We’ve all had the unfortunate experience of having to shout over a blaring club track during an otherwise intimate dinner. Conversely, a too-mellow soundtrack can bring down the energy of a supposedly festive group meal. In short: when it comes to music choices in a restaurant, context is key. Skip the Muzak and check out these eateries where you can usually count on the tunes to pair well with the food and scene. And be sure to let us know your pet peeves about restaurant soundtracks in the comments.

M.Y. China

Martin Yan recruited the sensory branding firm Prescriptive Music to curate a playlist especially for his grand restaurant at Westfield San Francisco Centre. Patrons now devour dim sum, hand-pulled noodles and giant crustaceans to a wide range of music from Asian artists like the Shanghai Restoration Project, Yantra Mantra and Blue Asia. At any given time, the soundtrack might be traditional Chinese lounge music or the latest electronic music from the continent.

845 Market St., San Francisco; 415-580-3001

ZAGAT Article Excerpt by Tamara Palmer

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Customized, curated music is a huge trend happening now that is helping retailers differentiate themselves from their competitors. Music no longer takes a background role but has become just as important as the actual merchandise itself. It has to reflect the brand perfectly. By having music designed specifically for a store, retailers have the opportunity to connect customers to their brand and reinforce the vision of their business.

Tailored music has a variety of benefits. It can:

1. Connect with a Client – It turns out that music is more important to a retail business than people may think. As part of a survey by Heartbeat International, a brand and communication agency specializing in music and pop culture, respondents ranked music more difficult to live without than TV, newspapers and sports. Society has created a special relationship with music that is integrated into people’s everyday lives and ultimately affects their mood. When a retailer’s customers enter its store, it is important for them to feel connected to the store’s brand.
2. Avoid Legal Fees – Retailers probably have plenty of great music they could play in their store, but before they do, they have to buy the rights. Now more than ever, record labels and recording artists’ agents are vigilant about enforcing licensing agreements and following up on violations. Legal fees will set a retailer back in time and money, two assets no business owner wants to sacrifice.
3. Give a Store an Identity – Before selecting music for their stores, retailers need to ask themselves the following questions: What is the overall style? What is my demographic? What mood do I want to set – peaceful or lively? Music allows them to convey a message about their brands.

SOME EXAMPLES

1. Tempur-Pedic recently opened up its first store in the greater Boston area and was looking for a music vibe that is “comfortable and chill” but “non-sleepy.” The brand wanted to stay away from tracks that sounded like lullabies or spa music. Instead, the international brand chose a “worldly eclectic” music vibe with a combination of modern jazz and “Euro-lounge” music. The goal was to appeal to a broad audience ranging from young adults to seniors.
2. WSS, offering a vast selection of shoes for men, women and children, carefully selected songs that are brand-new and current to further help attract a young (at heart) and hip customer base. By playing a fresh mix of pop, dance, rap, R&B, rock and country songs from the likes of Katy Perry, Usher and Justin Bieber, WSS ended up with a pleasant in-store vibe that makes shopping for the latest kicks fun and enjoyable.
3. Giggle, a new parent store offering stylish must-have baby items, envisioned an in-store soundtrack that is both fun and easy and which complements the brand’s identity. Thus, giggle decided on a groovy and upbeat playlist that is more targeted at the parents than their kids. By choosing bouncy songs from swing singers like Louis Prima, giggle was able to achieve a happy and giggly in-store vibe, making it a breeze for parents to shop for their little ones.

More and more retailers today are seeing the trend toward programmed music, and it’s helping their businesses grow. They are realizing that discerning guests are turned off by generic music that doesn’t fit, and that customized tunes are the new way to go.

HOW THEY PROGRAM

Music programmers are dedicated to each account, so retailers that need a real person to build their playlist can have it controlled from headquarters. Not every client needs installation if they already have a great sound system. Some just pay for the playlist creation and management service monthly. Clients also can control the music from a client log-in website at their store’s computer.

The programmers do not record live music sessions or mix music themselves, but they take submissions from independent artists. Most of their music is licensed from recording studios in the categories of Top 40, classic hits and country, among others. However, they receive CDs in the mail often, and some programmers are musicians themselves.

In fact, Prescriptive Music’s founder, Allen Klevens, is a classically trained, gifted pianist. He played the Las Vegas circuit when he was in his 20s. So often, this indie, original music gets put into clients’ playlists. Some clients request “unrecognized, cutting-edge” music vs. what’s heard on the radio all the time. So people with backgrounds in music frequently can provide that expertise to create distinctive aural images for retailers.

Allen Klevens is founder of Prescriptive Music, a music sensory branding firm. The company creates carefully planned, customized “music vibe” programs that help retailers differentiate themselves, elevate the customer experience and ultimately drive sales. For more information, visit www.prescriptivemusic.com.

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While you’re at the brand new Nobu Hotel or Caesar’s Palace, make sure you find your way to the world-renowned Nobu Restaurant. With locations all over the globe from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Nobu has a brand new 12,775 sq. ft. restaurant located inside the Nobu Hotel Caesar’s Palace, making it the largest Nobu Restaurant in the world. Enjoy signature dishes such as Black Cod with Miso or Rock Shrimp Tempura all while listening to the custom music provided by Prescriptive Music.

Nobu and Prescriptive Music have teamed up to enhance guests’ dining experience with a mix of mid to up-tempo lounge, electronic, house, and jazz acid music. Nobu’s fine dining and cuisine coupled with Prescriptive Music’s sound is sure to be an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime.

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Located in the epicenter of downtown Dallas, the newly expanded Joule Hotel has an array of amenities to cater to hotel guests while they vibe to the songs and melodies provided by Prescriptive Music. While relaxing at the brand new spa, dining at Charlie Palmer, or shopping at Traffic LA; listen to such artists as The Doors, The Black Keys, Amy Winehouse, or Maroon 5, which are just an example of the multitude of artists that you will hear while staying the Joule. Whether you’re staying for business or pleasure, the Joule Dallas along with Prescriptive Music makes it the perfect place for any and everyone to enjoy.

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Just about every retail establishment plays Top 40 hits and other music as a way to appeal to customers. After all, it would be kind of strange to eat a meal without any music in the background — you’d be forced to listen to the chatter of other patrons.

But did you know that establishments have to pay to play these songs? Just because you can listen to the radio for free in your car or home, doesn’t mean a business can do so without paying to obtain the proper licenses, reports the Dayton Daily News.

Businesses across the country learned this lesson the hard way when Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) sued them for copyright infringement for playing their songs without a proper license.

BMI’s lawsuits are part of a collective effort by companies holding many copyrights to protect their property. They’re meant to serve as a warning to other businesses illegally playing music, reports the Daily News.

This attack on businesses is interesting, as groups like BMI had been known to go after individual downloaders of their music. But given the anonymity of the Internet and the difficulties of tracing some illegal downloaders, BMI may have changed its tactics by going after businesses instead.

While someone downloading a song in a cafe may be extremely difficult to track, a business publicly playing someone else’s music is much more obvious.

As a result, these businesses are now paying thousands of dollars for each violation. One bar was ordered to pay $68,000 for 17 violations. That doesn’t even account for the business’ own time and legal costs.

A music license can be expensive and cost several thousand dollars, but these fees are still a lot lower than litigating against a giant like BMI. If you’re being sued over background music, you may want to contact an experienced business lawyer to make sure you’re in tune with the law.

Here at Prescriptive Music, we can help you find the right music for your restaurant, hotel, spa, etc with all licensing fees covered. Get started now!

………………………………………………………
By Andrew Lu on November 9, 2012 11:45 AM | No TrackBacks

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Here are some tips on choosing the right music, lighting, and decor for your restaurant:

1) Setting the Tone with the Right Music:

Selecting the right music for a restaurant is a major decision. You generally have three basic choices when it comes to music in a restaurant. Some restaurants go with traditional elevator music. Sometimes the owner picks his favorite tunes and sometimes the staff is allowed to choose. All of these options can produce mixed results among your customers.

• Elevator music – This is the safest choice, but does it really match the tone of your restaurant? If you’re running a sports bar and restaurant, do patrons really want to hear a watered down version of “My Heart Will Go On” while watching the big game?

• Owner-selected Tunes – Restaurants have personalities and who better knows what the personality of their restaurant is better than the owner? The only real drawback is if the music doesn’t really match with the theme of the restaurant. This approach tends to work better in casual dining settings rather than “fancy” restaurants that rely more on ambiance.

• Staff-selected Tunes – If you’re going to allow the staff to select the music, it’s best to set some ground rules. You don’t want music that’s going to offend or annoy your customers. This means no profanity, heavy metal, or rap – unless this fits in with the style of your restaurant, except for the profanity. All music, regardless of what it is, should be kept at a low level in the background.

2) Finding the Right Balance with Lighting:

Do your customers really need to be blinded by a bright light from above while trying to enjoy a romantic moment? Do you really need soft mood lighting to enjoy a pizza? The lighting that you need for your restaurant depends on several factors such as the time of day, the theme of your restaurant, and even the specific area of your restaurant that needs some form of lighting.

• Breakfast – Lots of light is needed to set a bright, energetic tone for the day.

• Lunch – Moderate lighting is fine since you don’t really want people to linger as you’re trying to turn tables over quickly.

• Dinner – Low intensity light tends to work best for most restaurants since you want people to take time to enjoy their meal and unwind. This is especially true in a fine dining restaurant.

• Fast food and family restaurants – These kind of places should be well lit to provide a comfortable, bright and fun atmosphere.

• Theme restaurants – Use fun lighting such as colored lights to match the theme of your restaurant.

3) Bringing it all Together with the Right Decor:

The decor of your restaurant should reflect your personality and the overall tone of the restaurant. A pizza place and other casual dining spots generally reflect the personality of the owner. More upscale restaurants generally have a simple decor so as not to detract from the food and atmosphere. Whatever your decision is for the decor, you want to be consistent. Color schemes should match and your decor should match the overall feeling you want to create when someone walks in the door.

First impressions are important, especially when it comes to the restaurant business. It can be overwhelming when trying to select the right music, lighting, and decor for your restaurant. If you’re not sure where to start, contact a professional designer to get some ideas to get you started. Get a few trusted opinions and get as much advice as you can.

Take time to consider factors such as the theme of your restaurant, the type of mood you want to set and how practical your lighting choices really are. You want to create an atmosphere that displays your style and sets the right tone for your customers.

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The math is a little rough, but the conclusion pretty stunning.  According to figures just released by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Reuters, National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), total financing across all sectors topped $26.5 billion in 2012.  That was a drop of 10 percent, the first fall in three years, yet music jumped a healthy 34 percent.

But why?  In fairness, music-specific financing absolutely pales in comparison to sectors like biotech and medical, which attracted more than $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter alone.  Then again, it’s never been that huge of an industry to begin with (relatively speaking).

The question is whether 2013 will be as kind.  Last year, Spotify and Deezer attracted nearly $250 million alone, and now they have to spend it.  But early signs look good: Google has already plopped an estimated $50 million in VEVO, a healthy start.

Of course, there are the brutal figures on VC-backed success rates.  A recent report showed that 3 out of 4 startups playing with $1 million or more don’t make it, a percentage that undoubtedly increases in music.

And with that, here’s the winners list from 2012.

1 In Every 43 Venture Capital Dollars Is Now Flowing Into Music…
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
by  paul

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With so much to offer, Latitude is your destination for corporate events, family nights, birthday parties, or any good time. Throughout the venue, Prescriptive Music punctuates your experience both sonically and visually. Jam out to popular hits both classic and current, from Blondie and The Cure to Katy Perry and Chris Brown. Whatever your favorite era, Prescriptive’s expansive mix ensures an enjoyable time for all.

Latitude aims to treat all your senses, so Prescriptive also keeps your vibe going through their exciting collection of videos. Covering everything from music and fashion to the more abstract images of nature, shadow dancers, and sirens, you’re sure to be visually stimulated whether you show up early for Happy Hour or stay for the Late Night Specials.

Could there be a more perfect pairing than Latitude and Prescriptive Music? Visit their new locations in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

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