Since our mobile app introduced Fast Pass as a new name for the Play Next feature a few years ago, we’ve monitored the effects of the change, and determined that it was worthwhile to apply this change to the jukebox as well. This new name better conveys the actual result of using the feature: it allows those who pay extra credits to get their songs in a special queue that has priority over the regular queue, but does not guarantee that their song will actually “play next”.
The Dynamic Fast Pass feature (added Fall 2018 for OS2 and Spring 2019 for Gen3 & Gen3+) adds an extra credit to the base price of a Fast Pass once the play queue has at least 10 songs total, or at least 5 Fast Pass songs (whichever occurs first).
The price then increases as the queue grows, topping out at 3 credits above the base Fast Pass price when the play queue reaches 20 or more songs. As songs play and queue sizes decrease, the price will also decrease. (The values used in the algorithm are managed by TouchTunes on the backend.)
This means that users who want to jump a large queue have to pay more. On the one hand, this means fewer uses of Fast Pass, but this is compensated with the price increase. On the other hand, it means that when the queue grows, this gives a better chance for the non-Fast Pass songs to play, leading to more satisfied patrons.
This feature also includes messaging on the Play Song screen to let users know that the price of a Fast Pass play has gone up from its usual cost, when that is the case.
Can I modify the pricing of Dynamic Fast Pass?
You can increase the base surcharge of a Fast Pass, to which Dynamic Fast Pass surcharge is added, but you cannot modify the rate at which the cost of a Fast Pass increases as the play queue grows.
Will TouchTunes be making adjustments to the Dynamic Fast Pass algorithm?
We will be monitoring the effects of this new feature closely and may make changes over time to improve performance.
Does Dynamic Fast Pass work in conjunction with Everywhere Credits?
Yes, if Dynamic Fast Pass is enabled, the additional number of credits required to do a Fast Pass will increase by the same quantity on the jukebox and on the Mobile App.
How does Fast Pass work generally?
The Fast Pass feature allows a patron to pay more to move their song ahead of all other songs that were not also queued up as Fast Pass songs. The play queue effectively has two priority “buckets”; The Fast Pass bucket and the Regular Play bucket.
The logic of the play queue is as follows:
1. All songs in the Fast Pass bucket play ahead of all songs in the Regular Plays Bucket (there is no distinction between a Fast Pass inserted at the jukebox and a Fast Pass inserted from the Mobile App).
2. Fast Pass plays are always inserted at the bottom of the Fast Pass bucket. A Fast Pass play that costs more than a previously queued Fast Pass is not placed higher up in the Fast Pass Bucket.
3. Regular Plays are inserted at bottom of the Regular Play Bucket.
Does Dynamic Fast Pass enable patrons to pay more to jump ahead of other Fast Pass plays?
No. Dynamic Fast Pass does not change the rank in the play queue where Fast Pass songs are inserted (as laid out above), it only changes the number of credits required to purchase the song.
No. Dynamic Fast Pass does not change the rank in the play queue where Fast Pass songs are inserted (as laid out above), it only changes the number of credits required to purchase the song.
Dynamic Fast Pass is not a “Super Fast Pass”.
Fast Pass, Dynamic Fast Pass and the Fast Pass Surcharge can all be modified under Location > Settings > Money:
