Jukestream has partnered with Oxygen8 Communications to provide a mobile jukebox service for pubs and clubs that enables users to text in the song they want to hear and have it played in the pub, for 50p a song.

The service uses Jukestream’s Virtual Jukebox, an internet radio player that streams ad-free music to pubs and bars. The Jukestream music library contains millions of tracks, including every chart hit since the charts began in 1952. Members of the public are asked to text in their choice of any song they wish. When there are no requests in the queue, music from the venue’s pre-selected playlists is played. This is chosen from a range of genres, artists and pre-defined compilations.

The Virtual Jukebox also provides pubs and bars with a marketing opportunity, as they can then build a database of opted-in mobile users for ongoing marketing communications. Oxygen8 Communications has been chosen by Jukestream to provide the SMS infrastructure which is used to submit song requests and distribute the venue’s promotional messages.

“Through our research, we have found that 70 per cent of people are more likely to use a jukebox if they can request music by text message, presenting a great opportunity for pubs and bars to build a relationship with their customers through mobile,” says Adam Castleton, operations director at Jukestream. “We therefore needed a mobile partner who could integrate with our system and provide the relevant support for pubs and bars to connect with their customers as well as build Jukestream’s presence in the UK market – Oxygen8 have been able to do exactly that.”

To use the system, customers send a text identifying the pub and the track/artist they want to hear. The song is then streamed to the venue. The integration with the Oxygen8 platform enables Jukestream to review the text, and if it’s not in the correct format or they can’t find a match, they reply with a free text to the user to say so. If they can find a match, they reply with a billable message and the track is played. Customers also opt-in to receive free promotional messages from the venue but can opt-out at any time. Castleton says initial figures have shown that over 90 per cent of people are happy to receive promotional messages from their local pub.”

David Murphy writes:

Every now and again, you come across a story that just makes you stop and think: “How clever is that?” Sometimes, it’s just a totally new idea that no-one’s thought of doing before. Other times, as here, it’s just a very clever twist on something that’s been around for donkey’s years.
So take the concept of a jukebox in a pub, swap hardware for software, throw in mobile interactivity, and for 50p a pop, you can text in your song request. Add in the opportunity for the pub to keep the conversation going with the consumer, perhaps to remind them that Wednesday is Quiz Night, Thursday, curry night, etc., and it just gets better.
The bottom line is, stories – and ideas – like this make my day.