Across Southern Europe, a little app is making a big splash in clubs and restaurants, ultimately reminding people of the power of music: One28. Co-founded by CEO Adrien Crastes and CFO Alexandre Coyette, One28 is making it easier for audience members to request their favorite songs from DJs, who now have the ability to read the night’s mood and play music that connects with the crowd. One28 is hitting the music scene at a time when people are worried about inflation, unemployment, wars, and other issues that inevitably arise. True, one app doesn’t have the power to solve those problems. However, we were curious about how One28 and the healing power of music might in some way, big or small, make a difference, so we checked in with Adrien to get his thoughts.

“What I love about music is how universal it is,” Adrien says, reflecting. “It doesn’t matter who we are – whether we are CEOs, teachers, students, or someone else – music has the power to uplift you and distract you from your worries. It can remind you of better times, and that is part of the reason Alexandre and I created One28.”

The name, he explains, refers to the magical, priceless emotion you feel when you hear your favorite song in the right setting. 128 beats per minutes, the most commonly used bpm by producers and being the beat of many top hits, represents how fast your heart races when you feel pleasure.

“We have all been at a party where the music wasn’t all that inspiring. Then a new song comes on – our favorite – and we think, ‘Yes! Finally!’ For a few minutes, we are lost in the music, happy to hear the melody and the lyrics. Just one song makes the night special. That’s the essence of One28 – recapturing that amazing feeling.”

Using the One28 User App, party goers are able to submit their song requests to DJs, who receive them via the One28 DJ App. The DJs are able to accept or decline tipped, audience-fed song requests. The DJs keep full control, and if a song is denied, they can explain the reason to the requestor via comments in the app. The partygoer can then request another song or increase the bid so that the DJ will be incentivized to accept and play the song.

The One28 app debuted at the MK Club in Monte Carlo on June 10, 2022, where DJ Chris S used it to facilitate over fifty requests, with a minimum request price of 15€. The app was so popular that he continued to receive song requests the next day, so he continued to use it the following weekend. DJ Chris S states that “One28 is a revelation for every DJ” and he is using it every time he is mixing. The app has also been used at the Twiga Monte Carlo nightclub by DJ Magnum and at Maya Jah Monte-Carlo, a top restaurant in Monaco, where the minimum song request price was set at 30€.

As the app gains ground in clubs in Corsica, Nice, Marseille, and Cannes, Adrien has a theory for why it is so popular.

“First, it’s nice, to say the least, that people no longer have to yell in the ear of the DJ to tell them what to play,” Adrien laughs. “That alone is a great improvement, don’t you think? Second, and in all seriousness, I think it’s because no matter how divided our world has become, music is the great unifier.”

Adrien concedes that one great song being played in a club is not going to stop the Ukraine war or global warming. He does think, however, that it will do something else – remind listeners of their common humanity.

“In clubs and other public venues, you will find a very diverse group of individuals who likely have very little in common with each other,” Adrien believes. “Yet, when that one song comes on, what happens? Everyone listens. Everyone perks up. For a few minutes, they all are captivated by the beauty or the energy of what they’re hearing. Some are transported back in time to distant memories. Others simply forget that they don’t have the money to pay bills. Everyone simply listens. One song – the right song – can remind all of us of what we have in common: our humanity. If One28 accomplishes this in Europe and the United States, it will have done everything I have hoped for.”

One28 is bridging the gap between live music and the audience by offering the possibility for partygoers to hear the song that can take their heart rates up to 128bpm. DJs can accept or decline tipped, audience-fed song requests in the most optimal manner both for the DJ and the partygoer. The DJ ultimately keeps full control, and if they deny a song, they can leave a comment to the partygoer explaining why. In 2019, One28 presented their vision at the Monaco International Clubbing show (MICS), a highly attended nightlife event. One28 then expanded this and began offering its app to DJs this summer, and it is now transforming the club scene.

For more information, please see its website, download the One28 user app or One28 DJ app.