Glossary
Venue tech, in plain language
Clear definitions of the music, signage, menu and licensing terms every venue should know.
Definitions
What is background music for business?+
Licensed music played in a venue to set the atmosphere — legally cleared for commercial/public performance, unlike personal streaming apps (Spotify, Apple Music) which forbid commercial use.
What is public performance?+
Playing music where the public can hear it (a café, shop, gym). This triggers public-performance rights, which the venue pays to its local collecting society.
What is a collecting society (PRO)?+
An organisation that collects public-performance royalties on behalf of songwriters, performers and producers — e.g. SOKOJ, GEMA, SACEM, SIAE, PPL PRS. The venue pays them directly.
Royalty-free vs licensed music?+
Royalty-free catalogs use tracks outside collecting societies (often generic). Licensed business music gives you real, recognisable songs cleared for commercial use — the venue still pays its local performance fee.
What is day-parting?+
Scheduling different music or energy for different times of day — e.g. calm brunch, upbeat dinner — automatically, per zone.
What is a music zone?+
An independently controlled area of a venue with its own music, schedule and (optionally) menu — e.g. lobby, bar, terrace.
What is digital signage?+
Screens in a venue that display menus, promotions and visuals, managed centrally and scheduled by time and location.
What is a digital menu board?+
A screen that shows your menu, with prices and items updated instantly — no reprinting — and often tied to your live menu.
What is a QR digital menu?+
A menu guests open by scanning a QR code — no app install — that can also show reviews and what’s playing.
What is a guest jukebox / pay-to-play?+
A system that lets guests request, and optionally pay to fast-track, songs from a venue-approved catalog. MUSICDJ’s is called PayPlay.
What are AI jingles?+
Promo audio spots (voice + music) generated by AI and played between songs to promote offers and events.
What is in-store / branded radio?+
A custom, on-brand music + messaging stream for a shop or chain — like your own radio station, often with audio ads.
What is IPTV for venues?+
Live TV streamed to the screens in your venue — controlled centrally (and, with MUSICDJ, from your phone instead of a handheld remote).
What is “now playing”?+
A live display of the track currently playing, shown to guests on screens or in the QR app — and a hook for song requests.