Our Top 10 Music Providers Part 1
Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Music provision is often treated as the poor relation to screen based media which is a real shame as it can actually produce the greatest emotional response in customers and shoppers alike.
Partly then, to re-dress that screen based media – music balance we have taken the time to list whom we see as our top 10 Music Providers!
Music can be matched very closely to the demographic profile of a shopper and just as (traditional) radio stations research playlists, we increasingly find that in-store music providers are spending more money on research also to ensure that their own (music) selection retains shoppers and makes them dwell in stores for longer.
Music providers can be split into three main categories: –
- Pure Music
- Music and Messaging
- Radio
Music services are usually delivered via satellite or broadband (TCP/IP) but there are still many instances of CD updates being sent out each month to stand alone units.
In the case of broadband delivery, the music can be either streamed live or delivered overnight / beforehand in a store and forward system.
For several months now we have been looking at who we consider to be either the best or the most interesting Music Providers in this space.
As with our previous Top 10’s we would expect it to generate some debate and undoubtedly we will also get the usual barrage of emails along the lines of “the solution I created in my back bedroom is not in your Top 10” – so remember that this is our opinion based on what we know, who we see using what (or rather whom) and what we notice in the industry generally.
Unlike previous Top 10’s we have ventured a little bit further afield this time and have included a US perspective, as well as our more usual EMEA take on things. In fact our number 1 is a US provider…
- Playnetwork, Seattle, USA
- Immedia Broadcasting, Newbury, United Kingdom
- Mood Media, Europe
- Sunflower Music, London, United Kingdom
- Notice, Amsterdam, United Kingdom
- POS Medien, Germany
- DMX Music, USA
- Candy Rock (TSG), Chesterfield, United Kingdom
- Imagesound, Chesterfield, United Kingdom
- USP Content, London, United Kingdom
We also highly rate Cantaloupe Music in London who are very good at creating unique music blends for clients with handpicked tracks. They work with the likes of Jimmy Choo, Ted Baker, O2 and Boodles and create some truly special music creations.
Other folks who didn’t quite make our top 10 but who deserve a mention anyway include Kaleidovision (whose customers include well known pub /bar brands such as Walkabout, Varsity and Pitcher and Piano – as well as the likes of Empire Casino, Gala Casino and Gala Bingo), PEL Music, TeamTalk Broadcast (now re-branded as Headland Media) and Gcap’s Creation (who run music for Woolworths and Thomson).
Only a week ago we reported that the UK’s Virgin Radio was entering the fray with the launch of its Audio Business Division – it’s first customer being the Moto (motorway) service stations. It’s too early to say how good these guys will be in the digital out of home marketplace but they are undoubtedly professional, well funded and with a great brand behind them. They will certainly be giving their competitors a run for their money in the countries in which they decide to compete.
Later in the week we be looking in just a little more detail on those in our top 10.
May 19th, 2008 at 13:29 @603
Adrian,
I would be inerested to know by what criteria you compiled that List? As you know at Subtv we have a network that now reaches about 100 of the top UK Universities and we broadcast quite a lot of music across the system.
That is not only content from Record Labels but also includes music videos that we have produced and recorded ourselves from resources within the community we are working with.
I would have thought that might have got us a mention……… 🙁
All the best,
Peter
May 19th, 2008 at 14:33 @647
Adrian
Great to be recognised. Let’s chat soon and I will give you some materials to dig a little deeper with the successes of radio and radiovision. Coming soon another launch from Immedia which should be ground breaking across EMEA.
May 21st, 2008 at 15:56 @705
I guess you haven’t heard of InStore Broadcasting Network, which broadcasts to more than 14,000 locations in the US, including the largest grocery and drug retailers including Kroger, SuperValu, Safeway and Walgreens, and reaches nearly one billion shoppers every 4 weeks.
June 16th, 2008 at 14:19 @638
Adrian,
I’m curious about criteria for this list as well. In the US there is Trusonic, Inc., who’s been around for almost 10 years. Trusonic not only has exceptional music programmers that create customized music product, but has a library of more than 5 million independent and emerging artist tracks which allows for a great variety of content to be programmed. They have a pretty impressive list of premier retailers as clients. Trusonic uses the internet andthei own music player to schedule and deliver music and in-store messages, all of which are customizable by the client. You may want to look them up at http://www.trusonic.com.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:12 @508
Where’s Muzak.com? Im sorry to say but this list is incomplete and based on nothing. Next time you should mention your criteria to make this listing more objective.