Background Music Strategy
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Best Music Streaming Services For Business Compared: Cost, Support, & Features
by Ryan Santangelo, Ph.D., Co-Founder & CEO, Dynamic Media
The benefits of music streaming for business are well-documented. Numerous studies have shown that music can boost sales in restaurants, increase impulse sales in retail stores and improve worker productivity in offices.
But how can you identify the best music streaming service for business? Here, you’ll find an article comparing all music for business options. We’ll also discuss what you should consider when reviewing streaming services.
How to Judge Music Streaming Services for Business
There are a few essential considerations when comparing music streaming services for business.
One non-negotiable is the availability of licenses for all the music you stream. Without licenses, you violate copyright laws and are subject to substantial penalties. That’s why it’s challenging to find free streaming music for business. Even if you want to play songs on radio stations, you still need the appropriate licenses for the music. Licensing requirements also prevent you from using your personal Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music or SiriusXM subscription to stream music for your business.
Other essential factors to consider include the:
- Absence of ads and DJ interruptions
- Size of the music catalog
- Types of hardware
- Customer support
You’ll also want to look for advanced features like scheduling and a central management portal.
The availability of a free trial is another good sign of a reputable music streaming service for business use. Pricing is also a factor, especially when selecting streaming music for small businesses. You get what you pay for, and you should beware of ultra-low-cost options. But the most expensive service isn’t necessarily the right fit for a small business. You’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of each resource carefully before choosing a music streaming service for your business.
A Comparison of Music Streaming for Business Options
It’s a given that you want licensed music streaming for your business. All of the options we review do include the necessary licenses. But you should be aware of significant differences among the services. Check out our roundup of music streaming services for business and decide which is the best for you.
SiriusXM Music for Business
SiriusXM Music for Business offers 45 million songs accessible through more than 240 channels. It also includes over 100 Xtra Channels and 10,000-plus Pandora Artist Stations for even more versatility. All of the music is free of ads and DJ interruptions.
Player Options
You can stream your SiriusXM Music for Business subscription from a wide range of devices, including a dedicated player with onboard controls and Wi-Fi capability, Sonos, Amazon Echo, web players, mobile devices, PCs and more. It also provides a satellite radio option. The dedicated player does not provide any local storage or offline playback capabilities.
SiriusXM Music for Business’s dedicated player does offer real-time controls and can be controlled from a remote location.
Custom Curation and AI Capabilities
While it provides a wide range of tracks, SiriusXM Music for Business does not offer custom curated playlists. Through its access to Pandora Artist stations, the service allows businesses to generate AI-enabled playlists. But it does not allow playlist mixing or song blocking. SiriusXM Music for Business also does not provide a comprehensive historical record of songs played.
Advanced Features
SiriusXM Music for Business offers a scheduling function and a central management portal. The company provides hundreds of consumer channels alongside its Business Exclusive channels.
Customer Support
The service offers comprehensive customer support, including a call center in Michigan, as well as online resources that allow customers to troubleshoot and resolve problems. SiriusXM Music for Business also offers on-site support for installation and maintenance. The company also designs, sells and installs audio systems.
Cost
SiriusXM Music for Business offers a 30-day free trial with all features, and monthly subscriptions are $26.95. It accepts all payment methods.
Mood Media
Mood Media offers an estimated 1 million to 2 million songs without interruptions.
Player Options
Its hardware player has no onboard controls and offers limited local storage and offline playback capabilities. Wi-Fi support is available. While it does allow control from a remote location, the player offers no real-time control. Mood Media does provide an app but no web player.
Custom Curation and AI Capabilities
Mood Media provides a paid curation service, featuring a Mood Media curator. This service can range from hundreds of dollars per month and is available to only the largest customers. The company offers no AI-generated playlists. The service provides a basic but functional playlist mixing feature, along with song blocking capabilities. Mood Media does not offer a comprehensive historical record of songs played.
Advanced Features
Mood Media does offer scheduling capabilities, along with a central management portal with basic features. However, it does not provide any connections to consumer music.
Customer Support
The service provides customer support through call centers in India and Pakistan. If you purchase through a reseller, that company will be responsible for customer support. Audio system design, sales and installation are also handled by resellers, where available.
Cost
The company doesn’t offer a free trial. Monthly subscriptions start at $34.95. Mood Media accepts all payment methods.
Pandora for Business
The Pandora Business catalog contains 3 million songs with no commercial or DJ interruptions.
Player Options
The company has no app or web player, and its hardware player has no onboard controls. While its hardware player does offer Wi-Fi support, it does not have local storage or offline playback capabilities. The player also does not offer control from a remote location or real-time control.
Custom Curation and AI Capabilities
Pandora for Business has no custom curated playlists or playlist mixing functionality, but it does offer AI-enabled artist channels that allows users to create personalized music stations based on artists or songs. Pandora for Business does not offer a traditional song blocking feature, although it provides a “thumbs down” option that indicates a song should not be played again. A comprehensive historical record of songs played is not part of its offerings.
Advanced Features
Pandora for Business offers a basic scheduling function with little flexibility and few options. It also does not have a central management portal. But the service allows users to connect to their personal Pandora accounts.
Customer Support
The company uses offshore call centers for support, and many customers have reported a lack of responsiveness. It offers no chat or email support, nor does it provide audio system design, sales and installation services.
Cost
There’s no free trial, and monthly subscriptions are $26.95. Pandora for Business accepts credit card payments only.
Cloud Cover Music
Cloud Cover Music offers an estimated 1 million to 2 million songs, which are available with no interruptions.
Player Options
Its hardware player has no onboard controls. With available real-time control, the player can be controlled from a remote location. It also offers Wi-Fi support. Prefetch mode must be enabled for its limited local storage and offline playback capabilities. Once prefetch mode is activated, you no longer control the player. An app is available, as is a web player.
Custom Curation and AI Capabilities
The company offers a paid curation service for large customers that provides custom curated playlists for an additional fee. It also provides playlist mixing capabilities, but Cloud Cover Music does not offer AI-generated stations. The service does have a song blocking function, as well as a comprehensive historical record of songs played at all locations.
Advanced Features
Cloud Cover Music provides scheduling capabilities, as well as a central management portal. But it does not allow connections to consumer music.
Customer Support
The company provides phone and chat support through a small U.S.-based call center, but it offers no on-site services. Cloud Cover Music also does not provide audio system design, sales or installation services.
Cost
The company provides a 14-day free trial. Monthly subscriptions range from $17.95 to $29.95. Cloud Cover Music accepts all payment methods.
Rockbot
With a catalog of 16 million songs, Rockbot allows a business’s customers to request songs through the Rockbot app, giving them, rather than the business, control over the music selection. Its music plays without DJ or commercial interruptions.
Player Options
The company’s hardware player has no onboard controls but it does offer real-time and remote control. It does not provide Wi-Fi support. As far as local storage and offline playback capabilities are concerned, the dedicated hardware player, which can be remotely controlled, is loaded with around 50 songs that loop. The player also offers real-time control. Rockbot does offer an app and a web player.
Custom Curation and AI Capabilities
Custom curated playlists and AI-generated stations are not part of Rockbot’s offerings. It also does not provide playlist mixing or a comprehensive historical record of songs played.
Advanced Features
Rockbot offers a scheduling function and a basic central management portal. It also lets users import music from services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Customer Support
The company provides email and phone call support during business hours, and its website offers some resources. However, Rockbot does not offer on-site support or audio system design, sales and installation services.
Cost
Rockbot offers a 14-day free trial, and monthly subscriptions run as high as $79. It accepts payment through ACH and credit card only.
6 Questions to Ask When Choosing the Best Music Streaming Service for Business
A thorough comparison of the various platforms is essential to selecting the best music streaming service for business. You’ll want to carefully review the features offered by each. As you evaluate your options, ask yourself the following questions.
1. Is the Music Licensed?
In searching for the best music streaming for business, you may think about using your personal music subscription. This is never a good idea because it violates copyright law and can result in thousands of dollars in fines. Legitimate music for business use will include all the licensing rights for the tunes you want to play.
2. Is the Music Ad-Free?
When looking for the best music streaming for your business, you may consider playing various radio stations. This option is less than ideal because annoying ads and DJ interruptions can reduce the benefits of playing music for business use. Plus, you never know if some content will offend your customers. Another problem with playing the radio is that it also can violate copyright law.
Besides the radio, some free services also offer ad-supported music streaming. Again, these ads can detract from the advantages of playing music for business use.
3. How Large is the Music Catalog?
The best music streaming service for business will offer a wide range of playlists. You want a broad array of choices to ensure you play the appropriate music for your business. SiriusXM Music for Business, for instance, provides access to 200+ SiriusXM stations and over 10,000 Pandora artists.
4. Are You Locked Into a Specific Type of Hardware?
The best business music service will let you stream music on the device of your choice. For example, you can play SiriusXM Music for Business on satellite radio or a wide range of devices, like a smartphone, personal computer, Sonos speaker, dedicated streaming player or connected devices like Apple TV or Amazon.
5. Can You Play Music in Different Zones or Locations?
If your business has multiple locations, you’ll want a business music service that can play at all your sites. Even if you have just one location, you may want to play different music in different parts of your facility. The best music streaming service for business will let you play music where you want.
6. Can You Select Music Based on the Time of Day?
Some businesses wish to play different types of music at different times of the day. Restaurants, for instance, may want slower music for breakfast time and more upbeat choices after hours. The best music streaming for business lets you play the music you want when you want.
Music Streaming for Business Wrap-Up
Because Rockbot is really a jukebox service with the potential for offensive or unwanted music, it’s often not a good fit for many businesses. Among the music streaming for business services, Mood Media and Cloud Cover Music are considered shaky propositions because Mood Media declared bankruptcy in 2020 and Cloud Cover was acquired in 2022. The future of both services is in doubt.
Given its poor set of services and limited music options, Pandora for Business doesn’t provide a good value. Although it’s on the expensive side, Soundtrack Your Brand could be a good option for companies that are large enough to have the time or staff to customize playlists. SiriusXM Music for Business is an excellent choice for businesses looking for an easy entry into music streaming at an affordable price. A bonus is that SiriusXM for Business includes over 10,000 Pandora Artist Stations, giving you access to Pandora’s music without having to deal with its limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Music Streaming for Business
SiriusXM Music For Business has industry-leading expertise and knowledge. Read the following questions to learn more about music streaming for business.
What Kind of Sound System Do I Need?
SiriusXM Music for Business works with a broad array of sound systems. If you’re not happy with what you currently have, we can design and install a system for you.
What Is the Cost to Implement Music Streaming Services for Business?
The costs to implement music streaming services for business vary widely depending on the provider. SiriusXM Music for Business charges an affordable $26.95 a month for a robust music catalog.
Why Playing Background Music in Your Business Matters
Numerous studies have demonstrated the advantages of playing music for business use across various industries. Research shows that carefully curated music in restaurants can boost sales. Other studies have also found that uptempo music can increase table turnover.
Some studies see a rise in impulse sales when music is played in retail stores.
Additional research indicates that music in offices increases worker productivity. Music can mask background noises and help reduce the distractions that keep employees from finishing their tasks.
Music in medical offices can also decrease patients’ anxiety and improve their sense of privacy.
A business music service can provide an array of benefits, regardless of industry.
What If I Have More Than One Location?
Music for multi-site installations are a specialty of SiriusXM Music for Business. We even have discounted enterprise programs for establishments with 50+ locations.
Can I Control the Music Remotely?
Yes, with SiriusXM Music for Business, you can control your music remotely.
Trust Your Music Streaming for Business to SiriusXM Music for Business
When you want dependable, affordable music streaming for business, you want SiriusXM Music for Business. We not only offer an unparalleled mix of music, but we also provide outstanding customer service and on-site support for installation and maintenance. Contact us today to see what SiriusXM for Business can do for you.
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