Decades of Feelment's music service

It would not be wrong to say that background music has been a major part of Viihdeväylä Oy's product development work. In 40 years, there have been all kinds of changes in direction, but above all technological revolutions. This blog post focuses on Feelment's background music over the decades and how we have reached the current point. For a deeper dive into the company's history, read from our website: Our Story.

80's- search for direction

Viihdeväylä Ky was established in 1984, inspired by the successful dance hall entrepreneurs in Southern Finland. Recognizing a decreasing interest in dance activities among sports clubs, the decision was made to offer this service specifically in Lapland. Although the operations started promisingly, significant losses were experienced during the year, and the expected profits were not achieved.

As dances were not covering the bills, alternative solutions had to be devised. With no other income or business for the company, the decision was made to start selling orchestras to restaurants; perhaps this could provide relief from the financial difficulties? The first actual program sale in May 1985 was a disaster. However, dances had to be held during the summer as the contracts were still valid.

After canvassing all the county hotels in search of customers, by the 80s, the company was in good shape, and by 1990, Viihdeväylä was the most significant player in the Lapland program market. The dance orchestra performed for three quarters at a time and took a 15-minute break.

The next new business venture was directed towards this 15-minute break. This was made possible by a technology called the CD. This was a revolutionary novelty compared to cassettes. Twelve-disc changers were acquired, and they were started to be sold and rented. In addition to this, another gap was identified, namely sound technology. This was studied, and design and installation services began to be sold. With background music and sound services, the customer base expanded to include smaller pubs and restaurants. In addition to restaurants, installations began to be made in all kinds of public spaces such as shops, churches, meeting rooms, and other public areas.

90's - roller coaster ride

The development of technology showed promise, leading to the introduction of coin-operated jukeboxes, computer-controlled CD players, and karaoke into the service portfolio. These could be found everywhere from Oulu to Ivalo. The economic downturn brought its own challenges to the decade, but they were overcome through hard work. By the mid-1990s, it could be said that the company was on the winning side, and attention turned towards the future, this time focusing on live music.

We began offering celebrity artists to diversify the entertainment offerings at the fell hotels. Initially, it was challenging until we started providing this service for free on the early weekdays when there was otherwise no programming. Tickets were sold, and the risk was carried from it. This paid off, as the tourists arriving on Saturday changeover day were full of energy on Sunday and ready to dance.

2000's - full steam ahead 

As the 21st century began, the jukebox business had been sold off, and the background music trade had dwindled to just a few customers. The majority of the business now consisted of band and artist sales, as well as sound system contracting. It was observed that the share of live music in the business was decreasing, but background music, on the other hand, was consistently needed in restaurants, regardless of the customer base. Therefore, the decision was made to invest in it.

In 1999, the first licenses for a computer program were purchased, making it much easier and more reliable to play background music than with CD players. Additionally, music could be delivered to the computers via the internet. Operating with computers started well, but the company that provided the program went bankrupt, and the software was no longer available. The source code was purchased from the bankruptcy estate, and a programmer was hired to develop the program. Background music began to evolve into the company's main focus.

In 2006, the first completely proprietary software for playing background music, Vivaldi, was released. However, its lifespan was relatively short as it was replaced by the first-generation Maestro, which had Karaoke and a Digital Signage advertising tool added to its service offerings.

Maestro operating system from the year 2008

2010's - fine tuning

The music industry underwent a massive transformation when streaming services brought all music to users' new mobile devices. Tablets became more common, and as a result, in 2013, the development of the second generation of Maestro began from scratch with the idea of creating a restaurant-specific version of Spotify. The music library expanded from tens of thousands of songs to tens of millions, hundreds of ready-made playlists were just a click away, and computers could be replaced with space-saving tablets.

With the introduction of Windows 10, the program was further improved, this time under the banner of the third-generation Maestro Pro, expanding its service offerings, particularly in the realm of sports channels.

2020's - team work makes the dream work

As of the present moment, it has been 40 years since the founding of the company. The principle of reinvesting profits into development has resulted in steady growth, and Feelment is now used in over 2500 locations across the country for various services. The music selection has expanded to the vicinity of 30 million songs.

In 2021, the decision was made to part ways with the name Maestro Pro, and the brand's new name was chosen as Feelment. You can read more about the specific reasons and factors influencing this decision in a previous blog post: Maestro Pro is now Feelment.

Significant strides were taken in development when the focus expanded to other popular platforms alongside the long-trusted Windows. Currently, Feelment can be enjoyed not only on Windows but also on iOS and Android platforms.

The buyer's journey for Feelment's services has been digitized in recent years, seen as a modern development trend, and many appreciate the opportunity to buy services directly online. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that people are always behind everything, and if desired, customers can always engage in conversation with a customer service representative. This commitment remains steadfast.