Question Digital Music Express - Satellite music system?

[John Ranes II CPF GCF]

We're expanding our business! After 31 years in the same location, we have elected to borrow the funds and move our shop 3/4 mile along the same street to a new building. We will be moving in the next 60 days, taking our 3,400 sq/ft strip mall location to a 6,100 sq/ft free standing building! Indeed exciting, scary at the same time, but we feel that the time is right. Interest rates are excellent, and real estate is being priced more reasonably than at anytime in the past 15 years. More details to follow later....

In the meantime, our increased retail area will grow to about 2,600 sq/ft which means we fall under The Fairness in Music Licensing Act of 1999 so we are investigating installing a satellite music system, and have been proposed one by Digital Music Express. Anyone have experience using this system or one similar?

Anyone using the system have recommended Channels that they prefer to use in their gallery?

Appreciate any thoughts you might wish to share.

John

 

[Kirstie]

Anyone using the system have recommended Channels that they prefer to use in their gallery?

Appreciate any thoughts you might wish to share.

John

Jeff and I send your our hearty congratulations! We wish you the best of luck, good business, and good staffing, and good health in your new location.

We use XM Satellite and I am not thrilled with it. It works if we put the antennae box in the window. Music is OK, so so. Maybe I need to block certain stations as I am still coming in to the shop to find music that I find too harsh for designing. How does the one you found compare in price?

 

[PaulSF]

I use XM as well. I was very happy with it until the merger with Sirius. They took my favorite channel and changed the format. I'm not as keen on it now, they play way too much Sting and the Police (like, one song by them is 2 songs too many). So the channels I usually play are the Spectrum (adult album rock), The Loft (eclectic/acoustic rock), the Coffeehouse (singer-songwriters, usually acoustic), and on really slow days, Outlaw Country (which they changed from the far superior alternative country programming from before the merger).

 

[W.C.Framer]

On the Sirius side, the merger wasn't all that bad I have a Dish Network receiver in the shop, tied to my home account. My package include a bulk of the Sirius channel (except for the talk & news stations), plus Dish's own two sets of music channels. And movies, networks, local stations.... between all that at the internet, its a wonder how we get stuff done here!

Dish has some great channels for an upscale sound: Check out "Plaza", channel 970. Its instrumental smooth jazz eclectic mixes, exactly what you'd find at those brand new "designer" malls with the courtyards and the fountains.

At night, with the doors locked, crank up the Faction channel (hard-core rock/rap/punk) and get work done quickly!

I believe Dish does offer a commercial license upon request.

Good luck in the new space, how exciting!

 

[framah]

Did you see this list of exemptions?


What exactly does the new law exempt from licensing fees?

Businesses that perform music only from licensed radio, television, cable and satellite sources, that do not re-transmit beyond their establishments, and do not charge admission, are exempted as follows:

All restaurants, bars and grills that are smaller than 3,750 gross square feet, and all other retail establishments that are smaller than 2,000 gross square feet, are exempt from paying license fees to songwriters, composers and music publishers, but only for their use of radio and TV music.

Businesses whose square footage exceeds the amounts listed also qualify for the exemption if they use six or fewer speakers with no more than four speakers in any one room or use audiovisual equipment consisting of no more than four TV's, with no more than one TV in each room, and no TV having a diagonal screen size greater than 55 inches, together with the same speaker restrictions.

That last paragraph would see to work for you. Just don't put more than 6 speakers in the whole place.

 

[BILL WARD]

lol John. do NOT forget to take lots of before/during/after snaps!

 

[cjmst3k]

We're expanding our business! After 31 years in the same location, we have elected to borrow the funds and move our shop 3/4 mile along the same street to a new building. We will be moving in the next 60 days, taking our 3,400 sq/ft strip mall location to a 6,100 sq/ft free standing building! Indeed exciting, scary at the same time, but we feel that the time is right. Interest rates are excellent, and real estate is being priced more reasonably than at anytime in the past 15 years. More details to follow later....

In the meantime, our increased retail area will grow to about 2,600 sq/ft which means we fall under The Fairness in Music Licensing Act of 1999 so we are investigating installing a satellite music system, and have been proposed one by Digital Music Express. Anyone have experience using this system or one similar?

Anyone using the system have recommended Channels that they prefer to use in their gallery?

Appreciate any thoughts you might wish to share.

John

I would LOVE to see today's photos of your current 2600sf space, and the upcoming bigger space, even before your move.