Not a lot of stock is placed in sound quality these days. The Internet is polluted with awful sounding (not to mention mostly illegal) digital songs in the form of mp3 and other various file types. Most Internet radio stations broadcast at sub par bit rates (or quality levels). Even satellite radio like XM and Sirius which are supposed to be FM Radio’s premium alternative are definitely not an acceptable alternative to FM Radio when it comes to sound quality. A lot of business related services say they offer “CD Quality Transparency”, which is supposed to mean that the music sounds like playing a CD; unfortunately that is seldom the case.
The problem with the so called “Premium Music Concept” service providers is usually one of a couple things (or sometimes both):
- Lack of technical ability, and
- The distribution expense factor
The Internet is a fantastic medium for the digital delivery of business music services. The technical team at Bowling Music Network identified this over a decade ago. We pioneered this type of delivery in the industry and have been very successful with it because we know how to maximize on it’s potential. You need to trust that the company in charge of your customer’s entertainment experience has a solid technical background. I don’t personally change my vehicle’s oil when it’s due, not because I can’t physically do it, but because there are other people that can do it better. Being able to do something, and being able to do something right are two very different things. We take extra care and use unique and proprietary technologies to ensure that our subscribers only get the best.
When it comes to distribution, companies heavily evaluate what it costs to get the service to your bowling center. On the Internet, everything is measured by bandwidth and throughput. The higher the quality of sound or video, the more it costs to get it to you. This is usually why the Internet/Satellite radio, and other business music services don’t sound so great. They choose to sacrifice quality for cost. This might be acceptable for talk radio or free broadcasts for consumers. But when you have a bowling center packed with paying customers looking for an exciting bowling experience: You better make sure the music sounds as good as the bathrooms are clean, the food tastes great, and how friendly your staff are!
-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.
