iPhone app lets you pick that jukebox track without leaving your bar stool

TouchTunes Interactive Networks is leading the way in a new generation of jukebox entertainment by allowing listeners to play tunes from their mobile devices.

TouchTunes has installed over 45,000 interactive jukeboxes in bars, restaurants and retail locations across North America. And, if you’re visiting one of the locations that carries its jukeboxes, you can use the iPhone to play tunes throughout the bar without actually touching the unit. The TouchTunes music collection is impressive and currently offers over three million licensed tracks available to play.

How does it work?

Mytouchtunes, the companion iPhone app that works with the jukeboxes, gives users access to its large music library and allows users to create playlists. After launching the app, users are required to “check-in” to the nearest TouchTunes jukebox and begin inserting credits, similar to inserting a coin into one of the old style machines.

The interactive jukeboxes contain digital music not CD’s like the old-school jukeboxes you might be familiar with. This enables TouchTunes to connect its machines with mobile applications wirelessly. The service also links up with Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare which lets users share their song choices with friends.

While “checked-in” to a location, users are able to view the songs that have been played (by everyone in the bar) and can add friends to the app from the TouchTunes community. There’s additionally a media player within the app, so users are able to listen to songs but the user must be “checked-in” to do so.

Here’s the drawback

In order for the app to work, the club or restaurant needs to have one the TouchTunes jukeboxes installed, so this app is pretty much unless your city has locations that use them. And although the app itself is free, users are required to purchase a minimum plan of five dollars for five credits to play music. It does offer a bonus credit or two with the plans but based on the information within the app, it looks as though 1 credit = 1 song.

All in all, the idea of being your own DJ using the iPhone sounds intriguing. However, if the virtual credits do translate to $1/song played, there is no way I’d use this app. But maybe, if I was getting my “cheer” on all night at the pub and decided I must hear some Young MC, in that case, I may consider the notion.