In their heyday, jukeboxes were a must-have piece of equipment for a location. Now, thanks to technological advances, the jukebox is bigger and better than before. Jenni Shuttleworth talks to several manufacturers and gives an overview of the history

When they first came about in the 1950s, jukeboxes were the first port of call for people wanting to hear new music.

Keying in a song title and waiting for the jukebox to search and find the record became a thing of the past though when people found easier, quicker and more effective ways of accessing music.

Jukeboxes became more of an ornamental souvenir than a necessary piece of equipment for a location. Now, new technology has made jukeboxes relevant again. People are able to access the latest music, often before it is even available to buy in the shops.

Where operators used to have to visit sites regularly to update the CDs and replace album covers and track lists, the internet allows updates to be completed online, meaning that jukebox operation and maintenance is much easier than ever before.

There is no need to worry about CDs and records getting damaged easily and now consumers can easily choose songs and videos using a touchscreen. Unique download features like TAB’s Music To Go also enable a direct transfer of music and videos by bluetooth or USB onto mobile phones, MP3 players or USB sticks.

"The jukebox market has changed by leaps and bounds. Gone are the days of CD boxes. Due to the improvement in technology, reputable jukeboxes are now digital. As a result, the customer now has a greater choice of music," said NSM’s sales manager Alex Kirby.

Digital jukeboxes use technology to provide additional benefits to both the operator and the consumer. For the operator, modern online jukeboxes maximise revenue through the constant provision of the latest music in combination with the music on demand functionality - according to JayBox’s managing director Richard Elsy, increased cash revenues of up to 50 per cent can be achieved. In addition, quality online machines allow for total music and revenue management, automatic updates and remote diagnostics.

For the consumer, online machines look better, sound better, can allow personal playlists that can be accessed from a server on other sites and contain a vastly improved choice of music - thousands of tracks are accessible at any one time with regular updates available too.

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"People love the fact that there is always something new on the boxes and operators love the fact that the technology makes their job easier," said Sound Leisure’s managing director, Chris Black.

The ability to connect to broadband is transforming the jukebox business according to manufacturers and it is only a matter of time before online jukeboxes will become the standard in the coin-op industry.

"The future of jukeboxes is likely to be online. Updates will become even more regular and it could be that individual customers will be able to store their preferences to come back to in future visits," said Black.

"I think we have reached the outer limits of the number of tracks available on the boxes. The future will be how they are presented to attract the customer. We are treating the customer with respect by sourcing their type of music. I think this is the future," he continued.

Thanks to the technological changes, jukeboxes are now profit centres in their own right as opposed to being added on to the list of machines required for a site if music is needed. This alone represents a major change in how jukeboxes are perceived by operators and consumers.