How to incorporate music that will boost sales in your business?

Or Mishal
6 min readSep 11, 2023

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Credit: Getty Images

Here are seven helpful tips and ideas to correctly and professionally integrate music to boost sales in your business.

Music is part of the marketing system that works through the senses and affects the shopping experience on the part of the customer when visiting your business. Follow the rules and ideas presented in this article to incorporate them correctly.

The music played in businesses, restaurants, clinics, shopping centers, and public institutions affects shoppers and visitors. Many business owners worldwide do not attach importance to this due to lack of knowledge, neglect the matter, and believe that it does not matter what music is played in the background. In contrast, other business owners prefer to play the music they like.

So it’s true that the effect on our mind and body is multidimensional and depends on many internal variables (such as mood, the reason for leaving the house, etc.) and external variables (location, economic situation, weather, etc.). This is also why it is difficult to say that there are general finger rules that catch everyone.

Credit: Getty Images

Despite this, large retail chains, as well as restaurant and cafe chains, have already internalized that music is an atmosphere-changing element that is cheap to produce and easy to make changes to, and according to countless field studies, it has quite an effect on shoppers. Therefore, before inserting the disc into the system or creating a new playlist on Spotify, here are some tips that you should consider:

1. We updated the “playlist”: It doesn’t matter if the playlist is a list you just created on Spotify or YouTube Music or a variety of songs you burned to a CD and inserted into your audio system at your business, a quality playlist is a key element in convincing buyers to stay longer in the store and buy more. The “playlist” should be creative, special, and suitable for the business. For example, toy stores will not play heavy rock, and stores that sell skateboards will not play children’s songs. It is important that the music “will speaking” to the customers, is pleasant for them, and reflects the brand.

A common business mistake is playing the same “playlist” for years. A “playlist,” no matter how good it is, must change and renew along with the brand it represents. That is why it is worthwhile for you once every three months or, in the extreme case, once every six months at least, to go through the list of songs to update and refresh it. If you don’t know how to do it yourself? Pay a little to a DJ who will make an effort for you — it’s cheap and worth the money.

Take a break to listen to Zara’s 2023 playlist.

Credit: KOV

2. Invest in the quality of the sound: the quality of the sound itself is just as important as the content. It is worth investing in a good and high-quality amplification system from which the music will be heard at its best, without interruptions or stuttering, and with a clean and clear sound. Most sound your customers encounter outside the business are unintentional and unwanted: cars, yelling, barking, squeaks, etc. That is why the sounds the shoppers encounter upon entering the store are very important. The sound from your system creates an atmosphere in the store and has a decisive effect on your customer. For example, if you have a dental clinic, you should play jazz.

Take a break to listen to the 2022 Hospital Playlist.

Credit: Symphony of Space

3. What’s wrong with the music of a particularly popular radio station whose playlist is always up-to-date? Many businesses choose to play on the radio. It is a very cheap and simple solution but has several problems. The first is that there is no connection between the songs chosen by the radio station and the nature of the store. Second, the advertisements broadcast between the songs create a commercial and unpleasant atmosphere, and third, the news broadcast once an hour makes it clear to the customer what the time is, makes customers aware of the time and, as a result, leave the store more often fast with empty hands.

Beyond that, there are mixed opinions regarding popular songs: On the one hand, popular music by famous artists can make customers feel current and cool enough to shop in a store. It evokes positive emotions and memories among shoppers and encourages them to stay longer in the store. On the other hand, in the same way, popular music can evoke negative emotions and associations. It distracts from shopping and makes customers focus on the songs being played. Bottom line, it is highly not recommended to “escape” to this solution because it may cause more harm than good.

4. Music at high or low volume? High-volume music makes customers move around the store quickly and leave it quickly. In pubs, loud music makes customers buy more alcohol. It is important to note the system should not be at maximum, and the decibel level should be tolerable. Music at too high a volume can drive customers away from the business and is suitable for mini markets, restaurants, fast food stalls, pubs, and shops for young people. Everywhere else — lower the volume to make customers stay longer in the store.

On the other hand, slow music causes customers to move more slowly in the store space and purchase more. In restaurants, slow music makes customers relax and spend more time and money. It is important to note only some businesses are suitable for customers to stay there for a long time. It is important to check what is right for your business.

Credit: Getty Images

5. Adapt the music to the season: Music should change and adapt to the season, the period of the year, and even the time of day. In the morning, we are calm and a little sleepy; in the afternoon, we need an adrenaline shot; and in the evening, we look to relax. The music played in the business should take into account the change in the situation of the customers during the day and adapt itself to it. It is very common to play holiday songs near the holidays (e.g., Christmas). The festive songs add to the holiday atmosphere and increase sales. It is important to note: do not exaggerate; you must find a balance and learn what your specific customers like.

6. Classical music has been found to increase sales volume and make customers buy more expensive products. In restaurants, it makes customers order more dishes and more expensive dishes. It is important to note that classical music makes people think of stores as “expensive.” Not all stores are suitable for this type of branding. It suits expensive alcoholic beverage stores, restaurants, and boutique/luxury stores.

Credit: Getty Images

7. And what about particularly favorite songs? People’s perception of time could be better when they hear music they like. This has two advantages. The first is that customers will stay longer in the store, and there is a higher chance that they will buy. The second: the wait in line will seem shorter, and thus, the customers will be less annoyed.

Remember that even the power of music has a limit, and if the wait is too long, no song can help you.

I invite you to follow me on my social networks and enjoy new things from time to time.

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Or Mishal
Or Mishal

Written by Or Mishal

Or Mishal is a composer, guitarist and is an enthusiastic supporter of young and anonymous musicians worldwide. For more, visit http://ormishal.net