A simple guide to the affect of background music on staff

Background music impacts customers and staff

We know that the right music can create an inviting atmosphere for guests, builds a connection with your existing audience and enhances the in-store experience - but how does your choice in background music affect your staff?



The background music challenge

As with your customers, the wrong music can have a significant impact on your staff and if not handled with care can lead to negative outcomes including:

• Frustration and complaints over repetitive playlists
• Offence due to inappropriate lyrics or content
• Poor team morale that reduces service quality
• Frustrated staff hijacking the playlist and playing their own off-brand music
• Reduced productivity

The power of the perfect playlist

On the other hand, if managed well, the right in-store music can has a positive effect on staff happiness, productivity, team morale and in-store culture including:

• Increased happiness
• Increased motivation
• Improve productivity
• Increase focus
• Staff Alert
• Improved health and wellbeing
• Improved workplace culture
• Improved staff moral and engagement

Here's what the science says 

Happiness
Music has a positive effect on mood and emotion
Music is one of the most pleasurable activities we experience because listening to music triggers a release of dopamine, the neurochemical responsible for the brain’s reward and satisfaction system.

Motivation
Music has a positive effect on motivation
Dopamine is a critical part of our brain’s “reward system” which encourages us to act. The right music can also spark mental activity, increase stimulation and give us energy.

Productivity
Music Increases Productivity
Dopamine strengthens synapses in the brain’s learning and memory centre, with some studies showing that background music can improve a range of cognitive tasks such, arithmetic, reading and verbal and visual processing speed, and improving workplace efficiency.

What the Science Says - Focus
Music helps us focus
Dopamine stimulates the part of the brain which is responsible for planning and organising. Studies have shown that listening to certain music can also help with maintaining focus and improve concentration and alertness.

Relaxation
Music helps us relax
Studies have shown that listening to slow, calming music can help with relaxation and a reduction in anxiety and stress.

Wellbeing
Music improves health and wellbeing
Studies have shown music can benefit both physical and mental health, relieving stress and anxiety, decreasing fatigue, and even improving the immune system.

Improved Workplace Culture
Music creates connections
Music releases oxytocin, a chemical that fosters our connection to others, which is one reason music strengthens social bonds, and leads to both increased co-operation between colleagues and improved group decision-making.

Improved Staff Moral and Engagement
Music selection improves staff morale and engagement
individual choice in music selection is an important factor in staff empowerment. studies have found that found self-selected music led to the most intense emotional response. Lack of choice [of music] tends to generate negative emotions.

What You Can Do

The right music creates the perfect atmosphere for customers and staff, and helps build a positive workplace culture. So here's what you can do to help:

• Encourage staff engagement with your music selections
• Avoid repetitive playlists leading to bored and frustrated staff
• Ensure music is relevant to your staff, on-brand, and inspiring
• Ensure music is updated regularly
• Ensure music is inclusive
• Ensure music is free from offensive lyrics or content
• Use an enterprise music solution with approved playlists and in-store control

How POSmusic can help

POSmusic is a leading Australian-owned and operated in-store and background music provider delivering bespoke built-for-business music streaming solutions with market-leading simplicity, scalability, automation and control. Simply stream, schedule, mix and control perfectly curated playlists for businesses of every size and type.

• we guarantee unlimited music so good, staff won’t hijack the playlist
• happier teams delivering positive customer service results
• perfect atmosphere zero offensive lyrics, zero music repeats
• simple music scheduling and
• the most affordable music-for-business streaming & licensing multi-site control

Sign up for a free 14-day trial, contact us or book a demo to start doing more than set the mood today.