The growing industry of background music
The background music industry has become more sophisticated and more influential than many people realise
A
AMusic can be surprisingly powerful, even when it is played in the background and is barely noticeable. Over recent decades, creating background music has become a booming industry. Researchers have found that music played in commercial settings can have an impact on how much time we think has passed while waiting in a queue, how engaged customers are with sales staff, and even how sweet or bitter food tastes.
B
BRob Wood is the founder of Music Concierge in the UK, a company that chooses background music for businesses. Some clients hire Wood because they want to influence behaviour, others seek to create a certain atmosphere, culture or ambience. The core of a music consultant's work is creating distinct, cohesive musical identities for brands. In 2018, Wood worked on music for a new hotel. His brief was to produce distinct playlists for separate areas: the lobby, the restaurant and the gym. The hotel manager explained every detail: the build materials, the history, and a prediction of the average restaurant bill. Much of Wood's job involves taking abstract suggestions and turning them into music. A large amount of intuition is also required. It is a complex process and part of his job is comprehending what businesses really want, which can be very demanding. It is sometimes hard to know whether he should deliver something that will precisely match expectations or pleasantly surprise them.
C
CIn the 1920s, George Owen Squier, a former US army officer, developed a new way to transmit audio through wires. His idea led to the creation of Wired Music (renamed Muzak), which enabled businesses to play music throughout offices and commercial premises. In its early days, Muzak sold itself on the basis that its music would enhance job performance. Its programme for offices and factories played classical recordings in 15-minute sequences, alternated with silence. Each time the music sequence resumed, it rose in intensity. Muzak set the template for background music that would persist for decades. In terms of distribution, Muzak used wires to convey its music; the company sent a bulky cartridge to its customers through the post and it was then played through a specially designed device. In the 1970s, the introduction of affordable multi-deck tape players suddenly made it easy for businesses to choose and play music continuously. The CD was the first digital format for music and, by the late 1990s, it had enabled background music companies to develop digital libraries where tracks could be organised according to preference. But that was just a taste of the new world of infinite choice that was to come.
D
DDespite technological advances, it's the influence that background music has on customer behaviour which is driving its growth. Psychologists believe that music influences consumers in two main ways. The first is physical; numerous studies have confirmed that we often subconsciously match what we are doing to what we hear. For instance, one study found that diners chewed faster when higher-tempo music was played. The second approach focuses on the associations that music can trigger. Another study revealed that diners in a cafeteria were willing to part with more money when classical music was played in the background than when there was none at all. One explanation, researchers suggested, was that diners associated classical music with quality.
E
EHowever, it is the inoffensive nature of this kind of background music that creates some of the industry's fiercest critics. A UK group, Pipedown, founded by Nigel Rodgers, campaigns 'for freedom from unwanted music in public places'. The group claims that such music is impossible to escape and adds to the overall levels of noise pollution in public. 'You're not going for a special sort of atmosphere, you're just going to do your shopping,' Rodgers said. One of Pipedown's boldest claims is that there is 'no genuine evidence' that background music increases sales. Opinions vary on this question, although most professionals do not share Pipedown's position. Adrian North, a psychology professor at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, argues that small purchases are where it is most possible to influence consumers. He conducted a study that found that customers were more likely to choose either French or German wine, depending on which of the respective countries' music they heard, something he contrasted with a decision like buying a car where music would not have such an impact. Others argue that it makes more sense to think about the influence of background music in terms of subtle, long-term benefits, rather than immediate impact on sales. Rhonda Hadi, marketing professor at Oxford University, UK, believes companies that provide an experience, such as flights or accommodation, can reap the greatest rewards. She believes that people rely on any cues they can to gauge the quality of the service that they've received'.
F
FCompanies have capitalised on the sweeping changes to the world of retail in recent years. Many businesses are no longer just functional places to buy things, they are presented as an experience. Since 2008, streaming music via the internet has become the way most people listen to music. For background music companies, streaming is both a threat and an opportunity. On the one hand, companies can select and tailor the music they deliver to businesses with greater speed, flexibility and precision than ever before. On the other hand, access to vast music libraries has made everyone a music specialist. However, Richard Hampson at Imagesound believes a real-life curator is indispensable.He emphasises the intuitive side to his job. 'It's always been about feel and human touch,' he argues. 'Human taste is really important.'
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Question 1 - 5
Which paragraph contains the following information?
A
B
C
D
E
F
1.
Details of how modern developments have created positive and negative consequences for the industry
2.
An account of opposition to the use of background music
3.
A comparison of customer spending patterns with and without background music
4.
A mention of how background music can make shoppers more responsive to shop assistants
5.
Details of a project which required different music in various parts of a building