8 ms·

Inside the booming business of background music

99 points by acdanger 8y ago

lucasfcosta 8y ago
I'm impressed to not see lo-fi hip-hop getting mentioned. From my purely empirical perspective, it seems like the biggest reason for the growth of this kind of music is the necessity to fill the void in noise-canceling headphones: the essential equipment for those who work in open-spaces.
- fredley 8y ago
  I'm interested, why do you think this genre in particular deserves mention?
  - Insanity 8y ago
    I think because that genre became quite hyped in 2018. Personally I had not heard of it until reading in a newspaper that lo-fi hiphop was the new generation of calming music. It apperantly has a big community around it with livestreams etc happening. Just a guess though
    - nickthegreek 8y ago
      My wife works for BDO doing document work, which involves alot of spreadsheet data shuffling. She was complaining yesterday that there is some humming in the office that she finds very distracting. I recommended she look into streaming lofi hiphop/chillhop for her to focus more clearly. I started listening to it in 2018 when I need to shut out open office distractions and it was a real game changer for me.
      - Insanity 8y ago
        I will have to give it a shot. Working in an open office kills my productivity. Makes me appreciate the days that I work from home even more.
    - thatcat 8y ago
      Yea, it's quite the meme. Akira the Don is my favorite artist doing this and he's been very prolific this year. Lofi hiphop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OKnUk59pZk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OKnUk59pZk Some of his best work has motivational or philosophical quotes over the lofi hip hop from an inspirational speaker. This one just came out yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGh3KDkonQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGh3KDkonQE
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
iamben 8y ago
> “I would be astonished,” he said, “if someone chose a Renault over a Volkswagen just because you play French music in a showroom.” Ummmm... I'm not sure I would? Perhaps that example is a little obvious, but I'd bet the music goes a really long way in a lot of decision making setups. Back in the CD era I'd try and choose a record I knew my friend(s) would like as a moving present when they bought a new place. Assuming they actually listened (most did), the record would become synonymous with the new house - "ahhh, I love this song. Reminds me of moving in to number 7!" Music is a wonderful thing.
- dana321 8y ago
  Its in our nature to bias towards what we are exposed to through loosely connected emotions and experiences. Its so automatic we don't even realise it happening unless we are aware of it. I see it as a kind of context-switching.
- logifail 8y ago
  >> Music is a wonderful thing Not wishing to seem overly cynical, but marketing types selling snake-oil is also a thing. >> In 1985, for instance, one study found that diners chewed at a faster pace when higher-tempo music was played. (Researchers measured this according to the delightfully named metric, bites-per-minute.) Interestingly, they noted, diners did not finish their meals faster, suggesting that they had actually been taking smaller bites. So people chewed faster, but it made no difference to the length of time taken to eat the meal? So perhaps: "In 1985, for instance, one study found no change in the time diners took to eat their meals when higher-tempo music was played"
- newman8r 8y ago
  agreed. The right music might keep people in a showroom longer. It's less of a leap to assume that more time in the showroom will be associated with increased sales.
- nikk1 8y ago
  I love making playlists for all kinda of occasions: date nights, game nights, long drives, studying, parties... When I first started dating my girlfriend, I would curate a playlist to play in the car (I would choose music I knew she would like, or something that would set the mood for a romantic evening). The result was that we found out we had a similar taste in music. Now our tastes in music is something that we share a bond over.
open-source-ux 8y ago
About a decade ago, London Underground began piping classical music into some tube stations to deter petty crime and anti-social behaviour. The scheme was deemed a success. There are a couple of possible interpretations of the success: 1. Classical music had a calming effect that dampened anti-social behaviour. 2. (A bit more depressing) Classical music is so uncool that anyone with anti-social intentions didn't want to hang around in a station while it was being played Here's a 2008 article from The Independent newspaper on the scheme: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/mind-the-bach-classical-music-on-the-underground-800483.html https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/featu...
- creeble 8y ago
  Give criminals time to adapt. Then they'll have to come up with a new genre. Would death metal actually _increase_ crime rates I wonder?
  - Symbiote 8y ago
    Seems unlikely. Events where metal music is played generally have lower crime than other forms of popular music. My evidence for this was the general lack of interest from the London police at metal events, although it seems[1] that could be a way to measure race without asking — the metal scene is overwhelmingly white and also more middle class. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jan/10/police-stigmatising-hip-hop-696-form https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jan/10/police...
  - reitoei 8y ago
    Have you ever met any death metal fans? They're not exactly a burgeoning criminal fraternity :)
- Unknoob 8y ago
  Last year the metro in São Paulo - Brazil, started playing classical music inside the trains and stations and no one understood why. Makes sense since they always try to copy stuff that worked elsewhere, but I've seen more people mad at the decision than supportive of it.
vfclists 8y ago
The OP should consider forwarding this post to the operators of a particular help line associated with Her Majesty's government, which one hopes, must be the only such line.
ghaff 8y ago
Somewhat related, the tendency to have (IMO often overly loud and inappropriate) sound, including but not limited to music, just about everyplace is only continuing. Combined with the modern aesthetic of a lot of hard surfaces in places like restaurant interiors and having conversations can often be a challenge.
vipulved 8y ago
Great story. One thing however they don’t do is quantify “Booming business”. Is this a few small boutique agencies or larger industry?
- piqufoh 8y ago
  I have the same question, but I'm now wondering if it's just a pun - as in 'booming' music etc.
- dano 8y ago
  Background music is a very tough business. This article was focused on the custom and boutique programming end for highly brand conscience clients. I co-founded Trusonic and competed with Muzak and DMX for several years eventually servicing 50,000 locations. It is a competitive business at scale. There are companies that are willing to pay top dollar for music programmers who will completely customize playlists for a brand, but these are somewhat rare and not necessarily the business one looks to engage due to the labor required.
growlist 8y ago
On a tangent, I'm increasingly put off by incessant and obnoxious background music on TV - everything is drenched in emotionally manipulative sound - documentaries, drama series. Stranger Things is the one example that really stuck out to me - in the end I had to stop watching because I got sick of the music accompanying virtually every single scene. It didn't used to be like this! For the most part I'd prefer to be able to form my own thoughts and feelings based on the content, with music used sparingly and appropriately. Ho hum.
- wolco 8y ago
  There was more music previously in tv shows. They took a different form like a theme song.
- chongli 8y ago
  It didn't used to be like this! That's news to me! I've been annoyed by obnoxiously melodramatic music in movies for my whole life, even from decades before I was born! Check out this famous scene of Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet soliloquy [1]. The music is so jarring I can hardly stand to watch it at all! [1] https://youtu.be/5ks-NbCHUns https://youtu.be/5ks-NbCHUns
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- PretzelFisch 8y ago
  I notice this most on youtube videos, there seems like a large group of editors that can't deal with having a moment of silence during the video.
  - yetihehe 8y ago
    I've noticed there is also big group of viewers who can't stand silence.
- fhrow4484 8y ago
  Agreed, it has been like this for a long time for movies though. That's obvious when you find some types of movies really boring if you reduce the sound / have a way to equalize it so that there can't be any spike of louder background music. For TV shows I don't think I'm as bothered as you, since like movies, the goal is to be entertaining. But I agree that in recent documentaries it's very obnoxious, in the end those looks more like entertainment posing as documentary. It's hard to find good quality documentaries on platforms like Netflix/Hulu/etc
mancerayder 8y ago
Here in NYC there's a disease of loud hip hop and rap music blasted in innocuous places like expensive restaurants and wine bars, places where you'd expect to have a conversation with someone that doesn't involve yelling. Since it's intended to be loud, the long bass beats drown out voices, and then comes a rapper voice in the form of an angry yell. So a guy is yelling at me when I'm trying to eat. Is this a political statement or routine Top 40s playlist playing? It's played out loud on the subway as well on people's phones. Two problems: My Sennheisers with noise canceling don't work on hip hop. Even if they did, it'd be awkward to bring them on a date.
- crushcrashcrush 8y ago
  Hip hop is increasingly influencing all aspects of American culture - the tipping point being my mother texting me if “I liked Cardi B” Just as haute-coture fashion houses have embraced streetwear trends, hip hop is the dominant force in American music. It ain’t going anywhere.
  - mancerayder 8y ago
    It's got the power of billions of dollars of media money pumping it, so of course a heavily marketed item will be purchased. But that's not the discussion, which is loud music being played in such places as restaurants. I mentioned hip hop because loud hip hop is more distracting to a conversation than loud, say flute music. The fact that I loathe it just adds to the pain.
crushcrashcrush 8y ago
The W Hotels chain used to be excellent at this - they even sold a mix CD in your room that contained “selects” from the lobby with a great mix of swanky tracks. I’ve also found high-end restaurants and other boutique hotels employ highly-specific mixes. Adds to the atmosphere without a doubt
- dano 8y ago
  W Hotels spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4J6mxgvlelSTYaR0D8RqRN https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4J6mxgvlelSTYaR0D8RqRN

99 points by acdanger 8y ago

I'm impressed to not see lo-fi hip-hop getting mentioned. From my purely empirical perspective, it seems like the biggest reason for the growth of this kind of music is the necessity to fill the void in noise-canceling headphones: the essential equipment for those who work in open-spaces.

fredley 8y ago
I'm interested, why do you think this genre in particular deserves mention?
- Insanity 8y ago
  I think because that genre became quite hyped in 2018. Personally I had not heard of it until reading in a newspaper that lo-fi hiphop was the new generation of calming music. It apperantly has a big community around it with livestreams etc happening. Just a guess though
  - nickthegreek 8y ago
    My wife works for BDO doing document work, which involves alot of spreadsheet data shuffling. She was complaining yesterday that there is some humming in the office that she finds very distracting. I recommended she look into streaming lofi hiphop/chillhop for her to focus more clearly. I started listening to it in 2018 when I need to shut out open office distractions and it was a real game changer for me.
    - Insanity 8y ago
      I will have to give it a shot. Working in an open office kills my productivity. Makes me appreciate the days that I work from home even more.
  - thatcat 8y ago
    Yea, it's quite the meme. Akira the Don is my favorite artist doing this and he's been very prolific this year. Lofi hiphop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OKnUk59pZk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OKnUk59pZk Some of his best work has motivational or philosophical quotes over the lofi hip hop from an inspirational speaker. This one just came out yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGh3KDkonQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGh3KDkonQE
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]

iamben 8y ago

> “I would be astonished,” he said, “if someone chose a Renault over a Volkswagen just because you play French music in a showroom.” Ummmm... I'm not sure I would? Perhaps that example is a little obvious, but I'd bet the music goes a really long way in a lot of decision making setups. Back in the CD era I'd try and choose a record I knew my friend(s) would like as a moving present when they bought a new place. Assuming they actually listened (most did), the record would become synonymous with the new house - "ahhh, I love this song. Reminds me of moving in to number 7!" Music is a wonderful thing.

dana321 8y ago
Its in our nature to bias towards what we are exposed to through loosely connected emotions and experiences. Its so automatic we don't even realise it happening unless we are aware of it. I see it as a kind of context-switching.
logifail 8y ago
>> Music is a wonderful thing Not wishing to seem overly cynical, but marketing types selling snake-oil is also a thing. >> In 1985, for instance, one study found that diners chewed at a faster pace when higher-tempo music was played. (Researchers measured this according to the delightfully named metric, bites-per-minute.) Interestingly, they noted, diners did not finish their meals faster, suggesting that they had actually been taking smaller bites. So people chewed faster, but it made no difference to the length of time taken to eat the meal? So perhaps: "In 1985, for instance, one study found no change in the time diners took to eat their meals when higher-tempo music was played"
newman8r 8y ago
agreed. The right music might keep people in a showroom longer. It's less of a leap to assume that more time in the showroom will be associated with increased sales.
nikk1 8y ago
I love making playlists for all kinda of occasions: date nights, game nights, long drives, studying, parties... When I first started dating my girlfriend, I would curate a playlist to play in the car (I would choose music I knew she would like, or something that would set the mood for a romantic evening). The result was that we found out we had a similar taste in music. Now our tastes in music is something that we share a bond over.

open-source-ux 8y ago

About a decade ago, London Underground began piping classical music into some tube stations to deter petty crime and anti-social behaviour. The scheme was deemed a success. There are a couple of possible interpretations of the success: 1. Classical music had a calming effect that dampened anti-social behaviour. 2. (A bit more depressing) Classical music is so uncool that anyone with anti-social intentions didn't want to hang around in a station while it was being played Here's a 2008 article from The Independent newspaper on the scheme: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/mind-the-bach-classical-music-on-the-underground-800483.html https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/featu...

creeble 8y ago
Give criminals time to adapt. Then they'll have to come up with a new genre. Would death metal actually _increase_ crime rates I wonder?
- Symbiote 8y ago
  Seems unlikely. Events where metal music is played generally have lower crime than other forms of popular music. My evidence for this was the general lack of interest from the London police at metal events, although it seems[1] that could be a way to measure race without asking — the metal scene is overwhelmingly white and also more middle class. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jan/10/police-stigmatising-hip-hop-696-form https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jan/10/police...
- reitoei 8y ago
  Have you ever met any death metal fans? They're not exactly a burgeoning criminal fraternity :)
Unknoob 8y ago
Last year the metro in São Paulo - Brazil, started playing classical music inside the trains and stations and no one understood why. Makes sense since they always try to copy stuff that worked elsewhere, but I've seen more people mad at the decision than supportive of it.

vfclists 8y ago

The OP should consider forwarding this post to the operators of a particular help line associated with Her Majesty's government, which one hopes, must be the only such line.

ghaff 8y ago

Somewhat related, the tendency to have (IMO often overly loud and inappropriate) sound, including but not limited to music, just about everyplace is only continuing. Combined with the modern aesthetic of a lot of hard surfaces in places like restaurant interiors and having conversations can often be a challenge.

vipulved 8y ago

Great story. One thing however they don’t do is quantify “Booming business”. Is this a few small boutique agencies or larger industry?

piqufoh 8y ago
I have the same question, but I'm now wondering if it's just a pun - as in 'booming' music etc.
dano 8y ago
Background music is a very tough business. This article was focused on the custom and boutique programming end for highly brand conscience clients. I co-founded Trusonic and competed with Muzak and DMX for several years eventually servicing 50,000 locations. It is a competitive business at scale. There are companies that are willing to pay top dollar for music programmers who will completely customize playlists for a brand, but these are somewhat rare and not necessarily the business one looks to engage due to the labor required.

growlist 8y ago

On a tangent, I'm increasingly put off by incessant and obnoxious background music on TV - everything is drenched in emotionally manipulative sound - documentaries, drama series. Stranger Things is the one example that really stuck out to me - in the end I had to stop watching because I got sick of the music accompanying virtually every single scene. It didn't used to be like this! For the most part I'd prefer to be able to form my own thoughts and feelings based on the content, with music used sparingly and appropriately. Ho hum.

wolco 8y ago
There was more music previously in tv shows. They took a different form like a theme song.
chongli 8y ago
It didn't used to be like this! That's news to me! I've been annoyed by obnoxiously melodramatic music in movies for my whole life, even from decades before I was born! Check out this famous scene of Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet soliloquy [1]. The music is so jarring I can hardly stand to watch it at all! [1] https://youtu.be/5ks-NbCHUns https://youtu.be/5ks-NbCHUns
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
PretzelFisch 8y ago
I notice this most on youtube videos, there seems like a large group of editors that can't deal with having a moment of silence during the video.
- yetihehe 8y ago
  I've noticed there is also big group of viewers who can't stand silence.
fhrow4484 8y ago
Agreed, it has been like this for a long time for movies though. That's obvious when you find some types of movies really boring if you reduce the sound / have a way to equalize it so that there can't be any spike of louder background music. For TV shows I don't think I'm as bothered as you, since like movies, the goal is to be entertaining. But I agree that in recent documentaries it's very obnoxious, in the end those looks more like entertainment posing as documentary. It's hard to find good quality documentaries on platforms like Netflix/Hulu/etc

mancerayder 8y ago

Here in NYC there's a disease of loud hip hop and rap music blasted in innocuous places like expensive restaurants and wine bars, places where you'd expect to have a conversation with someone that doesn't involve yelling. Since it's intended to be loud, the long bass beats drown out voices, and then comes a rapper voice in the form of an angry yell. So a guy is yelling at me when I'm trying to eat. Is this a political statement or routine Top 40s playlist playing? It's played out loud on the subway as well on people's phones. Two problems: My Sennheisers with noise canceling don't work on hip hop. Even if they did, it'd be awkward to bring them on a date.

crushcrashcrush 8y ago
Hip hop is increasingly influencing all aspects of American culture - the tipping point being my mother texting me if “I liked Cardi B” Just as haute-coture fashion houses have embraced streetwear trends, hip hop is the dominant force in American music. It ain’t going anywhere.
- mancerayder 8y ago
  It's got the power of billions of dollars of media money pumping it, so of course a heavily marketed item will be purchased. But that's not the discussion, which is loud music being played in such places as restaurants. I mentioned hip hop because loud hip hop is more distracting to a conversation than loud, say flute music. The fact that I loathe it just adds to the pain.

crushcrashcrush 8y ago

The W Hotels chain used to be excellent at this - they even sold a mix CD in your room that contained “selects” from the lobby with a great mix of swanky tracks. I’ve also found high-end restaurants and other boutique hotels employ highly-specific mixes. Adds to the atmosphere without a doubt

dano 8y ago
W Hotels spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4J6mxgvlelSTYaR0D8RqRN https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4J6mxgvlelSTYaR0D8RqRN