Details are important when it comes to creating the right ambiance in your restaurant. Interior decor, seating, lighting, and friendly personnel: everything has to be just right to achieve an atmosphere that makes customers return. However, there is one detail that many restaurateurs overlook: music.
If you’ve ever been to an eatery where the music is a tad too loud for comfortable conversation or too soft that it’s barely there, you know what we’re talking about. Often, such establishments have not invested in quality restaurant sound systems.
Not all speakers and amplifiers were created equal — sound equipment used at home does not fulfill the needs of a commercial sound system for restaurant music. To get it right, owners need to invest in the right equipment that will give them reliable and efficient coverage across the space. But where to begin when choosing from all the restaurant sound systems out there? Let’s take a look.
How to Play Music Over Your Restaurant Speakers
First and foremost, a restaurant owner needs to pay attention to what’s coming out of their sound system. After all, a good restaurant audio system would be a waste if the wrong kind of music is coming out of the speakers.
But how do you ensure you get the best music at all times? Even where you or your staff would love to pick all your favorite songs, creating your own playlists takes too much time and you might inadvertently run into licensing issues.
Legally Stream Music
Many business owners don’t realize that it’s illegal to use personal streaming services to play music in their business. Personal streaming services like Pandora are designed to entertain just one person—the consumer. If you play them over speakers at your restaurant, you’re technically holding a public performance of that work. Play the songs without permission, and you could be violating copyright laws.
On the other hand, playing music from radio stations is a big no-no with the various ads and radio hosts interrupting the flow of music. Both of these options also mean repetition of the same tracks repeatedly, which will annoy both you and your guests.
Commercial Music Streaming Services
Fortunately, commercial music streaming services exist to take all these issues off a business owner’s hands. They give businesses access to the widest variety of music, so you can create the perfect feel for your restaurant without having to worry about breaking copyright law. Services like Pandora CloudCover even give restaurant owners the option to play ads that are designed specifically for your business, so you can effectively communicate with your customers.
A Guide to Choosing Restaurant Sound Systems
What are the best speakers for restaurant ambiance? We researched all the options out there, taking into consideration the following factors:
- Sound quality
- Ease of installation
- Ease of use
Here are our top picks:
1. Sonos
Sonos tops the list of restaurant speakers systems for ticking all of the boxes. These sleek speakers can be moved around the store and come with multi-room technology, making them easy to install in seconds. They also offer business-specific solutions to customers, such as the option to control a streaming service right from the Sonos mobile app on your phone or tablet. These features have made the brand a popular choice for small and mid-sized restaurants.
Sonos speakers range in price from about $250 to $2,300. This wide range means that businesses of all sizes and budgets can find a product that’s just right for them.
Many Sonos speakers are wireless, so they connect to streaming devices via Bluetooth technology. Tabletop versions are small and easy to place almost anywhere, while in-ceiling or in-wall versions can be discreetly placed without losing valuable space.
2. AudioPro Business
The main advantage of AudioPro Business speakers over other restaurant music system options is the ability to play music without using WiFi or Bluetooth wirelessly. Their devices use DECT technology to enable stable and high-definition sound with at least 2X the range of a WiFi system. Their speakers also give restaurant owners the freedom to play music from any source.
Audio Pro speakers range in cost from about $50 to more than $400. This wide range means the company offers speakers that could fit within almost any budget.
The company says Audio Pro installation takes no longer than a few hours. Speakers are designed to be small, discreet, and easy to overlook. They can blend right in with existing light fixtures mounted on the ceiling. The speakers link together, and you can add more as needed.
Audio Pro claims their speakers have at least two times the range of a traditional WiFi system, so they work well in large retail spaces.
3. Sonance
Sonance provides professional purpose-built restaurant sound systems for all types of spaces, even outdoors. Apart from the high-end sound and construction, their speakers are designed for integration in walls or ceilings, coming with a paintable, low-profile grille. They are great for restaurants that do not wish to compromise on aesthetics. Sonance speakers are among the most expensive versions we’ve outlined. Prices start at about $500 and go up from there. Some connect wirelessly via Bluetooth, but others are made to be hardwired and placed in the ceiling or the walls.
4. Bluesound Professional
Bluesound Professional specializes in speakers for business environments, including restaurants and retail environments. The company offers a business music app, so you can access music and control how it plays through the speakers via one simple screen. With this screen, you can also create zones for the music and control how loud it plays in each space.
Most companies buy Bluesound speakers in bundles, so they have many to fill a large space with sound. These bundles can be expensive, as the prices start at about $750 and go up from there.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Restaurant Stereo System
While the above sound system for restaurant options are excellent in their own right, the brand and type of speakers you go with ultimately depends on the space you have.
Before choosing an audio system, consider:
The Size of Your Restaurant
A powerful sound system in a small restaurant is a waste of technology and resources, just as using small or few speakers for a large space will be ineffective. Consider hiring a professional sound-system installer if your space is larger than 200 square meters.
Acoustics
Restaurants often build their spaces according to acoustic design and with materials that absorb or modify sound. While this may be great for reducing noise levels, it may reduce the intelligibility of a sound system. Instead of bombarding the entire space with music to counteract this, choose speakers that use line-array technology, such as column speakers.
Live Performances
If you plan to host live shows or paging microphones in your restaurant, a PA system with a professional mixing console, microphones, and loudspeakers is vital. These ensure proper tuning, feedback suppression, and quality sound in the space. Remember to choose a system that is easy to learn and manipulate.
What about the Amplifier?
An amplifier is an electronic device that increases (or amplifies) the sound that comes into it. This crucial tool can take a small sound from a device like your computer and turn it into something large enough to fill an entire restaurant.
An amplifier sits in the circuit between the item accessing the music (the receiver) and the items broadcasting the sound (the speakers). The larger the space you want to fill, the more powerful your amplifier should be.
Rule of 5
Many bloggers and restaurant owners use a so-called “rule of 5” when sizing an amplifier. They say an amplifier should have 5 watts of power per person seated in the space. However, you may need slightly more power. For example, if you’re seating customers outside, you may need amplifiers that can project 10 watts per person, as your music will compete with the natural sounds that surround your customers.
Calculating the right amplifier power also means examining the power (and number) of your speakers. Your speakers should list their wattage, and when you add them all up to your amplifier, they shouldn’t exceed its wattage.
Confused? Let’s break this down a bit and help you choose the right sound system for restaurant applications.
You have a 300-square-foot restaurant and four 25-watt speakers. Your amplifier should probably hold about 150 watts of space, allowing you to serve about 20 people with the right amount of sound.
See what we did there?
We calculated the added wattage of the speakers and bought an amplifier that could handle them. Then, we checked our figures against the rule of 5 to determine how many customers we could serve.
If we wanted to add more customers to the space, we’d need to add more speakers and kick up our amplifier choice accordingly.
Acoustic Design and Speaker Placement in Restaurants
Acoustic design is the art of ensuring the good noises get heard, and the poor ones are easier to ignore. Filling the space with things like soft cushions and curtains can help to reduce excessive noise, while using insulation between noisy spaces (like kitchens) and quieter spaces (like dining areas) can help, too.
If you still deal with things like noisy spots, adding sound diffusers can ensure that the music plays equally in all spaces.
With your acoustics improved, it’s time to dig into speaker placement. These tips may help:
- Place the tables first. Don’t put speakers in an empty room. Ensure you know where people will sit, and place speakers close to those spots.
- Space them out. Your speakers should be evenly placed throughout your space, so the music can be heard equally by your patrons.
- Avoid hard surfaces. Things like windows and walls can allow the sound to bounce around. Keeping speakers far from these areas may help.
Don’t be afraid to ask an expert to help you create the perfect sound design for your restaurant. An engineer can take measurements and ensure that everything sounds just perfect.
The Importance of Music in Restaurants
Using the right music in your restaurant is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. The most obvious reason for this is that it enhances the mood and ambiance of an eatery, but the power of in-house music is farther reaching than that.
Music can also increase your restaurant’s revenue by reducing perceived customer wait times as they stay engaged and entertained while they wait for their meal. Studies have also shown that the tempo of your music can influence how long patrons spend in your eatery: upbeat music increases table turnover, while slow tempo music encourages them to remain for long periods of time.
On the other hand, good music boosts morale and productivity, making your staff more efficient and personable. Pair a great playlist with the right audio system for restaurant music and everyone will enjoy their time at your eatery.
Legal Implications of Restaurant Sound Systems
U.S. copyright law requires everyone — including restaurant owners — to get permission before playing songs. If you skip this step, you could face consequences like court cases.
Songwriters, musicians, and publishers have legal rights to control when and where their songs are played. Anyone else who wants to play their songs must have permission to do so. If the copyright holder determines that someone does not have permission, they can sue for damages.
Per copyright law, the holder of the copyright can ask the courts for damages of not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per violation (or song played). If the court deems that your violations are willful, an additional $150,000 could be added to the total.
Restaurant owners typically need a license for a public performance to play music in restaurants. Even if the music is recorded, it’s considered a public performance in the terms of copyright law.
Many business owners have personal accounts with streaming services like Pandora. Know that this won’t protect you from violating copyright law. Personal streaming services are designed for individual — not business — uses. If you tap into these personal accounts and play them in your business, you’re still violating copyright law. The same lawsuits we’ve outlined could apply here.
Play the Right Tunes with Pandora CloudCover
Now that you know what a good sound system for restaurant spaces can do, it’s time to support that with a winning selection of music. Pandora CloudCover has an ample selection of quality music for restaurants. Subscribe to our restaurant music plan today and get fully licensed music stations playing everything from golden oldies to timeless pop and modern hits, all free of explicit language and ads. Terms and conditions apply.
References
Musical Works, Sound Recordings, and Copyright. (February 2020). United States Copyright Office.
Chapter 5: Copyright Infringement and Remedies. U.S. Copyright Office.