Help needed to validate an app idea - favorite song request from clubbers

Hi guys

I'm an entreprenur looking to start work on an app that would let patrons in a nightclub/lounge request their favourite song to the DJ. The requests would show up on a webpage that the DJ can look at to find out the most demanded song and use it to choose which song he/she can play next. Atleast this is how the app would work in theory. I'm just starting my research trying to identify the potential pitfall/practical problems with this idea.

Do you think this would be a good idea to implement based on your experience? Love to hear your thoughts on the potential pitfalls/benefits for this idea.

Looking forward to your thoughts. I really appreciate your time guys.

Thanks.

Do people actually still request songs?

Admittedly, I don't go out much... but I've never seen anyone actually request a song if the club is packed.

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Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50

Do people actually still request songs?

Admittedly, I don't go out much... but I've never seen anyone actually request a song if the club is packed.

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I wish requests were a thing of the past however they are not.

Hi,

A text service would be cheaper to implement if its only requests to to DJ & the club could make off this as well, this could be setup with most requested tracks from the top down, but this could also lead to misuse by the way of abusing the DJ for not playing there favourite track.

How exactly would the app work; would it just be a request service or would it be richer in content? lets say DJ profiles etc.

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I'm an entreprenur looking to start work on an app that would let patrons in a nightclub/lounge request their favourite song to the DJ.

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I assume from that there would be a charge? How would you market it to the club owner never mind the punter, its very hard to get people to part with their hard earned cash, needs an angle I feel, half price entry, free drinks, a must is not been able to piss the DJ off.

No pissing the DJ off == no fucking requests.

You want me to play your shitty favourite song? How about you just piss off and buy yourself a decent sound system for your bedroom instead. We're not jukeboxes, the whole reason we're there in the first place is to make our OWN decisions about what gets played and when.

Every time I play a set somewhere, I get a bunch of people coming up to me making stupid requests. Over the last couple of months its primarily been Gangnam Style and Harlem Shake, with the odd "Nicki Minaj" or "Rihanna" in there as well.

One night I even had some middle aged lady come up to me, in the middle of a blistering 140bpm Ibiza Trance set, and say - and I quote - "can you play something that people can dance to?", seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that the rest of the club were raving like maniacs. I had to politely explain to her that this was a trance night, and she should relocate herself to one of the shitty R'n'B clubs across the road instead.

I think you've got a bit of a niche market here OP.

Those who go clubbing properly, to see DJ's on a bill perform, dont ask for songs, as they are there to see the DJ do his/her thing. If he/she has a hit song of their own to play, they'll play it anyway.

Those who go to the average top 40 dive club will have their song played at some point in the night, as the DJ will be pumping out the songs in the chart's that everyone know's. And, people will stumble up to the booth to ask regardless.

There's a text service in place already at some places in the UK, so you might be a step behind already. Good luck anyway!

[QUOTE=mdcdesign;600319] and I quote - "can you play something that people can dance to?", seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that the rest of the club were raving like maniacs.... [QUOTE]

this happend to me once a few years back.... i got told the same thing word for word.... i was playing Jackson 5 - I want you back...

now im sorry but whatever music your into... if you cant dance to that song u might aswell be deaf!

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Originally Posted by city_boy07

this happend to me once a few years back.... i got told the same thing word for word.... i was playing Jackson 5 - I want you back...

now im sorry but whatever music your into... if you cant dance to that song u might aswell be deaf!

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Very true. I think it's a specific obsession with R'n'B fans; if it's not 80-90bpm, you can't do one of those weird "slut dances" with the shaking asses and grinding and whatnot.

Jackson 5 is like, Motown/Disco, which these days is perfect cheesy party music tbh.

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Originally Posted by mdcdesign

Very true. I think it's a specific obsession with R'n'B fans; if it's not 80-90bpm, you can't do one of those weird "slut dances" with the shaking asses and grinding and whatnot.

Jackson 5 is like, Motown/Disco, which these days is perfect cheesy party music tbh.

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it is very much so, luckily that was about 2 years ago when i was just starting to get gigs! :D

i can now choose where and what i want to play!

heres something, how about an app where people can choose the next song played based on a poll. So the dj can load a playlist into the app, the songs will only show like 3 choices at a time and people can vote on which song they want to hear next. This could be a really fun and exciting challenge to the dj. AND he gets to play the music he wants.

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Originally Posted by 031999

heres something, how about an app where people can choose the next song played based on a poll. So the dj can load a playlist into the app, the songs will only show like 3 choices at a time and people can vote on which song they want to hear next. This could be a really fun and exciting challenge to the dj. AND he gets to play the music he wants.

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That sounds like it would make sense for an app. Otherwise, an online survey or text-based survey makes more sense.

There are already existing 'text to screen' and 'text to DJ' apps like Firetext and the clubber just texts whatever to the number on the screen.

Last time i was in a club that had this system, around 15 of us text abuse about one of our friends (no swearing just weird stuff) after about 100 texts the other clubbers joined in slagging him off. It went on for hours and was piss funny.

They turned it off after it got very personal.

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Originally Posted by Karlos Santos

There are already existing 'text to screen' and 'text to DJ' apps like Firetext and the clubber just texts whatever to the number on the screen.

Last time i was in a club that had this system, around 15 of us text abuse about one of our friends (no swearing just weird stuff) after about 100 texts the other clubbers joined in slagging him off. It went on for hours and was piss funny.

They turned it off after it got very personal.

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haha Karlos that is terrible..... but i must admit i had a good chuckle thinking about it lol

Thx for all the insight guys.
Lots of valid points I didn't think about.

Just to give some background, I want to implement a 'crowd engagement' platform for lounges. Like the lounges that double as restaurants during the day with a dj spinning later at night(yes its a very small niche). Think of it like a wall that people can post stuff on(which would be song requests), everyone else in the lounge would also be able to see it and interact with the 'wall', including the dj.

I was thinking that song requests from people in the lounge to the DJ would be a great way to get people on to the dance floor from their cozy lounge seats.

Form what you guys point out,
-> I agree, theres a real potential for people to abuse the system.
To possibly counteract this abuse I plan to have a profile for everyone who uses the platform(including the dj)...with their real name and an picture, think that should be enough to deter people from doing anything nasty, especially in these lounges. But I could be wrong.


-> I like the idea of having a choice of songs that people can vote on. So the DJ lets people pick fro the choices he/she likes.

I want to make sure everyone has fun using this including the DJ, hence my post here.

If you have access to a 'wall' that you can post on and engage with the crowd in a lounge, could be for a song request or could be just interacting with the crowd - do you see any potential for it?


Thanks a lot for insights in helping me validate this idea. I really appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by reader31

If you have access to a 'wall' that you can post on and engage with the crowd in a lounge, could be for a song request or could be just interacting with the crowd - do you see any potential for it?

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Not really. DJs are generally too busy actually doing their jobs to screw around with stuff like that.

It really just sounds like you're one of those people who think that DJs are glorified jukeboxes.

just make people connect with their Facebook account, it simplify creating a profile, and lets you know who is making posts, it ALSO promotes the app and the lounge because their friends on facebook see where they are and the app they are using.

http://dubstepforum.com/images/smilies/lebowski.jpg

@mdcdesign - no offense meant really. I have a lot of respect for the personality that D.Js bring to a venue.
Im not tied to this idea by any means. Just wanted to see if this could be another tool that djs could use to curate the patron's experience. Thats all. I do understand that its extra work on the part of the dj to keep an eye on another thing on top of the ton of things they should already be on top of. Just wanted to get a sense from the community if they think that this extra work is worth it...may be not. But just wanted to get an idea. Thats all.

@031999 - thats a great sugesstion. Thx a lot. Will definitly look into this.

As an old fart I'm getting increasingly annoyed with people/friends/myself constantly checking phones when we should be interacting with each other. The idea of people spending more time staring at screens in social situations feels me with rage.

I just got one thing to say about this:
Way too many people already spend their nights out half of the time checking their texts and tagging themselves on facebook etc, looking like retards in the middle of the dancefloor. Just imagine everyone taking out their smartphone after every song to choose the next. Pretty much kills any atmosphere, doesn't it?

@mcdesign - Didn't mean any offense. I have lot of respect for the personality that djs bring to a venue. Just floating out an idea and trying to evaluate the pros and cons.

@031999 - thats a good idea. something to note.

@volpe - yes you do have a point there, that kind of a situation does very little to add to the atmosphere.

Personally, if someone requests a song I want the human interaction, this way I can tell if they deserve the song (they have a vagina) or if they don't deserve it (they don't have a vagina)