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5 Music Apps for Bars and Restaurants
![A bartender is preparing two cocktails behind a well-stocked bar, featuring a variety of liquor bottles.](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datocms-assets.com%2F57355%2F1718708534-image1.jpg%3Ffit%3Dcrop%26h%3D609%26w%3D488%26auto%3Dformat&w=1600&q=91)
Playing the right background music in your bar or restaurant is critical for setting the mood, creating the perfect ambiance, and targeting the right customers. In fact, research shows that 54.9% of Americans have stayed longer at a business location because of the music.
Customers who stay longer buy more drinks, desserts, and snacks—which makes playing music that fits the vibe a key factor in business success.
However, playing background music in a business establishment isn’t as easy as connecting your private Spotify account to your sound system and streaming your favorite playlists.
This is because Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, YouTube, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms are designed for personal use. Not only are these services unequipped for the needs of a business, but they also don’t have the proper licenses for streaming music in a commercial setting.
Streaming music from private accounts on these platforms in your bar or restaurant may breach their terms of service and can land you in legal hot water. You can read our interview with a music lawyer here.
Fortunately, there are several solutions on the market designed for business music streaming. Services like Soundtrack Your Brand have extensive libraries of songs and playlists, and they’ve secured all the necessary licenses for streaming in public spaces like restaurants and bars.
However, these services have strengths and weaknesses that business owners should consider before deciding which one to use for their business.
Let’s take a look at 5 music apps for bars and restaurants.
Posted on June 18, 2024
Choosing a Restaurant and Bar Music App - 5 Popular Options
Here are 5 popular music streaming services for bars and restaurants.
1. Soundtrack Your Brand - Best Overhead Music Solution
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Soundtrack Your Brand has one of the biggest music catalogs of any streaming service, with over 120 million songs and 1,200 playlists, plus worldwide licensing for businesses in 74 countries.
With the Unlimited subscription, it’s the only on-demand commercial music service that lets you play what you want, when you want, without having to wait for other songs in a queue. Employees or guests can easily select a playlist or individual track they want to hear with the touch of a button.
On top of that, Soundtrack’s AI Playlist Generator lets you create a hours-long playlist from a single text prompt. The service also lets you directly import playlists from Spotify, schedule playlists, filter explicit tracks, and incorporate in-store messaging such as drink specials or closing time into your background music.
If you want to use Soundtrack on mobile, you can get their app on the App Store or Google Play.
2. TouchTunes - Best for Jukebox Needs
![Home page for TouchTunes.](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datocms-assets.com%2F57355%2F1718719792-touchtunes.jpg%3Fw%3D800%26auto%3Dformat&w=1600&q=91)
TouchTunes features a jukebox-style playlist system that lets users queue songs on a digital jukebox. Users must download the mobile app from the app store for iPhone iOS or Android, search for the TouchTunes interactive jukebox location, and queue up their song of choice how they would with an old-fashioned jukebox.
The service does require users to purchase music credits with their credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay before they can play songs, and depending on how many songs they wish to play in one setting the costs can add up.
While this style of music streaming offers a novel music experience, the lack of ready-made playlists or functionality that allows users to play any song without having to wait for the tracks to cycle through can be drawbacks.
Additionally, the fact that the right mix of on-brand hits and more obscure songs can increase food and drink sales 9.1% (while playing random hits can lead to a 4.3% decrease in sales versus playing no music at all), leaving the soundtrack in the hands of customers can cause restaurants to miss out on revenue.
Due to these reasons, TouchTunes may not be the right fit for many businesses.
If you want to use TouchTunes on mobile, you can get their app on the App Store or Google Play.
3. SiriusXM for Business - Best for Radio-Style Streaming
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Sirius XM for Business is designed for businesses looking to incorporate satellite radio stations into their commercial streaming framework. The service has over 240 exclusive business channels and features artist-specific playlists from its subsidiary, Pandora. It also offers in-store messaging.
However, a drawback for this service is that users are dependent on the premade radio stations and can’t create their own using specific songs that match the vibe of the establishment.
The service may have niche appeal with users who prefer radio-style music streaming, but SiriusXM for Business is only available in the U.S. and doesn’t offer on-demand streaming. The lack of flexibility makes this service less appealing for users who want more freedom with the music they play in their bar or restaurant.
If you want to use SiriusXM Music for Business on mobile, you can get their app on the App Store or Google Play.
4. Rockbot - Best for Request Feature Add-On
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Rockbot is a music streaming service that offers real-time control over your music, an optional plug-and-play music player, and the Rockbot Request feature which allows customers to request their favorite songs.
With 16 million songs on offer, Rockbot’s library is considerably smaller than those of its competitors. The service also has ready-made playlists but does not give users the option to create their own playlists.
The Rockbot Request add-on feature allows each customer to make two song requests. However, this feature costs businesses an additional $25 to $45 in addition to the core music service. This can drive up the total costs of subscription in the long term.
If you want to use Rockbot on mobile, you can get their app on the App Store or Google Play.
5. KingTrivia - Best for a Music-Oriented Game
![Home page for King Trivia.](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datocms-assets.com%2F57355%2F1718719772-screen-shot-2024-06-18-at-9-50-56-am.jpg%3Fw%3D800%26auto%3Dformat&w=1600&q=91)
King Trivia is not purely a commercial music streaming service in the traditional sense. However, what makes it a unique restaurant and bar music app is its Music Bingo game.
The service plays portions of songs over the sound system, then customers use digital bingo cards on their phones to fill in squares that correspond to the artists and titles of the songs they’ve just heard. However, the game gives the answers after the song clip ends, so it takes much of the challenge out of the game.
The limiting nature of the service, including the lack of on-demand play, makes King Trivia less ideal for business owners looking for an extensive catalog and greater control over their music.
The Best Restaurant and Bar Music App for Your Business
Whether you’re looking to create a fun atmosphere at a family-friendly restaurant, or create the ideal lo-fi soundscape at your upscale bar, Soundtrack Your Brand stands above its competitors as the right commercial streaming solution for your business.
With its massive repertoire of songs from around the world, as well as custom playlists at your fingerprints, Soundtrack has the music to suit your business needs.
Ready to get started?
See how Soundtrack works for you and your business. Get our most exclusive features with a no obligation 14 day trial, unlocking everything available in Soundtrack Unlimited.
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