldn’t concern yourself about the future of music.
James Luck Director
UNLIMITED VENUE FAVOURITES Soundnet has now launched an unlimited Venue Favourites service so pubs can create a tailored playlist no matter how obscure. We can even include local acts, which can sometimes be very profitable – just send a web link or CD. This free service was previously limited to an additional 50 tracks per year and has
always been popular with customers. Tony Garret at Essex Leisure was impressed, “For a beer festival, we ordered some German Oompah music and you supplied it in days. What an excellent service.” Contact us to arrange your Venue Favourite. Either email or fax us with the song list and jukebox number or simply phone if you are short on time.
A TALE OF TWO SHOWS… EAG: Excel Jan 22-24, 2013 The snow came down just before EAG making life difficult, particularly for the team from Sound Leisure who had to make it down from Leeds. But we got set up in the freezing cold and were very pleased with the way the stand looked when the show opened on the Tuesday. We had just signed the deal with The Official Charts Company (see front page of this issue) before we arrived, so we had plenty to talk to customers about. Sound Leisure also made the announcement during the show that it had signed a landmark deal with Britvic Soft Drinks for a series of Pepsi-themed VenueHubs. On top of that, the number of scrobbles – paid for tracks that passed through the Last. fm app – on Venue-Hub jukeboxes hit the one million mark over the Christmas holidays. As usual, Tuesday and Wednesday were the busiest of the three days. The opening night party at The Fox organised by the EAG team was great.
ICE Show: Excel Feb 5-7, 2013 This was the first year that we attended both the EAG and the ICE shows, which took place only two weeks apart at the same venue. So it was with a slight feeling of déjà vu that we made our way back to East London to set up our stand. However, apart from the venue the two exhibitions had little in common. Whereas many of the visitors to EAG are involved in the UK arcade and amusements sector, ICE covers everything from pub retail, through to casino, betting shops, online and mobile gambling and sports betting and the visitors come from all over the world. We welcomed a number of our pub retail customers to the stand, which was very useful as we were able to show all the new VenueHub features. We also had one of our V-Hub’s on the Gamestec stand, which was situated on the huge Novomatic Group of companies stand, one of the biggest at the show.
In terms of new units sold, the EAG was a success for Sound Leisure as they had some good interest in their Rockola CD juke for home use. The successful roll out of digital jukeboxes over the past 10 years means that on the whole operators are no longer looking for new machines for new sites. With a few notable exceptions operators are more interested in keeping their current sites happy with the digital jukeboxes already installed before they look for new machines. Which is where we can help! It is Soundnet’s interest to help keep these jukeboxes as profitable as possible. So for us the EAG was more about supporting existing business and helping operators make the most of what they already have. And operators do like to talk about their jukeboxes! So yes, the EAG was a success. We lost our voices, our feet hurt (a lot) but hopefully we supported our customers.
NEW V-HUB FEATURES TO MAKE YOU MORE MONEY We used EAG and ICE to show customers a number of new features on the flagship V-Hub jukebox. The Soundnet and Sound Leisure teams have worked hard on a new front end for V-Hub, simplifying the selection process and making it easier for customers to find tracks. In addition to the new customer interface, the latest software also allows engineers to profile the front selection screen by
playlists. This will allow the V-Hub to be sited in any venue, whatever the clientele. As well as the V-Hub interface, we have spent the past year looking at features to enhance the jukebox take. Sound Leisure has developed a “Countdown” feature allowing the operator to set a parameter monitoring paid plays on the machine. As a result, V-Hub can be programmed to automatically offer double credits if a coin hasn’t been inserted for a specified amount
enabling or disabling features, such as recommended tracks and the creation of
of time. This feature will automatically play adverts and promote special offers.
20K
THE MOST AFFORDABLE JUKEBOX PACKAGE EVER For those without a casino high roller’s budget, we have created a low cost digital jukebox package, which includes 20,000 tracks for just £27.50 a month. This attracted a great deal of interest at both shows. Combining all the most played tracks from over 15,000 jukeboxes, the most popular albums of the last five years and classic tracks from various decades and genres, the 20,000 track list is compiled from play data to provide sites with essential music at a low price. Our 20,000 service is available for the SoundWave jukebox and also for Starburst, the most affordable jukebox ever produced by the firm.
DanceMe
MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC VIDEO! This year’s EAG and ICE also saw Sound Leisure unveil several new software features for the flexible V-Hub platform, with the innovative ‘DanceMe’ app creating a real buzz with operators and retailers. Using V-Hub’s built in camera, ‘DanceMe’ enables a customer to capture a picture of their face which can then be superimposed on to one of a number of animated dancing characters. The personalised music video is then played on the VHub screen during playback of the customer’s track and can also be shared with friends via social networks.
Offering four times the music of the Value 5,000 package, the cost for 20,000 is fixed for two years following jukebox installation. After this period the price reverts to a standard £45 per month, at which point users can choose to re-profile the jukebox to the Value 5,000 song service and keep the monthly cost at £27.50. Says Soundnet’s Toby Hoyte: “This is a ground breaking service – no other music package like this is available. Having over 15,000 sites from which to analyse the play data and years of experience means we know what songs people want to hear. The 20,000 package is ideal for sites that want the latest hits, as well as classic tracks and albums. The package offers a comprehensive music service at a price every site can afford.”
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR JUKEBOXES CALL US NOW ON 020 7644 8888 Toby Hoyte I have been working for Soundnet for 15 years and I know our business very well. In fact there are very few people who know more about jukeboxes in the UK than James or myself. I’d like to think I know most of my customers pretty well too. As many of you will know I am more than happy to get in the car and drive to you. I will always try and sort the best deal, do a favour, or whatever I can to ensure you make the most of your jukeboxes and get value for money from Soundnet. Call me now – I can almost guarantee I will be able to help you in some way. When not at work, I have a wife and two young kids and when not doing ‘dad things’ I like to ride and race mountain bikes. Twitter: @tobyho www.facebook.com/toby.hoyte Mob: 07970 229124 Email: toby@soundnet.net
James Luck My passion for pub music solutions goes back over 30yrs. Initially I joined the industry as an operator and then I joined the newly born Soundnet in 2000. Having operated jukes in large numbers, I appreciate the problems and pressures the operator faces. I have also worked closely with national and regional retailers so I understand the site/brand requirements and politics. If you need help to choose a music solution or have a jukebox issue to resolve on site, make sure to give me a call. I love technology and am a fan boi of Apple. For my pains I am a season ticket holder at Northampton and a keen Arsenal fan. I have a huge interest in films and music and have extensive DVD and album collections. Check out my blog! Twitter: @cobbler1000 Blog: sadmutherlucker.wordpress.com Mob: 07836 233176 Email: james@soundnet.net
MOST PLAYED TRACKS OF 2012 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Artist Track Carly Rae Jepsen Call Me Maybe Gotye Somebody That I Used To Know David Guetta feat. Sia Titanium Nicki Minaj Starships Flo Rida Whistle Fun We Are Young Flo Rida feat. Sia Wild Ones PSY Gangnam Style Rudimental feat. John Newman Feel The Love Emeli Sandé Next To Me
Founded in 2000, Soundnet specialise in bespoke music and video compilations that capture a brand’s unique personality. From mainstream pop to hardcore rock, every programme is carefully compiled from our exclusive library of digital audio, video and karaoke tracks delivering atmosphere to your venue, inspiring the right customers to come back for more.
OPWEB ONLINE
ASSISTANCE AT A TOUCH OPWeb puts operators in control, allowing them to make operational decisions remotely - saving time and money by avoiding engineer visits.
Contact Soundnet for your User Name and Password to access your personalised Opweb page on the Soundnet website. Features include • Make changes from your pc - change price of play, adjust BGM timers, manage income, reboot machine etc • Income – see how much cash your jukebox is taking and has taken • On / Off time – check when and if your jukeboxes are switched on or off • Play data – see what songs are being picked on your jukeboxes • Music updates – check your jukebox has the latest releases from Soundnet • Music profile – ensure the right music profile is set-up on your jukebox Getting your Milestones In Music and V-Hub jukeboxes online is now easier than ever. Connect either via direct cable connection or by wifi. Contact us now for information.
Soundnet Maygrove House, 67 Maygrove Road, London NW6 2EG t: +44 (0)20 7644 8888 f: +44 (0)20 7644 8889 e: info@soundnet.net www.soundnet.net