Jukebox by text message

Patrons at select pubs and restaurants in Israel, France and Australia no longer need to worry about change for the jukebox or bugging a dj to play their favourite tunes—they can queue up their music choices via text message from their cellphones. SMS jukebox technology, such as c|station by Australian Rippamedia and SMS DJ by Israeli YCD Multimedia, puts song selection literally at customers’ fingertips. Customers simply select from a menu of available tunes—which may be promoted on menus, coasters or other collateral throughout an establishment—and send in their requests via SMS for a small fee. The service plays their requests over the in-house speakers and can even complement the music with videos, or promotions to download ringtones. Once a customer has sent a request, he or she can also access the full library of available songs. YCD launched their version in cooperation with network operator Orange in Israel and France, splitting revenues from the premium text message service between the mobile operator, the owner of the location, and YCD. The concept is fun and interactive for customers, which can mean longer stays and return business for bar owners, who can also avoid the hassle of guessing (sometimes wrongly) what music their patrons might like to hear. They also can take advantage of SMS messaging to promote their own events to customers who have used the service. The music industry should take note as well: how about sponsoring the jukeboxes at a bar, letting customers pick from a range of new tracks at no cost? Considering how glued so many of us already are to our cellphones and Blackberries, and how committed both network operators and music labels are to finding new sources of revenue and promotion, we wouldn’t be surprised to see SMS jukeboxes popping up everywhere. Time to contact Rippamedia or YCD if you own a bar or a mobile network? Spotted by: David Steel Related: Drinks by text message and Text it loud & local