Just having a jukebox can benefit your venue, by keeping your customers happy and at the bar for longer. It has been proven that drinkers will stay longer in pubs with jukeboxes, resulting in increased wet sales.

However, many landlords are now discovering that jukeboxes can generate a significant amount of income in their own right and are looking to maximise this.

The idea of a “Free Play” jukebox has long been a tried and trusted way to generate extra footfall for pubs during quiet periods. The customer feels they have been given something of value in return for their custom and the landlord benefits from the extra income from behind the bar he may never have had on that cold Tuesday night in November for example.

But for some pub landlords this wasn’t the perfect solution, as the jukebox cashbox is increasingly a valuable source of income. A free jukebox night might result in a significant loss of earnings. We can now provide digital jukeboxes with a pricing promotion feature that allows the landlord to control the price of play during quiet times or alternatively allow the customer extra credits for their money during a set period of time. The Pricing Promotion settings within the jukebox software allow the landlord to select the start and finish times of the promotion during any selected days of the week.

Derek Haworth from The Fox and Hounds in Blackburn explains “Free jukebox nights, without a doubt work. They encourage punters to get out the house and spend some money on a quiet night. That’s great for some pubs but we are busy most evenings. We can take over £40 in the jukebox on a week night. That’s a lot of beer you have to sell to recover that loss.

“It’s the period between 3-6pm that we are at our most quiet. The Pricing Promotion feature gives us the option to put on free play or at a reduced cost. For us, the reduce cost is ideal. We still generate extra profit from the cash box and the customers are starting to come in a bit earlier to make the most of this offer. It really works”.

A fantastic new feature called “Credit Countdown” has recently been added to the VenueHub jukebox, which we supply. Credit Countdown allows landlords to increase revenue during quiet periods. It is only displayed on the jukebox when it has not been used for a period of time (which can be set to your preference).

A digital clock/timer is then displayed on the jukebox touchscreen – counting down in seconds stating “INSERT COINS NOW FOR DOUBLE CREDITS”. This looks very eye-catching on the generous 32-inch touchscreen and really encourages customers to approach and double their credits.

Karl Stevens from the Danish Invader in Stamford says, “Credit Countdown has been amazing. We have it set so if the jukebox isn’t used for 2 hours then the customers have two minutes to put their money in and double up their credits. If no one catches it then it doesn’t come on again for another two hours.

“Some days the jukebox is constantly being played so it doesn’t appear but if we have a quiet night and the Credit Countdown clock is displayed then more often than not, someone will put some money in simply because they can’t resist a bargain! Once the music starts, then they usually start putting more money in to play more songs anyway. It’s a bit like giving them a gentle nudge!”

For more details you can contact Marc at: