By Kartik Mahajan
There are restaurants and cafes in this city that serve some absolutely incredible food; where décor ranges from 'minimalist white' to 'is there a wall behind all those frames,' and either/both can be enough to make you go back over and over. Yet somehow going to a few of these places can be more than just painful for someone with quirks like mine. The music.
More than enough places play original versions of tracks, most of which have been downloaded. Well, it's illegal. It's theft essentially, and it's one of the most accepted forms of theft in our everyday society. To be fair, virtually everyone downloads all kinds of media illegally. However, the public broadcast of that content is what can get your/an establishment into a bit of mess.
Enter yodel.ae
Started by Joel 'Swaggamuffin' Paes {yup, same DJ who has made you jump and dance uncontrollably on many nights in the city} and his partner Anand Kapre, this service, I am hoping, spreads like wildfire. What yodel.ae does is curate and create a customised playlist for establishments. You don't have to worry about the licensing, or changing the track on your iPod to set the mood whenever a crowd suddenly walks into your restaurant. Yodel.ae does that for you! It's almost like radio, except more customised and totally internet based. So the portability exists if you need it, the licensing is taken care of so you're sure you're not stealing anything, and the fact remains that you're likely to have a sound that is unique to your establishment. The best part is, you get to customise it yourself, based on your target audience/customers, business demographic, or ambience, as the case may be.
Advertising? Yes of course! It's your playlist, designed for your establishment, to suit your sensibilities. Subscribing to yodel.ae gives you a few free advertising spots, for you to advertise your own products/special offers etc. Think VO's announcing the start of Happy Hours, or better yet, special deals your establishment is running. Sure beats any tent cards you've strategically placed as center pieces, which will, sooner than later, be beer soaked and/or ketchup stained.
How does it work? Every Yodel starts with a Yo{u}. All you have to do is get in touch, and they'll send across a team to asses your individual requirements and needs. They'll then set up a private music station hosted on their server. You have the freedom to specify genres, moods, time slots for different moods, and even pick individual tracks from what they have on offer. We realize this might have potential to sound complicated, but it's fairly straightforward {since they do all the work}. All they need from you is an internet connection and a computer {purchased in the new millennium}, and a functioning sound card. They're also in the process of developing their own hardware, which will work as a simple plug and play device, preloaded with your station details and requirements.
Put down the iPods, and start Yodel.aeing!
