NSM is much more than a jukebox manufacturer. Helen Fletcher found out why when she spoke with the company's general manager Martin Agabeg and sales manager Alex Kirby

NSM Music has been a pioneer of the digital age - involved since the beginning and obtaining one of the first UK Public Performance Licences, meaning the company effectively owns its music library of over 50,000 tracks. This control over both production and music gives NSM plenty of flexibility on strategic pricing, a vital tool, especially in the current economic climate.

Although the economic situation has obviously had an impact on the sector, it has not deterred the manufacturer from launching new offerings such as the Icon Apollo jukebox, which according to general manager Martin Agabeg, will totally transform the face of musical entertainment with its Samsung 40ins LCD monitor as well as access to profitable advertising opportunities.

NSM has also worked hard on "value added" features for its jukeboxes, which are attractive to both the operator and the user. Adding You Tube to the new Icon 2 box earlier this year, for example, has seen coin drop in many venues increase dramatically.

Established in Germany in the early 50s by three entrepreneurs, Herbert Nack, Gerhard W Schulze and Wilhelm Menke, NSM has had a number of jukebox cabinets in the market to be proud of and revolutionised the industry with the Silver range of wall boxes and freestanding machines such as the Fanfare. It soon gained a reputation for style and technical innovation and became one of the leading jukebox manufacturers in Europe.

Expansion

The expansion of NSM\‘s international activities coincided with the launch of the hybrid vinyl 45rpm single/CD model, the City IV Combi, which boosted the UK side of the business.

Worldwide distribution expanded over all five continents with NSM Music products being marketed as far afield as Aruba and India. "The CD era was a golden age for NSM," said Agabeg. "We launched 50 models in a 20-year period and we\‘re currently present in over 25 countries through our own companies and distributors."

When production moved across to the UK in the late 80s/early 90s three generations of digital jukebox were produced as well as the background music systems but with its roots firmly founded in Germany, NSM has not forgotten its non-English speaking customers and offers versions of its products in German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Danish, Norwegian, Romanian, Polish, Welsh and Italian.

The music content offered is equally eclectic and includes a wide variety of genres including one of the largest selections of Indian music available on the market.

Jukeboxes have always been the core of the company and although this will continue, NSM is not one to pass up new opportunities and has more recently obtained distribution agreements for various video gaming machines including TAB\‘s Fun4Four, Funworld products and TouchTunes\’ PlayporTT.

"In the early days NSM used to distribute complementary products such as pool tables and electronic dart machines," said sales manager Alex Kirby. "The video gaming platforms we now distribute and support give us the chance to exploit opportunities in new marketplaces."

And with the recent appointment of Matt Tennant, who joins the company\‘s sales staff to focus on sales of new products, Kirby is understandably enthusiastic about the company\‘s future: "NSM has a deserved reputation as a pioneer of digital jukeboxes, but it is rapidly gaining a name for supplying other innovative products, such as the PlayporTT and the Fun4Four terminals. There are other products in the pipeline for both the UK and international marketplaces - despite the recession NSM Music is going places."