Muzak

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Muzak Holdings LLC

Type	Private
Founded	1934
Headquarters	Fort Mill, SC
Key people	Steve Villa, CEO
Industry	Music
Products	Distribution of music
Employees	1,256
Slogan	Creating experiences with music, voice and sound systems.
Website	www.muzak.com

Muzak Holdings LLC is a company, founded in 1934, that is best known for distribution of music to retail stores and other companies. The word "Muzak" has, in popular usage, broken free from its corporate parent and become a catchall generic term (often pejoratively applied) for easy listening, MOR, or elevator music—or, indeed, for any type of banal, derivative, or repetitive music. As an example, in his "How Do You Sleep?" song lyrics, John Lennon attacked Paul McCartney's post-Beatle composing abilities by writing “The sound you make is muzak to my ears - You must have learnt something all those years".

In the late 1990s, however, the Muzak corporation rebranded thoroughly, and today hardly any of the music Muzak distributes consists, as it once did, of re-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs. [1] The company now focuses on selecting and playlisting existing recordings.

For many years, Muzak held a virtual monopoly in the field of background music for businesses. However, the advent of alternate music delivery technologies provides business owners with more options. Both US satellite radio companies have repackaged their service for business use, as XM For Business and SIRIUS Business. These services, by virtue of higher look angles and site diversity resulting from concurrent broadcasting from multiple satellites, are less susceptible to rain fade than Muzak's dish-based technology. Satellite radio's lack of contracts (Muzak typically requires a three-to-five year contract [2]) and lower price points have positioned it to challenge Muzak's dominance in the business music arena [3]. Like Muzak, both satellite radio providers' business subscriptions include the payment of required royalties to performing rights organizations ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.

According to EchoStar, Muzak's distribution provider, Muzak's business music service is broadcast on rented bandwidth from Echostar VII, in geostationary orbit at 119 degrees west longitude.

In recent years, the company has experienced serious problems, losing over $9 million in the second quarter of 2006 alone [4]. The company's current trend has it losing more subscribers than it adds and is in its 11th consecutive year without turning a profit. [5]

1 List of channels
2 Language Note
3 See also
- 3.1 Similar companies
4 External links

[edit] List of channels

The following is the list of channels available on Muzak via Satellite, On-Premise or through Echostar/DishNetwork platform. The line-ups have gone in effect as of November 2006:

Body And Soul

Aura (New Age)
Breathe (World Eclectic)
The Light (Contemporary Christian)

Classics

Cashmere (Adult Contemporary)
Funkytown (Funk/Soul/Disco) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**
Expressions (Light Pop Standards)
Jukebox Gold (Rock 'n Roll Classics)
Love Songs (Romantic Melodies)
Mo' Soul (Classic Soul)
Reflections (Jazz/Pop/Soul)
Songbook (Singer/Songwriter)
Swing Kings (Big Band/Swing)
Unforgettable (Adult Favorites)

Country

Country Music One (Country Mix)
Nashville USA (Current Country Hits)
Rawhide (Country Classics)
Screen Door (Alternative Country)

Decades

'50's & 60's Hits
'70's Hits
'80's Hits
'90's Hits

Electronica

Frequency (Club/Dance)
Groove Zone (Current Dance) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**
Metro (Indie Electronica)
NuJazz (Acid Jazz)
NuLounge (Lounge)
Strobe (Electro Pop)

Holiday [Only available during specific holiday]

Christmas (Non-Secular Holiday)
Cinco De Mayo
Halloween
Holiday (Secular Holiday)
Independence Day
Mardi Gras
Oktoberfest
St. Patrick's Day
Summer Fun
Valentine's Day

Instrumentals

Easy Instrumentals (Classic Instrumental)
Ensemble (Classical Ambiance)
Environmental (Easy Listening Instrumental)
Intermezzo (Light Classical)
Moodscapes (New Age Instrumental)
Piano & Guitar (Acoustic Instrumental)
Plaza (Contemporary Instrumental)
Uptown (Instrumental Jazz)

Jazz

City Lights (Smooth Jazz)
Impressions (Contemporary Jazz)
Jazz Traditions (Classic Jazz)

Latin

Caliente Pop (Upbeat Latino/Anglo Pop) **Available only in Satellite line-up**
Estilos (Smooth Latin Music)
Fiesta Mexicana (Mexican Music)
La Musica (Latin Pop)
La Frontera (Tejano/Border) **Available only in Echostar line-up**
Mojito (Salsa/Merengue)
Viva Mariachi (Mariachi)

Pop

7890 (Classic Pop Hits)
Backpages (Adult Alternative)
FM1 (Classic Pop)
Hitline (Current Pop)
Hot FM (Pop Hits)
Poppers (Teen Pop) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**
Venus (Female Pop) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**

Rock

Half Pipe (Skate Punk/Hip-Hop) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**
Ink'd (Power Rock/Metal)
Feedback (Alternative Rock)
Perimeter (New Indie Rock)
Rock Show (Classic Rock)
Stylus (Underground Rock/Pop)
Varsity (Rock/Pop Hits)

Roots

Acoustic Crossroads (Contemporary Folk)
Lucille (Blues)
Roadhouse (Americana/Classic Rock)
Route 66 (American Roots) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**

Specialty

Gumbo (New Orleans Music)
KidTunes (Children's Music)
Shag Beach (Carolina Beach Party)
The Circuit (High Energy Fitness)
Tropical Breezes (Caribbean Music)

Urban

Concrete Beats (Hip-Hop/Rap)
The Blvd. (Adult R&B)

World

Bellissimo (Contemporary Italian)
Destinations (Global Pop)
Hawaiian (Hawaiian Music) **Available only in On-Premise & Echostar line-ups**
Irish (Irish Traditional/Pop) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**
Kingston (Reggae)
Little Italy (Italian/American Standards)
Quebecois (French Canadian) **Available only in Satellite line-up**
World Travels (World Music) **Available only in On-Premise line-up**

NOTE: Not all channels are available on all platforms

[edit] Language Note

"Muzak" is also used as a synonym for ambient music, or to describe any music used to fill 'aural space' in corporate situations, such as "on hold" music in telephone queues. This use is technically incorrect, but is gaining popularity in colloquial use.