Entertainment

Christmas Music for Retailers: The 2022 Guide to Boost Holiday Shopper Sales

Published

2 years ago

November 21, 2022

Every year as we approach the holiday season, retail stores of all shapes and sizes start to fill up with scores of customers looking to score the best holiday shopping deals possible. You want to offer your customers a great experience that will keep them coming back time and time again. To do this, you’ll need to give your retail store personality and offer an experience that makes it someplace worth going to, and even better, telling your friends about too.

Music can be the key to adding this personality, but you need to make sure that the songs and playlists you choose are in line with the type of brand you have established first. When you can make your holiday music fit within your brand experience, it’s easy for customers to feel like they belong there, which will help them enjoy their Christmas shopping even more so.

But did you know you need to license the background music you play at your retail location(s)? You’re not alone if you’ve never heard of royalty-free music. Most people know what many things are but aren’t that familiar with the terms associated with them. If you need to learn what royalty-free means, here’s a quick definition. To license music for your business means that you can directly use it for your own benefits without having to pay any form of royalties to the owner(s). It’s a bit more complicated than that, which is why it pays to have some of the basics under your belt if you’re thinking about going this route.

Timing Is Everything – Don’t Start Playing Christmas Music Too Soon

The holidays are the most important time of year for retailers, and music is one of the most important elements that can help make or break your season. But if you don’t start playing your Christmas music too early, you can avoid losing customers who might be annoyed by too much Christmas music being played in October and November. You want to start playing your holiday songs closer to or right after Thanksgiving has passed along with Black Friday too. You want to start playing your holiday background music when people start thinking about what they want for Christmas, but not before they’ve finalized all the details.

Use a Music Streaming Platform That Is Legal for Businesses

The last thing you want is for an attorney to come into your store because they heard Christmas music being played from your store and then find out that it was being played illegally without proper business music licensing. That could prove to be pretty for business, especially if you get slapped with a cease & desist order, or worse, a lawsuit! Make sure that whatever music streaming platform you use has permission from artists and labels to let businesses play their music legally (e.g., Spotify).

Work Christmas Music into Your Streaming Music Without Letting the Christmas Music Overtake Everything

Christmas music for retailers is typically playing everywhere during the holiday season. You are guaranteed to hear it playing in the background at mom & pop retail shops, department stores, shopping malls, restaurants, schools, corporate offices, and more. This makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd with your Christmas music playlist choices. You don’t have to go overboard with Christmas tunes either — just keeping them in the background is enough to get shoppers in the holiday spirit.

Stay On-Brand by Playing Your Typical Genres

The best way to keep customers returning throughout December is by staying true to your brand identity and using genre preferences as an indicator of that identity. For example, if your store predominantly sells children’s toys and clothes, then playing classical music might not be appropriate because it doesn’t reflect who you are or what your brand stands for.

Try Alternatives to Overplayed Classics

Many people associate certain Christmas tunes with their childhoods or other special moments. But all too often, these same songs become so ubiquitous that they lose their charm. Try alternatives if you’re sick of hearing “White Christmas” every time you walk into a store or restaurant.

How Can You Legally Stream Spotify Playlists?

The popularity of streaming services has made it easier than ever for retailers to play quality music without breaking copyright laws. Services like Spotify allow you to create playlists based on artists and genres licensed for commercial use — meaning, with proper commercial licensing, they can be played in stores without getting sued by record labels or publishers.

Why Do You Need to License Music?

To start off, here are just a few reasons why licensing music matters. You’re responsible for protecting your brand’s image, reputation, and integrity — ensuring everything you do is within the law.

You want customers to have a positive experience when they enter your store or visit your website. Your brand’s image plays into this as well. If people associate your business with certain songs or artists and then listen to them while shopping elsewhere, you could lose business and customers because they’re already “in the mood” for something else when they walk into your store!

Music is a powerful way to engage customers, create an emotional connection, and boost holiday sales. It’s also the most cost-effective way to differentiate your brand from competitors. That’s why many retailers are already using music in their stores. And there are many ways to use Christmas music for retail that can help you grow sales at your store this holiday season.

Soundtrack Your Brand Can Legally License Music for Your Retail Business

Holiday music has been a staple of retail stores for decades. From a simple radio to the latest digital jukebox, customers can expect to hear holiday tunes in your store as soon as Thanksgiving hits.

Holiday music is a tried-and-true way to create an inviting and festive atmosphere that can bring customers into your store. But how do you choose the right music for your store? And how can you make sure it’s legally licensed?

Soundtrack Your Brand is a leader in this space and can definitely help answer those questions. From the legality of playing Christmas music at your store, to choosing the right sound system for your business, they have everything you need to know about playing Christmas music in your retail business.

If you want to help boost sales, find the right holiday music. When you start playing Christmas music too early, though, it might cause burnout. You need to find the right balance and keep it on-brand. And, if you’re shopping for a music streaming service, ensure you’re following the license rules, so you don’t get sued in 2022 or 2023 for that matter.

Entertainment

Getting to Know Adeia’s Fingerprints on Entertainment Evolution

Published

4 months ago

December 18, 2024

Jonathan Grilli

Photo courtesy of Adeia

By Joy Reyes

Behind every streaming recommendation, smart TV search, and seamless device switch lies hidden technology powering your modern entertainment experience. Although people might not know Adeia, they have likely used its technology many times. The company’s inventions are embedded in the modern entertainment experience, from sophisticated content recommendation systems to seamless multi-device streaming capabilities.

“Our basic inventions shape the way millions of people explore and experience entertainment and improve billions of devices in an increasingly connected world,” says Serhad Doken, chief technology officer (CTO) at Adeia.

Building upon this foundation, “we create tools that make watching shows easier and more fun. These tools work on televisions (TVs), phones, and other devices, no matter where or how you watch. They help organize your entertainment in a way that feels just right for you,” Serhad Doken adds.

Connecting Traditional and Modern Media

At the heart of today’s entertainment landscape lies a crucial challenge: bridging the gap between traditional television and modern streaming platforms. One of Adeia’s key strengths is its ability to connect traditional linear television with the new age of streaming services. The company licenses its patented media inventions for traditional linear television in North America and internationally through its extensive portfolio of patents.

This comprehensive approach ensures seamless integration with over-the-top media service (OTT), direct-to-consumer, and social media services that provide access to entertainment inside and outside the home on a broad array of devices. The result is a unified entertainment experience catering to traditional viewers and digital-first consumers.

“We believe the continued growth of video consumption, the changes in how consumers explore and experience video, and the need for content storage and high-performance computing present new opportunities for us to continue to develop patentable inventions,” Serhad Doken explains.

Improving Content Discovery

In an age where the average viewer can access thousands of shows and movies across multiple platforms, finding what to watch can be as challenging as creating the content itself. To address this content overload, Adeia has been solving this problem by developing new solutions for content discovery that make the viewing experience more intuitive and personalized.

At the forefront of these innovations is Adeia’s universal search capability, which allows for unified discovery across live, recorded, on-demand, and streaming content sources. This groundbreaking solution means viewers no longer need to jump between different apps or platforms to find what they want to watch — Adeia’s universal search brings it all together in one place.

Moreover, the company improves content discovery further with its personalized discovery experiences. Using sophisticated algorithms and machine learning, this includes personalized recommendations, predictive results, and popular and trending content suggestions. By analyzing viewing patterns and preferences, Adeia presents viewers with content that matches their interests and viewing habits.

Recognizing the growing prominence of voice-controlled smart home devices, Adeia has also developed a conversational interface to interpret voice commands and requests. This technology supports natural, conversational dialogue and interaction with smart responses, making it easier for viewers to find and control their entertainment.

Improving the Viewing Experience

Modern viewers expect a seamless entertainment experience across all their devices, and Adeia’s technologies make this possible. Their multi-device experience technology allows viewers to start watching a show on one device and smoothly transition to another without missing a beat.

To enhance the binge-watching experience that has become synonymous with modern streaming, Adeia has developed technologies that connect viewers with entertainment on their terms. These include features that automatically play the next episode or remember where viewers left off across different devices.

Perhaps most exciting is Adeia’s work in immersive content. “We are creating unrestricted entertainment experiences that are more engaging and gratifying than ever before,” Serhad Doken says. “This includes dynamic advertising, gaming, wagering, and even shoppable video integrated into content.”

Impact on Semiconductors

While Adeia’s influence on the entertainment industry is substantial, its inventions are not limited to this sector. According to Serhad Doken, the company also leads in semiconductor technology, developing solutions that expand the possibilities in electronic devices.

“With the rising cost of advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, the sector is looking beyond Moore’s Law toward advanced packaging and three-dimensional (3D) integration technologies,” Serhad Doken explains, adding that its skilled team and labs in California and North Carolina create advanced 3D integration methods. These methods, like hybrid bonding, help make future electronics work better, faster, and smaller.

The Future of Entertainment Technology

As the entertainment landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, Adeia will continue to play an important role in shaping it. With its extensive research and development capabilities and broad portfolio of patented technologies, the company is well-positioned to address the needs of both content providers and consumers.

This positioning has recently been reinforced by a significant development in Adeia’s business. The company has entered into a multi-year agreement with Amazon, covering Adeia’s media intellectual property portfolio. This partnership with one of the world’s largest and most innovative companies underscores the value and relevance of Adeia’s technologies in the digital entertainment space.

Paul E. Davis, Adeia’s chief executive officer, emphasized the importance of this agreement, stating, “Amazon plays a massive role in today’s innovation society. This collaboration validates Adeia’s technological prowess and promises to expand our developments’ reach and impact.”

“We are excited about the future of entertainment technology,” Serhad Doken concludes. “As video consumption continues to grow and change, and as new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) become more common, we will be there, developing new inventions that improve the way people explore, experience, and enjoy entertainment.”

In addition to the significant agreement with Amazon, Adeia has also recently renewed its long-standing partnership with Sharp Corporation. This renewal extends a relationship that has lasted for over 25 years.

Mark Kokes, Adeia’s chief licensing officer and general manager of media, commented on the renewal, highlighting Sharp’s reputation as a global leader in entertainment technology and its expertise in display technologies.

The renewed agreement covers Sharp’s smart TVs and consumer electronics, further solidifying Adeia’s position in the media technology sector.

These recent developments underscore the momentum in Adeia’s business, showcasing its ability to retain long-term partners like Sharp and attract new, influential clients like Amazon.

With its growing list of high-profile partnerships and ongoing innovations, Adeia is well-positioned to continue shaping the future of digital entertainment. The company’s advanced R&D efforts consistently result in fundamental innovations that power next-generation products, delivering breakthroughs in digital experiences for both consumer and enterprise applications.

Through its innovative solutions and forward-thinking approach, Adeia’s influence can be felt throughout the development of the entertainment industry, from the fundamental technologies that power our devices to the intuitive interfaces that help us discover and enjoy content. As we move into an increasingly connected future, Adeia’s technologies continue to shape how we interact with and experience digital entertainment.