Best sound system for restaurants, bars, stores

Here’s a guide to the best sound system for businesses, from restaurants and bars to retail stores and shops.

Music is a vital component in most business environments and has a strong impact on customer experience and purchasing behavior. The right background music in your business can boost sales, increase customer retention, build brand identity, foster brand loyalty, and encourage repeat customers.

In fact, playing brand-fit music versus random hits can increase retail sales by 37% and restaurant sales by 9.1%. However, creating the wrong music experience can actually decrease sales.

Even with the right music, the wrong sound system can ruin the experience for the people visiting your business. Customers will notice when your sound system is sub-par, or lacks the ability to maintain audio quality.

When playing music for your business, it’s important to use a licensed commercial music streaming service. Consumer streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iTunes, and YouTube don’t have the necessary public performance licenses for use in a business or commercial setting.

Doing so is against their terms of service, breaks copyright laws, and can expose your business to costly lawsuits and fines. Our interview with a music lawyer dives much deeper into this topic.

Soundtrack is the only B2B music streaming service that lets you play what you want, when you want. Has over 100 million fully licensed songs and more than 1,300 playlists in the music catalog, ensuring compliance with copyright law and eliminating the risk of getting fined or sued.

What’s in this guide:

In this guide to the best sound and music system for restaurants, bars, retail stores, gyms, and other businesses, we’ll cover everything you need to know.

We’ll start with our recommendations for both wireless and wired sound systems, and then dive into the details of the different types of sound systems and important things to consider when choosing the right one for your business.

• Ceiling speaker systems
• Wall speaker systems
• Wireless vs. wired sound systems
• Types of wireless sound systems
• Additional considerations when setting up your business’s sound system

Ceiling speaker systems

Ceiling Speakers & Ceiling speaker systems are designed to be a permanent audio solution that will provide you with excellent, aesthetically-pleasing sound for many years to come.

That’s why it’s critical that you choose the right quality of speakers for your space, budget, and listening preferences, as well as think about how they will be installed.

We know the installation process can seem like a minefield, and we don’t want there to be any unwanted surprises for you later down the line. So, this blog strip things back to basics and cover everything you need to know before you install a ceiling speaker sound system in your space.

See our best recommendation for COMPLETE CEILING PACKAGES FOR RESTAUANTS

Types of Ceiling Speakers:

• Passive: Most common, needs separate amplifier. Great for custom setups.
• Active: Perfect for retrofits, powered by nearby outlet or light fitting. No extra cables! (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi options available)
• Weatherproof: Enjoy music in bathrooms, saunas, or outdoors! Available in active and passive options.
• Mono vs. Single Stereo:
• Mono: Classic choice, works in pairs for stereo sound (perfect for larger rooms).
• Single Stereo: Space-saving option with two tweeters for left/right channels in one speaker (ideal for smaller rooms).

Wall speaker systems

Ambient systems with wall speakers offer elegant solutions in restaurants, cafes, hotels, exhibitions, bars, confectionery, waiting rooms, cultural centers, etc. Several aspects must be taken into account to choose a correct system, so we will have to find the optimal balance between design, color, budget and sound performance

See our best recommendation for COMPLETE WALL MOUNT PACKAGES FOR RESTAUANTS

Wireless vs. wired sound systems

The first decision to make before you select the best sound system for restaurants, bars or shops use is choosing between a wireless or wired audio sound system.

Wireless speakers use low-power microwave radio frequencies for either Bluetooth pairing or a WI-FI connection over a network to convey the music from a source device. Wireless systems save you the hassle of drilling holes and running cables like you would need to do for a wired system.

You may have a pre-existing wired speaker system in place that can work, but it may be limited to a single zone, outdated, placed in a poor position for optimal audio, or simply unfit for the aesthetic or décor of the space.

Modern sound systems have come a long way and generally sound a lot better than older systems. However, you can consult with a sound contractor or integrator before you make the decision to replace an already wired system.

Wireless sound systems for your business: Pros and cons
Here are the general positives and negatives of wired sound systems in a business setting.

Pros

Cleaner look: A wireless sound system offers a more modern, neater appearance with no wires hanging from the walls or ceilings.

Safer: A wireless sound system saves you the trouble of worrying about customers or staff tripping over speaker wires.

Simple to operate: Digital sound systems use a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and an amplifier to create the sound you hear. Both components work automatically with a wireless sound system, saving you the hassle of tinkering with them.

Better for multi-room businesses that need multiple speakers: No wires means easy installation even if you need several speakers around your facility.

Cons

More expensive: Wireless sound systems use advanced technology to transmit sound without wires, which can make them more expensive.

Lack of control: Wireless systems handle DAC and amp settings for you, which takes away your ability to perfect the sound. However, unless you put on concerts or other events, the standard settings sound great for most businesses.

Smart speakers are generally not conducive for businesses.

See our best recommendation for COMPLETE WIRELESS AND MULTIROOM SYSTEMS FOR RESTAUANTS

Wired sound system for your business: Pros and cons

Now, let’s dive deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of wired sound systems.

Pros

Top sound quality: With a wired sound system, you can control the sound better and benefit from decades of manufacturer experience. Remember that most listeners are more than happy with the sound of a good wireless system.

Reliable: Reliability is important. No need to worry about speakers becoming unpaired or the WI-FI going down. As long as your sound system is connected, your music is good to go.

Less expensive: Wired sound systems tend to cost less, which makes them a good fit for a midsize or small businesses.

Easy set-up (for small spaces): With no speakers to pair or wireless connections to set up, a wired sound system can be easier to set up if you only need a few bookshelf speakers.

Cons

Can be hazardous: Aside from being a potential eyesore, if placed in the wrong area, wires can be a tripping hazard and create an impedance for your customers and staff. Consider where you will place equipment before making your final decision.

Challenging for more than a couple speakers: If you need four or more speakers in your restaurant, office, or retail shop, expect a few hassles and planning required to connect and hide all of the wires.

Difficult to move around: Moving wired equipment after the initial set-up can be a hassle. Only go with a wired system if you plan on leaving things where they are.

Types of wireless sound systems for your business

The two main types of wireless sound systems are Bluetooth and WI-FI based. Most businesses will WI-FI, but small restaurants and cafes might opt for Bluetooth.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth speakers are best for short range use in small rooms. Bluetooth allows a single device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) to pair to a single speaker.

However, Bluetooth speakers require pairing every time you use them. You may also have to repair the connection often if radio frequency interference derails the Bluetooth signal.

Keep in mind that wired sound systems can also include Bluetooth technology to allow you to play music from your smartphone. However, the amplifier and speakers will all be wired.

WI-FI

WI-FI speakers can operate over longer distances without an HDMI or other type of wire. You can connect any number of speakers all on the same WI-FI system.

WI-FI systems generally sound better than Bluetooth. WI-FI systems don’t compress data the way Bluetooth does (to squeeze good music fidelity into a low bit stream) and, once set up, the speakers start playing automatically, as soon as they power up. This is a blessing if you are in an area of frequent power outages. Rarely, WI-FI signals can be interfered with, but this only causes temporary silence (instead of having to re-pair the device, as you would with Bluetooth).

Best sound system for restaurants, bars, stores – BOSE

Playing music is an important part of creating an ambiance in a restaurant. Few people like to eat their food or drink their coffee in silence, so setting up a great restaurant sound system can be a vital part of opening a new restaurant or enhancing your experience. actual dining. As I have already mentioned, here the appearance and sound uniformity of the PA equipment will prevail, at the expense of the acoustic power. Of course, without making any compromise regarding the sound itself. For these applications we can use complex systems of small ambient speakers, applied to walls, suspended or embedded in ceilings, our recommendation for the demanding ones being indisputable BOSE PROFESSIONAL

Additional considerations when setting up your sound system for business use

Before you choose one of the sound systems we’ve recommended, here are some important things to consider.

What are my business’s music needs?

Selecting the best sound systems for business environments begins with figuring out your unique music playback needs. For example, square footage will dictate sound coverage including the number and size of the speakers deployed and sound level desired. Finding the right high-end commercial audio system for your square footage keeps you from wasting money.

Multiple ceiling mounted speakers can be set to a slightly lower volume level than a pair of much louder speakers and still output focused audio toward the desired areas in your venue. Focused sound means less disturbance to adjacent areas, which is a consideration for businesses using outdoor speakers or those located in an open mall with other stores around it.

How many zones do I need?

Zones are especially important when selecting the best sound systems for bars, restaurants, and other businesses streaming music in various areas. If you run a noisy bar next to a quieter dining area, for example, you need to consider different music programming and sound systems to stream a variety of music at different volume levels.

Louder music playback requires larger speakers that can produce low-end frequencies and subharmonic bass. Certain music genres often feature more bass, and trying to play louder levels on smaller speakers won’t reproduce the true sounds of the song.

Spaces separated from the bar and restaurant such as restrooms or outdoor patios may require a separate set of speakers set at the appropriate volume level.

Spaces that connect or are within earshot of one another would demand consideration of the music played in each space. The simple solution is to play the same music exactly in sync in both spaces. Volume is also an important aspect and depends on the targeted spaces. For example, the bar may have to be louder and use more speakers than the dining room.

When using a restaurant music system, remember that music that uses more bass (and less treble) is easier to talk over.

What are the installation processes and costs?

The best sound system for restaurants, bars, retail stores and other businesses (loudspeakers) are one of the biggest equipment costs, especially if you need to cover a large space with multiple speakers. Speakers are usually attached to mounting brackets on walls, installed in ceilings, or placed somewhere out of reach of customers.

White and black are the primary bracket colors for wall mounts, but many manufacturers offer custom colors if you plan to install multiple surface mount speakers.

There are both powered and passive (unpowered) loudspeakers. Unlike the passive PA system speakers with paging microphones from back in the day, modern powered speakers have power amplifiers built inside of them which require wiring for AC power (from a wall socket) in addition to the actual audio signal.

Proper speaker installation is subject to local electrical building codes and safety, so consider consulting an electrical contractor first.

The source is the unit that receives the music stream from the internet and plays it out to the speakers. Many commercial streaming services provide dedicated units with analog stereo audio outputs that connect to powered speakers and a Cat-5 network connector that plugs into the router. Usually, a simple app on your smartphone will handle your account and details.