The Essential Guide to Playing Music in the Lobby

Music is one of the most inexpensive and reliable ways to improve business of every stripe.

From bustling hotel lobbies to waiting rooms in medical offices, music is a powerful tool in helping customers relax and feel understood. But as music streaming platforms and playlists continue to shape and inform the way we consume music, business’ relationship with music has become complicated in recent years. Specifically, the sometimes murky territory of licensing music can be especially difficult to navigate for businesses intent on playing music legally in their lobby, reception or waiting room.

Luckily, we’re here to help not only clarify music licensing for businesses, but to also show you how to get the most out of your music selections. Music is a proven way to help businesses, but not all approaches to music will benefit your unique business. We’ll show you why and how to get the most out of your music selections in this comprehensive guide, but first, let’s tackle the issue of music licensing for your business.

How does music licensing work?

A growing number of people in and out of business are turning towards major streaming platforms to listen to and discover music. But while streaming platforms are great for individuals listening to music, they’re not typically designed for or legally compliant for businesses. For example, if you pay a monthly subscription fee to a company like Spotify, the account you’re paying for is strictly a personal one and not intended for your business. This means that if you’ve ever played music from your personal account in your place of business, you’ve technically done something illegal because your account doesn’t include a Public Performance License. And while you most likely didn’t face any consequences for playing some music from your personal account in your business, that’s likely to not always be the case should you choose to do it again in the future.

After the internet upended the music industry through new technology that enabled widespread music piracy, music labels, publishers and artists made a joint effort to address the problem. Their efforts in tandem with the emergence of new streaming platforms have made a huge impact in helping to diminish music piracy, but people continue to steal music in other ways.

The new target of those working to protect the interests of the music industry is businesses who illegally stream music. A huge amount of money and technological innovation is now being directed towards this issue, which means that businesses who’ve enjoyed streaming music from their personal accounts might end up facing steep fines and other consequences in the not-so-distant future.

Business owners do have the option of going at it alone when it comes to paying for licensed music to be played in their establishments, but it’s extremely complicated and expensive. Organizations like ASCAP, BMI, GMR and SOCAN each offer various public performance license options. For example, ASCAP offers all sorts of licensing options that wildly vary in cost and complexity depending on the size and nature of the business. An annual license could cost your business up to $1000.

So, how do you make sure the music you play is legally compliant in an inexpensive and easy-to-manage way? Cloud Cover Music is a business music streaming service starting from just $17.95/mo. We can connect you up with easy access to incredible music selections that are legally compliant.

Installation and equipment

The installation process you’ll need to set up your business with the proper music-playing equipment will vary depending on the size and atmosphere of the space you’re operating in. We work with a variety of different vendors for equipment and installation including Sonos, Bose SoundTouch, Libratone and Sony. You can easily operate our system through smartphones, tablets, computers, and CloudBoxes. 

These are not the only pieces of equipment that will work with the Cloud Cover system, but in order to get the most out of our service, we recommend using other comparable equipment that’s capable of producing clear sound.

Tips to help you play relaxing lobby music

There is no set formula for choosing music that will resonate with your customers.

Every business is unique, so we advise our clients to take stock of who exactly is frequenting their places of business and to choose music accordingly.

• For hotels, spas and reception areas, a smooth mix of relaxing music usually performs well. 
• For medical offices, grocery stores and shopping centers, faster and more engaging music is typically recommended.

But no matter what music you choose, it’s important to know exactly who your clientele is. Choosing music your customers resonate with is proven to boost sales and increase engagement, but getting it wrong can have the opposite effect. It’s vital to make the people you serve feel known and welcome no matter what your business is.

We offer a variety of different music stations to meet every business’ unique needs. 

Setting up music in main areas and smaller rooms

Most businesses feature a main area as well as smaller rooms. Cloud Cover is the only business music streaming service that allows you to add an unlimited amount of extra zones to your coverage. And instead of dealing with the hassle of controlling the music in each zone, Cloud Cover gives users access to a single easy-to-use dashboard.

Certain businesses rely on managers and employees to operate their music systems, and we can easily accommodate both. Cloud Cover gives clients the ability to put the musical controls in the hands of anyone who has access to our free Cloud Cover app. The app can be operated on-site or remotely, which gives our clients the power to control music in their place of business or from a main separate office.

The Cloud Cover solution

Cloud Cover is the perfect solution for any business looking to incorporate thoughtful, legal music streaming for any business. Music is too important of a thing for businesses to not pay attention to, but the reality is that most owners and managers are too busy to put time and effort into curating licensed music selections.

We’re here to help you take the stress and time out of choosing legally compliant music for your business. For one low monthly subscription fee, you’ll have access to dozens of our curated music stations designed to fit the unique needs of your business. From thrilling electronic music to classic 50’s and 60’s hits to emerging indie and alternative artists, you can rely on us to provide fresh and engaging music for your business.

For more information on what Cloud Cover can do for your business, contact us today!