PASADENA, CA—At every turn, hoteliers are seeking to transform the on-property experience for guests through technology—right down to the music they hear.
Rightsify is putting music in the hands of travelers—in the guestroom and public spaces—via customized playlists aligned with the hotel’s brand. It is accessible through an online radio station and branded mobile music streaming app. Guests can also continue listening to the hotel’s music long after checkout.
Founded by Alex Bestall, the company’s core services are music licensing and custom music design for hotels, restaurants and retailers.
“With hotels, we design custom playlists for every area so the entire property is on-brand from a soundtrack perspective. From the lobby to the pool area, gym, executive lounge and restaurants, every area has its own unique sound and we update the music daily so it’s always fresh,” said Bestall.
Alex Bestall
With hotels, licensing costs are a major issue as the fees can be very high as they are often priced on a sq.-ft. basis, explained Bestall. The company aims to solve the pain points associated with licensing, while making the service more affordable.
“At Rightsify, we price our service on a flat fee for each area that music is being played, which helps them lower their costs,” he said. “Also, our music is licensed throughout the world so our service is available in every country, which makes things much easier for hotels that operate in multiple countries. Dealing with music licensing and copyright laws overseas can be complicated for hotels, and we cover all of this for them at Rightsify.”
Here’s how it works: Guests interact with Rightsify FM from their own mobile devices, on a hotel’s website or the TV in their room. For example, if guests like the music they hear at the pool they can instantly see what the music is that’s playing. Guests can continue to listen to the music after they’ve checked out, giving hotels a branding tool as the music becomes an extension of their brand.
Rightsify is expanding the service in Asia, both with channel partners and working directly with hotels. Independent hotels and boutiques are among the company’s main clients.
“Rightsify offers a first-of-its-kind service where hotels can really maximize the effectiveness of music in their properties. Making sure that the music in your hotel is ‘on-brand’ is a given, but other than as background music there hasn’t been a way for hotels to utilize music to connect with their guests—but now they can,” Bestall said.
Source:hotelbusiness.com/
