MTI Digital
{{short description|American business music provider}}
{{Infobox company
| name = MTI Digital
| logo = MTI-Digital-Logo.jpg
| former_name = {{Unbulleted list|Music Technologies International}}
| industry = {{Unbulleted list| Retail Media}}
| type = Private
| foundation = Southfield, MI, ({{Start date|1988}})
| hq_location = Miami Beach, FL, US
| area_served = United States, Canada
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|President Bradley Golden|Chairman Lorraine Golden}}
| services = {{Unbulleted list|Business Music|Licensed Music Distribution|Sound system design and installation|Point of sale advertising|Digital Signage|Mobile Marketing}}
| owner = {{Unbulleted list|Lorraine Golden}}
| website = {{Unbulleted list|{{URL|MTIMusic.com}}}}
}}
MTI Digital is a provider of in-store music, advertising, digital signage, and on-hold messaging and hold music for retail stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants in the United States and Canada.
Company history
MTI Digital was founded in 1988{{Cite web|url=http://mtimusic.com/faq/|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Background Music for Businesses|website=MTI}} as Music Technologies International by Lorraine Golden, who previously acted as general manager for Detroit radio stations WNIC and WQRS, and owner of WDTX.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/19970331/SUB/160609713/lorraine-golden-49|title=Lorraine Golden, 49|date=June 7, 2016|website=Crain's Detroit Business}}https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-05-26.pdf Page 14, "Newsline" insert. The company was founded as an alternative to the easy-listening elevator music that was common in retail stores of the 1980s,{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wa8yAAAAIBAJ&pg=3820,3480825|title=Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}} instead providing an experience similar to that of FM radio with popular music interspersed with commercial advertising.
MTI initially provided background music by satellite to retailers such as Kmart,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-loved-working-at-kmart-so-much-that-he-put-56-hours-of-its-muzak-online-1013/|title=This Guy Loved Working at Kmart So Much That He Put 56 Hours of Its Muzak Online|website=Vice.com}} tailoring the music and advertising to each specific retailer and its vendors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wealthmanagement.com/news/sound-retail|title=The Sound of Retail|date=January 1, 1999|website=Wealth Management}} In 2000, the company partnered with fellow background music provider Muzak to focus on in-store advertising sales to retailers such as Toys "R" Us and Rite Aid. This partnership saw MTI's focus shift from background music to point of sale advertising targeted at a retailers’ customers for much of the next decade.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20000117/SUB/1170860/in-store-radio-ads-use-soft-sell-to-cajole-customers|title=In-store radio ads use soft sell to cajole customers|date=March 29, 2006|website=Crain's Detroit Business}}
MTI ended its partnership with Muzak and pivoted back to in-store background music by 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.drugstorenews.com/pharmacy/mti-launches-rite-aid-radio|title=MTI launches Rite Aid Radio|website=Drug Store News |date=January 14, 2009 |first=Michael |last=Johnsen}} The company rebranded as MTI Digital in the 2010s and provides music and messaging via digital receivers rather than satellite,{{Cite web|url=https://mtimusic.com/equipment/|title=MTI Digital: Equipment for Your Business' Background Music Service|website=MTI}} as well as digital signage, menu boards, and sound system design.{{Cite web|url=https://cspdailynews.com/technologyservices/kum-go-wants-become-hum-go|title=Kum & Go Wants to Become Hum & Go|website=CSP Daily News}}
MTI Digital is a WBENC-certified Woman-owned business.
System
MTI Digital's music and messages are programmed using a media player located at each location connected by the internet to MTI's servers. Audio advertisements and music playlists are regularly updated on each player, ensuring that the content is up-to-date, and allowing MTI to customize the music and messaging program for each retailer and location.{{Cite web|url=https://www.34st.com/blog/music/2017/01/wawa-bangers|title=34th Street Magazine|website=www.34st.com}}
Clients
MTI provides music, audio messages, and digital signage primarily to national and regional convenience and retail stores as well as QSRs in the United States and Canada, including Rite Aid, Jared Jewelers,{{Cite web|url=https://mtimusic.com/about/|title=About MTI Digital: The Best Background Music for Your Business|website=MTI}} Wawa,{{Cite web|url=http://billypenn.com/2015/10/16/how-wawa-picks-that-music-songs-youd-expect-like-you-expect-a-good-hoagie/|title=How Wawa picks that music: 'Songs you'd expect, like you expect a good hoagie'|first=Mark|last=Dent|date=October 16, 2015|website=Billy Penn at WHYY}} Sonic Drive-in, Kum & Go, Allsups,{{Cite web|url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/yesway_selects_mti_digital_to_provide_in_store_music_and_messaging_for_its_stores/prweb16612546.htm|title=Yesway Selects MTI Digital to Provide In-Store Music and Messaging For Its Stores|website=PRWeb}} and EZCorp.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/one-of-a-kind-in-store-media-events-occur-hourly-at-keith-s-superstores-821654996.html|title=One-of-a-Kind In-Store Media Events Occur Hourly at Keith’s Superstores|website=PRWeb}}