A simple guide to the positive effects of background music in your business

The Power of The Perfect Playlist

Background Music Matters

Music is an essential component of virtually every kind of retail and hospitality business; from enticing guests with the perfect atmosphere, matching the mood of energised pub patrons, or delivering a unique in-store vibe, music is a powerful tool that leading businesses have been using to engage with their audience, enhance their brand image, and create a positive and memorable in-store experience.

We know that background music is important for business success but it's not easy to find the right mix of songs, manage playlists, control music consistency at multiple sites or decipher sometimes complicated licensing requirements when you're busy running your venue, store, restaurant, salon, gym, medical practice or office space.

Common background music problems

• Small, repetitive playlists leading to irritated staff hijacking your music
• Static playlists that are not regularly updated
• Inappropriate music (offensive language, inappropriate themes)
• Inconsistent music volumes disrupting the atmosphere
• Inconsistent music programs across multiple locations
• Unlicensed music
  

Background music and atmospherics explained

Atmospherics refer to the design elements of the commercial environment such as the lighting, layout, furnishings, sounds and colours which affect customer behaviour.

In the same way, a brand’s visual identity creates attention, communicates a message, and influences a person’s feelings or behaviours, the range of emotions music evokes make it an integral (although, overlooked) atmospheric that helps establish the brand's identity.

As with all atmospherics, careful consideration of your music will enhance the customer experience, leading to longer dwell times, positive brand associations, and repeat customers.

The positive effects of background music in your venue or store 

• Build a distinct musical personality aligned to your business and its values
• Create the perfect atmosphere or mood for your customers
• Elevate the customer experience and creates lasting impressions
• Communicate your brand's values
• Build valuable brand associations
• Integrate with and enhance existing promotions and events
• Enhance digital touch points (website, social media etc.)
• Interact with other atmospherics to build a strong, consistent brand image
  
  

Your background music needs to be front of mind

While effective background music can positively affect your business, an ill-conceived music program can:

• Decrease customer satisfaction
• Build the wrong brand associations
• Deliver a confusing customer experience
• Deliver an inconsistent (or just plain wrong) brand message
• Diminish memory retention of the brand
• Damage how the brand is perceived

A lack of consideration of your background music can lead to shorter dwell times, reduced quantity and quality of sales, and deter customers altogether.

Things to consider

A few things to consider when choosing music to build the best customer experience:




Your brand values

• Would a random selection of pop music represent quality or sophistication?
• Does the music program embody a creative spirit? Is the music inclusive?

Your brand personality

• Is the music as individual or adventurous as your brand?
• Is your brand playful or sophisticated, youthful or elegant?

Your customers

• Is the music relevant to your customer’s tastes?
• Does the music reflect the customer’s lifestyle or interests?
• Will older songs attract early adopters and trendsetters?
• Will the latest sounds alienate older demographics?

Your customer’s movements

• Do you have the same customers on Saturday night as Tuesday morning?
• Do you attract more families on the weekends, or students in the afternoons?

Outcomes

• Do you want your customers to feel energised or relaxed when they enter your space?
• What do you want your customers to associate with your brand?
• Is this an energetic and vibrant space, or intimate and calming?

Atmospherics

• How does the music interact with the environment?
• Does spacious music make the space feel empty?
• Does the music reflect the interior design and visual branding?

Your Staff

• Have you considered your staff’s tastes and preferences?
• Is there enough music to avoid repetition?
• Do you want your staff to have control of the music to help boost engagement and morale?
• Just like your business, expect your background music should evolve with time, which means you should review the music you play regularly.

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 and licensing 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.

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Background music for business, simply, done better. Stream, schedule mix and control perfectly curation background music playlists for businesses of every size and type. Try POSmusic free for 14 days.