Author Archive

Industry Leading Music Video Services

March 31, 2011

Bowling Music Network is recognized as the leading music video service provider in the bowling industry.  Our success has been built on understanding the varying demographic needs of bowling centers, and creating compelling “single click” channels, including our exclusive “MOM Approved” options.  Our video programming staff are committed to providing you with weekly updates including the latest video releases that automatically play in the appropriate channels.


Hot New Music Videos Just Added

Katy Perry – E.T.


As Well As


Introducing Improved Search

The Bowling Music Player’s search functions have just received an exciting update. Searches are now auto-completed as you type to help prevent spelling errors that can negatively affect your search results. It will also automatically provide more intelligent matching to suggested results based on what you type. The end result is a much faster experience to guide you to the music videos and content your bowlers are looking for. The improved search function could have never been completed without valuable input from subscribers like Tyler Punteney at Sun Valley Lanes. Give us your feedback on the new video search functions, feedback@bowlingmusic.com.

Posted in Bowling Industry, Bowling Music, Bowling Music Technology, Bowling Music Video, Entertainment Bowling | Leave a Comment »

BMN on Facebook!

October 10, 2009

facebookAre you one of the 300+ million Facebook users worldwide?

Now you can connect with Bowling Music Network on our new Facebook Page. Get insider information, service update notices, upcoming events, and participate in discussions with other subscribers.

Click Here to visit us and “Become a Fan”!

Posted in Bowling Music Technology | Leave a Comment »

Bowling Music Player 6

May 6, 2009

v6_teaser

Coming Soon to a trade show near you!

If you’re a subscriber and would like to get in on the pre-release beta, you can send an email to beta@bowlingmusic.com or contact the BMN Help Desk at 1-866-684-8324 to be added to the list.

More info and final release date will follow in the coming weeks… Stay tuned!

-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.

Posted in Bowling Music Technology | Leave a Comment »

Feature Focus: Enhancer Search

September 26, 2008

Bowling Music Enhancer The Bowling Music Enhancer has garnered great acclaim in the Bowling Industry from both customers and competitors. It’s arguably one of the best value-added features of subscribing to the Bowling Music Network. With now over 400 audio and video items in the Bowling Music content library; the Enhancer is more important to our subscribers than ever. With the launch of the Bowling Music Player version 5, we’ve added some great new features to the Enhancer including a new Search Engine to help you quickly find what you’re looking for.

What is the Enhancer anyway?

Before we talk about the new Search feature we should probably discuss what the Enhancer is for those of you who don’t know. When Bowling Music Network first launched almost 5 years ago, the idea of a music service dedicated to the Bowling Industry was still brand new. We launched with the commitment to always listen to the customer and one of the big requests was to have the ability to play things like National Anthems, exciting Show Openers for entertainment shifts, or Pre-League Warm-ups. With this idea, we developed a section of our player to be dedicated to one-click buttons preloaded with this type of content. We called it the “Enhancer” because it’s purpose was to help enhance the experience of bowling customers. It was a huge success, and since then our production team has been hard at work producing hundreds of unique items which can be played whenever you need them. No other entertainment service has the volume or quality of content to even compare.

Too many buttons!

As time passed and we continued to add more and more content to the library, it became clear that we were going to run out of space to have buttons for all of this stuff. We decided to group Enhancer content in to industry relevant categories to help organize everything. This is still available today, but we recently released a much better way to quickly find what you’re looking for. We have developed sophisticated search engine technology which allows you to type a word or even part of a word, hit Search and almost instantly see all the content related. A smart search engine combined with keywords and full text descriptions for all content make for a finely tuned and excellent search experience.

Bowling Music Enhancer Search

We’re continuing to raise the bar on things that matter the most to our subscribers. Enhancer Search is just another example of a great customer suggestion turned in to reality. If you’d like a more in-depth walk through of the new Bowling Music Enhancer, we welcome you to give us a call at 1-866-684-8324. We would love the opportunity to show you how to better Enhance your customer’s bowling experience!

-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.

Posted in Bowling Music Technology, Feature Focuses | Leave a Comment »

Feature Focus: Bowling Music Scheduler

August 27, 2008

Last week, the new Bowling Music Player version 5.0 went live for all subscribers. We have been working on this update for quite a while and we were all excited to get it out. Amongst the many new features and updates which shipped as part of the new player was an all new version of the Bowling Music Scheduler and an update to our exclusive Smart Marketing Technology (“SMT”). For those of you not aware of just what exactly SMT is; all you have to know is that it’s an incredibly useful thing that helps you to sell more of what you want to sell. The Bowling Music Scheduler is the front-end to SMT which not only allows you to automate it, but also helps you to automate just about everything you use the Bowling Music Network for.

Bowling Music Scheduler v5.0

The new version of the Scheduler is dramatically easier to use and navigate. It works on a 7-day, time-slot based design which allows you to quickly find the time that you want to insert or change something. We’ve added the ability to schedule Custom Video Playlists and Custom Video Programs, as well as system Volume changes, and even pre-programmed video Marquees. Scheduling music or music-video programs to change is simple and only takes two clicks:

Music/Video Selector

Using the Scheduler to schedule “Content” is where it gets really exciting for bowling center managers and proprietors. With as few as three clicks, you can select from hundreds of preloaded audio and video promotions to help promote things like Food & Beverage, Leagues & Bowling Clubs, Special Events & Event Services, and much more.

Content Selector

There are also tons of other great things preloaded like Safety Messages, Pre-League & Shift Openers, Closing Announcements, and Novelty Dances that can be scheduled to play whenever you need them.

SMT Auto-Update

We know how difficult it is to find time for things like this. When we talk to bowling center staff and managers, everyone agrees that they *should* be using this stuff, but they just don’t have the time to deal with it. For this reason, we created SMT Auto-Update. An all new feature that allows us to create templates of scheduled items and then apply them to individual subscriber accounts or full groups of accounts for multi-location chains. These templates are designed with generic content that will work in any bowling center. The best part is that they will be automatically updated and assigned throughout the year. You no longer have to worry about updating your schedule; we’ll take care of it for you!

If you’d like a more in-depth walk through of the new Bowling Music Scheduler, we welcome you to give us a call at 1-866-684-8324. We would love the opportunity to show you how you can get more by doing less!

-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.

Posted in Bowling Marketing, Bowling Music Technology, Feature Focuses | Leave a Comment »

Version 5.0 Launch Wave

August 4, 2008

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our early adopters and software testers. Over the last 8 weeks, the preview of our new version 5.0 software update has gone extremely well. We have gathered some tremendously useful information along the way and we would now like to update everyone on what’s coming and when.

The new Bowling Music Player contains hundreds of updates and over 30 new features. Here are some of the ones we think are important.

For Bowling Video subscribers:

  • The video playback engine has been significantly changed and now provides even better and more transparent transitions between music-videos and video content like promotions and enhancers.
  • Music-Video Search has been updated for better and more accurate results.
  • Now Playing now offers simple Drag and Drop of playlist items for faster and more intuitive playlist management.
  • PlayNow Custom Playlists have been updated so that you can now edit saved playlists independently of your Now Playing playlist.
  • PlayNow Custom Programs is a new feature that gives you the ability to build custom music-video programs with built in content ratings. The number of music-video programs is now limitless!
  • Bowling Video Marquees can now be saved for future use and quick implementation.

For all Bowling Music subscribers:

  • The Bowling Music Enhancer has been updated with a new Search feature to help you quickly find what you’re looking for and features fast inline results.
  • We have also added short text descriptions for all promotional and enhancer content so you know what you’re playing before you even click play.
  • Enhancer Favorites is a new feature that allows you to pick up to 16 of your favorite enhancers and save them for quick access.
  • The Bowling Music Scheduler is all new with a more intuitive user interface and now runs on a 7-day, date and timeslot-based design.
  • Scheduling items is faster than ever now with easier to use “Selectors” for each type of schedule item which are designed to better expose item selection. Content Selector presents identical options for searching and discovering content as available in the Enhancer. The Music / Video Selector offers full program descriptions when selecting a program. We have also added the capability of scheduling saved Marquees, custom Video Programs & Playlists, and volume actions to automatically adjust the player’s volume at specified times.
  • SMT Auto-Update is a new feature that allows BMN to create templates of scheduled actions and then apply them to individual subscriber accounts or full groups of accounts for multi-location chains. Templates will be automatically updated and assigned throughout the year. You no longer have to worry about updating your schedule; we’ll take care of it for you!

These are just a few of the new features coming in the version 5.0 update. We know that a lot of BMN subscribers are excited about this update and we want to get it out to you as soon as possible. We also respect that there are many subscribers who are quite happy with the current version. With this in mind, we have limited the design changes on this update. Did you know that Bowling Music Network now services over 650 bowling centers across North America? As the largest and most popular entertainment service provider to the bowling industry, we have to be responsible for how new updates will affect all of our subscribers. You have our guarantee that we will be available to train staff and provide helpful documentation and tutorial videos for the new update.

Release Schedule

On August 18, 2008 we will be opening up the new version to all subscribers who would like to try it out. When you log in to your services, you will be presented with an option to use the new player, or to continue to the old version.

On September 15, 2008 all subscribers will automatically be switched over to the new version. Don’t worry though; all your settings will be automatically migrated. As noted previously, most subscribers won’t even notice any major changes in the player. Just about everything is right where you’ll expect it to be.

If you have any questions or concerns, we welcome you to contact the Bowling Music Helpdesk at 1-866-684-8324. Once again, thank you for your support. We really appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to provide you great value and superior entertainment and marketing services.

Posted in Bowling Music Technology | Leave a Comment »

It’s Coming!

May 21, 2008

When new subscribers and bowling center proprietors are first introduced to the Bowling Music Network, we typically hear comments about how much easier the service is to use compared to what they had before. This doesn’t happen by accident and we’re the first to admit that our software and services wouldn’t be what they are without our dedicated customers and their feedback. 

Our development team has been hard at work on the next major version of the Bowling Music Player and we’re happy to say it’s almost ready! Version 5.0 is coming soon and includes all new features for the Enhancer, Scheduler and Video components, as well as hundreds of updates all around. It’s been over a year in the making and I’m confident it’s the best version yet!

Please accept this as our invitation to visit us at the International Bowl Expo 2008, where you can experience the latest in new technology. You’ll see why over 500 bowling centers across North America have chosen the Bowling Music Network for their bowling entertainment services.

If you’re already a subscriber and would like to get in on the pre-release final stage of testing, you can send an email to bmp5@bowlingmusic.com or contact the BMN Help Desk at 1-866-684-8324 to be added to the list.

More info and final release date will follow in the coming weeks… Stay tuned!

-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.

 

Posted in Bowling Music, Bowling Music Technology | Leave a Comment »

HEAR The Difference!

February 19, 2008

speakerNot 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.

Posted in Bowling Music, Bowling Music Technology, Bowling Music Video, Entertainment Bowling | Leave a Comment »

IN-Center Audio and Video Marketing Works

January 21, 2008

arrowsSix years ago, Jim Juniper and I developed a technology called Promo Player which was an “in center” marketing platform designed specifically for the Bowling industry. The first of it’s kind in the industry; Promo Player allowed bowling proprietors to cross-sell and up-sell existing and future products or services to customers inside their four walls. The technology allowed automatic playback of (audio only at the time) announcements at a set interval during regular music programming. Despite the sophistication and  ease of use, the power of the technology really laid in the library of stock announcements which accompanied it. There were generic announcements for Leagues, Food & Beverage, Fundraisers, Safety Rules, Corporate Parties, Kids Birthdays and many other profit opportunities. The bowling proprietor could also have custom announcements produced to promote anything not covered by the generic library. All of a sudden, you could easily promote your business using professionally produced announcements embedded in to your music program, and it was a big success.

Over the years there have been a number of advances in the technology: there’s now a full featured scheduler which allows you to schedule announcements to play at specific times during the day giving you the ability to really benefit from Targeted Marketing. Also, with the advent of large video displays in the bowling center; Digital Signage (or Video IN-Center Marketing) has become extremely popular. You can schedule announcements to play at specific times and they are inserted seamlessly in to your entertainment programs.

Many entertainment services for bowling now offer similar technologies and most do a decent job. The key to being successful with IN-Center Marketing isn’t in the technology though, and we don’t believe it ever was. Consistent execution and the right message is what sets the Bowling Music Network aside from the others. When we first introduced Promo Player, the total stock library of generic announcements was 18. We now offer over 300, completely free of charge. Consistent execution however, is a tough one when you’re an over-worked and busy proprietor or manager. We understand that; so we take care of it for you with free IN-Center Marketing consultation and execution of your custom program from our end. When you first become a Bowling Music subscriber, we ask some simple questions about your business and work with you to build a schedule that will take advantage of the available announcements. This service is included with your subscription and followed-up on for quarter-annual adjustments.

We are strong believers in the benefits of IN-Center Marketing and we hear success stories every day from subscribers about increased sales and program participation. IN-Center Audio and Video Marketing Works; is it working for you yet?

-Aaron Lewcock, Partner & Technical Director.

Posted in Bowling Marketing, Bowling Music Technology | Leave a Comment »

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