TouchTunes Revamps Mobile App;
FunWallet Coming Later This Year
The innovative jukebox maker TouchTunes unveiled their updated mobile app in time for the recent Amusement Expo. The new mobile app “makes the digital jukebox experience more seamless and engaging, connecting consumers in person through the power of music like never before,” the company told showgoers.
TouchTunes CEO Ross Honey spoke with RePlay on the trade show floor, detailing some of the features, including its “Full Queue Visibility,” which allows users to follow their song’s progress with real-time status updates and scroll through the entire queue to know exactly where they are in line to hear their song.
There’s also a “FastPass” enhancement coming up, which will let patrons choose to spend a few extra credits to hear their song sooner.
More than that, the company has also made an effort to make the jukebox experience more social than ever before, adding community elements to the machines.
“People are craving human connection in the real world now more than ever, and nothing brings people together like music,” Honey said. “We’ve created a world-class social music app that lets you take off your headphones and connect in person through your favorite songs, for those memorable moments we all treasure.”
Among those engagement features on the horizon is “Song Battle,” which will allow users to pit two songs against each other, giving everyone in the venue a chance to vote on which one will play next.
They will also include the option to react to song choices with emojis, increasing another player’s chance to be featured in the app’s new leaderboards. Additionally, there will be “Collaborative Playlists” that enable group music selection, yet another way to encourage socialization.
The new mobile app is currently in closed Beta and will be available for new and existing users to download this summer.
In other company news, following the purchase of Arachnid 360, TouchTunes is also developing a FunWallet that will debut in Q4, enabling a mobile payment option on music, darts and pool.
The new platform will be enabled at no cost to operators with internet-connected machines or payment devices. A low-cost retrofit kit will be available for any machines that aren’t already connected.
TouchTunes said this upcoming release “presents a massive opportunity for operators to grow revenue and save on costs, while consumers can enjoy social gatherings at bars or restaurants with the convenience of mobile payments.”
Honey added: “We see this as a huge step forward for the amusement industry as we continue to invest in innovative ways to level up the in-venue experience for consumers, for the bars and restaurants they love, and for our operator partners.”
Some of those partners include Valley-Dynamo and ASK Global Solutions, both of which have signed up to integrate with FunWallet as their exclusive mobile, cashless payment platform.
Valley-Dynamo CEO Kelye Stites said, “FunWallet provides a unique opportunity to modernize payment systems within our industry, bringing more money to our operators in a more efficient manner. We are thrilled to be working with TouchTunes to bring this along.”
Chip O’Hara, owner of Midwest Coin Concepts, is also excited about the launch. “It’s a huge step forward for us from a cost, revenue and customer experience perspective. This type of offering shows us that TouchTunes is a true partner that supports our business and future growth.”
FunWallet will be available later this year starting with the BullShooter dart boards.
To learn more, visit www.touchtunes.com.