Melody Pods: In Store & Client Centred Background Music, Messaging and Media Network

Background and overhead music and messaging international service

  • Features
  • Solutions
    • Restaurants & Fast Food
    • Cafes & Coffee Shops
    • Gyms & Health Clubs
    • Spas & Wellbeing
    • Hotels & Hospitality
    • Retail & Malls
    • Receptions & Waiting Rooms
    • Medical Offices & Clinics
    • Beauty Salons
    • Supermarkets/Convenience
    • Managed Music Service
    • Franchisees
    • Music Branding
    • Overhead Messaging
    • Jukebox App For Bars
    • UK Royalty Free Music
    • Partnerships
  • Music
  • Background Music
  • Partners
  • Support

Netflix Pays Out To Networks For Higher Quality Streaming, Will Your Music Streaming Provider Do The Same For You?

August 4, 2014 by Guy Lewis

Can streaming audio stay un-interupted for 20 hours a day over busy networks?

Can streaming audio stay un-interupted for 20 hours a day over busy networks?

The BBC recently reported that Netflix had, “agreed to pay US telecoms giant AT&T to ensure its content is delivered to users smoothly.”

This highlights the need for service providers who stream content that need a consistent streamed service with no interruptions to gain a quality of service from networks that backs up their service commitments to their clients.

For Netflix clearly this is important. Netflix customers will stop subscribing if they can not get to watch a film or program without having it interrupted. Yet whilst Netflix can work hard to optimise the stream technology and add more and more servers with faster processors it can’t do much to help the client’s end broadband connections and internal LAN netoworks (be that business or consumer).

congested networks interrupt streaming audio services

Even satellite distribution sometimes relies on local networks to enter business locations to supply music and can be effected by congestion.

Telcos manage their broadband services in the same way as they have offered telecom phone services for many years; by working out typically how many clients are using their services at once and then grouping up users to share the same network resources.

Whilst this model works well with clients picking up the phone to make a call, it’s a very different challenge when it comes to ‘always on’ technology. Apps these days want to stay connected and feed back a lot of data to central servers which means broadband traffic, even whilst users aren’t active, is busy.

So while this ‘chatter’ is constantly happening in the background of our networks, streamed content happens when users are clicking links and pressing play buttons to receive content. Video is probably the most demanding of media to stream, Netflix will stream only as much as two hours of content per customer at any one time. However background music streaming requires a consistent service for much longer.

With consumer businesses such as Spas, retailers and hotels being open most of the hours of a day the need for a consistent stream of audio is a challenge.

MP-114x114Of course, we are all gaining access to larger bandwidth services yet higher bandwidth services are just trying to keep up with the demands from apps and other new services clients want to use.

While great strides have taken place with streaming technology since 2000 when some of our team first worked on streaming services, there is more and more demands on networks with new consumer and business applications that will cause congestion of networks increasingly at busy periods of the day.

The challenge for media providers such as Netflix and Melody Pods is to ensure your services aren’t disrupted.

Whilst Netflix spends on higher quality network services that adds to the price of their services, Melody Pods avoids the bandwidth availability challenge altogether.

leading edge download player for background music in business

Never worry your music will be interrupted by network congestion with the Melody Pods download and play music service.

Background music systems don’t need to be streamed, they can be delivered and played without network connectivity if your service provider enables you to choose the music you want to hear and makes it a personal service.

Streaming service providers offer services that simplify the choice by offering a centralised stream of music that is only offered on a music genre channel basis and so can not offer you a personal choice to the wide variety of music you may need to complete your full day, nor meet each of your clients and service needs.

Please call for a chat to hear more about our leading edge technology serving up high class music to businesses every day.

Hello! how can we help?
  • Please note: our service is offered via our free Android app via the Google Play store. This can be used on Android Tablets and Smartphones. Other options available for corporate clients and resellers.
    0
  • Please tell us how we can help.*If you have a lot of questions then please ask for a Skype call.
    1
  • Please tell us about your business, what you sell, and describe your customer's profile:*
    2
  • Please enter your website address here.*Your website will likely answer many of our questions.
    3
  • Please enter your company email address:*
    4
  • Alternatively, would you like to chat over Skype?*Please tell us your Skype name, when you will be available (and your local time zone) so we can hook up and wait for you to be available.
    5
  • 6

 

Filed Under: Technology

The ‘Lock in’ strategy of background music hardware and service vendors

July 31, 2014 by Guy Lewis

hardware lock-in with hardware vendors trying to sell you more and more hardware

Background music services lock you in when you invest substantial capital in hardware that can not be used for any other service other than their own.

Purchasing specific hardware as part of delivering a service reduces your choices as things change in the future

Hardware vendors who package in music services that only work with their proprietary hardware know the cost of switching services is a big barrier to you. Not only have you sunk capital into their proprietary hardware that is the only way you get access to their music service but they also think the cost of replacing their hardware is hard to justify. So they offer the music service with no minimum term because they know the hardware dies enough to lock you in.

Likewise satellite service providers are keen for you to invest hundreds of dollars in hardware as part of connecting to their services.

It’s pretty frustrating for any businesses to be held back from making better choices about services as new and better options become available such as Melody Pods. In other industries the cost of switching services is controlled by regulation to ensure customers have a choice and aren’t restricted to make positive changes.

So what can you do to avoid this as you look for replacing older equipment or are building out new business locations?

When you look at the hardware check if key components are bundled together to lock you in further.

For example, does the hardware combine both the music receiving system, the player and the amplifyer?

Does the hardware insist on a proprietary connection to speakers locking you in further?

A solution that you would say yes to all the above is likely to be compelling when you looked at the original figures, that’s the time when the hardware vendor wants to make their solution very attractive. Once they have you they can increase the service price for example and see a minimum resistance because you are then locked in.

Vendors such as Nel-Tech Labs’ ilink system for example breaks down the hardware into components so you can choose the right amplifyer from your own choice of vendors whilst still using I-link flash drives to download music to play locally.

Melody Pods goes one step further and opens up a multitude of hardware vendors for consideration depending on your exact needs. Indeed with Android as a base OS for our device downloader and music player you can, given enough locations and zones to populate, contract a supplier to produce a tablet for your specific needs, setting up a hardware spec along with a specification of what software is included on the internal drive to optimise the device even further.

Using Ethernet, Bluetooth, and open standards for wifi you have a range of options that not only avoids any lock in from hardware vendors but it enables you or your franchise partners to use technology of their own preference or even what they have already invested in, ensuring the cost of background music is reduced further.

With low cost tablets you have opportunities to use smaller ‘phablet’ sized screens to reduce the capital investment in addition to reducing the energy costs of running a player for long opening ours.

Lastly, with Melodypods you can try out our service by just connecting via an android smartphone if you have one to make a trial of our service at zero cost, even before getting a tablet to try the full features of multi zone and multi client playlists on real customers.

Hello! how can we help?
  • Please note: our service is offered via our free Android app via the Google Play store. This can be used on Android Tablets and Smartphones. Other options available for corporate clients and resellers.
    0
  • Please tell us how we can help.*If you have a lot of questions then please ask for a Skype call.
    1
  • Please tell us about your business, what you sell, and describe your customer's profile:*
    2
  • Please enter your website address here.*Your website will likely answer many of our questions.
    3
  • Please enter your company email address:*
    4
  • Alternatively, would you like to chat over Skype?*Please tell us your Skype name, when you will be available (and your local time zone) so we can hook up and wait for you to be available.
    5
  • 6

Filed Under: Sound Systems

Android OS Security Risk

July 29, 2014 by Guy Lewis

In the news today is a report that a flaw in the current Android operating system allows malwear to attach itself to applications to access stored card data.

Rest assured here at Melody Pods we designed our applications and systems so we never store any bank card details. By using PayPal to manage the transaction, all subscription payments are authorised from within PayPal only.

More details here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28544443

Filed Under: Mobiles and Music Tagged With: hacking, malwear, security

Launching a new wellness offering? why not create a new theme sound to enhance the experience?

July 28, 2014 by Guy Lewis

personal beauty background theme music

New services in your personal beauty range can be spiced up with its own complimentary music collection. Create your own collection and save it as a playlist with Melody Pods.

Launching a new service in your spa or retreat? why not create a new theme sound to enhance the experience?

You may already have music you are pleased with playing in the background of your reception and treatment rooms but how about going a few steps further to increase your competitive edge?

How about designing your music playlists around your services.

For example, some services require the client to be more deeply relaxed than others whereas some dont need clients to be so relaxed and therefore expect more interaction with the therapist.

Some services you may offer could have music designed to enhance the theme of the service, such as an oriental sourced relaxation treatment or music to help clients feel they are already on their dream holiday.

Please call us now to discuss your ideas.

Hello! how can we help?
  • Please note: our service is offered via our free Android app via the Google Play store. This can be used on Android Tablets and Smartphones. Other options available for corporate clients and resellers.
    0
  • Please tell us how we can help.*If you have a lot of questions then please ask for a Skype call.
    1
  • Please tell us about your business, what you sell, and describe your customer's profile:*
    2
  • Please enter your website address here.*Your website will likely answer many of our questions.
    3
  • Please enter your company email address:*
    4
  • Alternatively, would you like to chat over Skype?*Please tell us your Skype name, when you will be available (and your local time zone) so we can hook up and wait for you to be available.
    5
  • 6

 

Filed Under: Massage Wellbeing Spa Retreats

Why streaming services will only ever assume they know what music you need

July 24, 2014 by Guy Lewis

Cafe background music for businessStreaming music services offer an abundance of channels to choose from. Yet does any provide you with a personalized choice? Well for the money businesses pay for a streaming music service for business I think the pricing logic suggests you get value for money with a stream that is priced affordably because many users are using it.

So how much would it cost to enable a service whereby you choose your own music, as diverse as that may be?

For example, in the morning you want to hear up-beat music styles such as pop, rock and soul to keep your customers flowing through. By mid morning things are looking a bit more laid back so you decide you want a mix of jazz and classical, along with one or two pop tracks just to be different.

Rush hour and quite times attract different customers

Cafes learn to cope with the rushes and quite times. Music needs to match these changes during the day

Then by the afternoon rush hour you are back to some fast tempo music such as electronic dance styles. The evening shift comes and you want them to attract more clients to wander in so it’s chillout and lounge music time.

Get the picture? Creating your very own music playlist like this just isn’t possible with a multi channel streaming service. So whilst streaming services offer great value for businesses (apart from the costly upfront hardware that can lock you into a service) for the same price or less Melody Pods treats you like the unique business you are.

Whilst the example above explains the value of personalized playlists as part of a service the issue of a generic stream channel over a more personalized music collection becomes more acute when a business needs exactly the right music to evoke the right connection to its customers.

Personalize your music stream by downloading music instead

Melody Pods’ music enables you to choose what to download and choose when to play.

For example, where a businesses clients need to be helped to relax as part of your service such as beauty and wellbeing services and medical services such as dental and eye and ear services.

Businesses such as this may understand they need a music blueprint, a style defined within a design that specifies exactly what is and what isn’t ok for them and their customers.

With multi streaming channel based services businesses aren’t going to get this, it’s either channel 1 through to channel 30.

Whilst Melody Pods’ service let’s you create your own choice of music we don’t make it costly on your time and offer a selection process that is quick and efficient by grouping tracks into albums and genres. Any tracks you’ve downloaded but you don’t think work you can un-tick to make sure they are kept out of your music rotation.

And if you have a specific requirement we are always available to help design a music blueprint with you and then source a personalized collection to play throughout your locations.

Hello! how can we help?
  • Please note: our service is offered via our free Android app via the Google Play store. This can be used on Android Tablets and Smartphones. Other options available for corporate clients and resellers.
    0
  • Please tell us how we can help.*If you have a lot of questions then please ask for a Skype call.
    1
  • Please tell us about your business, what you sell, and describe your customer's profile:*
    2
  • Please enter your website address here.*Your website will likely answer many of our questions.
    3
  • Please enter your company email address:*
    4
  • Alternatively, would you like to chat over Skype?*Please tell us your Skype name, when you will be available (and your local time zone) so we can hook up and wait for you to be available.
    5
  • 6

Filed Under: Melody Pods News

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 22
  • Next Page »

In more detail for your business

Massage & Therapy Spas
Coffee Shops & Cafes
Convenience Stores & Supermarkets
Restaurants
Medical Offices & Clinics
Beauty & Cosmetic Clinics
Retail & Malls
Hotels & Hospitality
Receptions & Waiting Rooms
Gyms & Health Clubs
Franchise Businesses
Bargain Retailing
Jewelry Retailing
Furniture and Furnishings Retailing
Overhead Messaging / Advertising Network.
International wholesale service
UK Music Licensing Services

Articles & News Blog

  • Business Challenges
  • Coffee shops & cafes
  • Content Media Networks
  • Country Legals
  • Franchise Networks
  • Hotels and Hospitality
  • Marketing & Promotions
  • Massage Wellbeing Spa Retreats
  • Melody Pods News
  • Mobiles and Music
  • Music Branding
  • Music Production
  • Outsourcing Service Providers
  • Sound Systems
  • Technology
PayPal Acceptance Mark
SSL Certificate
SSL Certificate

Music For Businesses

What Is In-Store Music?
Music For Retail
Music For Cafes
Music For Spas
Music For Hotels
Music For Restaurants
Music For Gyms
Music For Receptions
PayPal Acceptance Mark
SSL Certificate
SSL Certificate

Site map
About Melody Pods

Support

Article Categories

  • Business Challenges
  • Coffee shops & cafes
  • Content Media Networks
  • Country Legals
  • Franchise Networks
  • Hotels and Hospitality
  • Marketing & Promotions
  • Massage Wellbeing Spa Retreats
  • Melody Pods News
  • Mobiles and Music
  • Music Branding
  • Music Production
  • Outsourcing Service Providers
  • Sound Systems
  • Technology

Copyright © 2021 · Melody Pods: In-Store Background Music