Guides
September 29, 2023
7 min read

Music benefits statistics: What value can background music bring to venues?

music-benefits-statistics

To generate profit and outrun competitors, public venues like bars, cafes, restaurants, retail stores, and hotels do everything to attract and retain customers. It’s really hard work to take care of all aspects to keep current and potential buyers satisfied.

Still, the sound often tends to be the missing part. It’s surprising how many businesses that have spent so much time, money, and effort on food, client service, interior design, and lighting are happy with just having any music selections on repeat and thinking it is enough to bring pleasure to the audience.

Meanwhile, hearing is our second most important sense after sight. With the right background music, you can create an awesome customer experience and establishment atmosphere, which will result in higher retention and loyalty. Furthermore, brand-fit music can help you increase revenue by up to 40%!

In the article, you’ll find the music benefits statistics proving that tailored music offers huge value to public venues. You will also learn some interesting facts about music’s impact on our brain and behavior. But first, let’s consider the definition of the right background music.

What is the right background music?

The right background music is the music that aligns with the target audience’s preferences, public place’s vibe, brand style, and staff tastes. On top of that, the songs you play have to match the time of day and situation. 

For example, an Italian restaurant may opt for classical and modern jazz, bossa nova, and traditional Italian symphonic music for daytime whilst streaming Italian pop and rock hits in the evenings.

A mix of R&B, soul, pop, rock, and pop-rock tracks will be a great choice for bars during daytime. In the nights and evenings, bars can freely switch on house, disco, funk, pop, hip hop, R&B, deep house, and techno.

What’s more, the right background music means that your company plays tracks and compositions with a certain tempo and volume. For instance, it is not advisable to make the music too loud in hotel lobbies or during lunch in cafes.

But loud music is great in disco and latina bars at nights and evenings when the primary goal is to entertain people and stimulate them to dance. To learn more, check out an ultimate guide to choosing background music for business.

In addition, the right background music does not irritate customers with multiple ads and announcements. It is also important not to bore guests and employees to tears with song repeats. This way, you should use different music and update playlists regularly.

Key music benefits statistics for 2023

1. Tailored background music helps grow income

Western Kentucky University discovered that slow background music allows establishments to grow their income by 38%. The Gallup Organization Survey, in turn, determined that by playing rhythmic music, bars can fatten the profits by almost 41%.

There are many more opportunities to earn more through background music. Some businesses, for example, employ mobile jukebox apps like Moodby that allow guests to request favorite tracks when having a rest in the venue. Meanwhile, companies get full control over what songs can be ordered via the jukebox. 

Although it is quite challenging to make an accurate estimate of revenue increase from a digital jukebox due to various factors (the number of orders, the cost of song playback, etc.), some reports suggest that it can contribute to a 10%–30% income growth.

If you want to boost consumer engagement and generate higher profits, try out Moodby, which is available either in the App Store or Google Play.

2. The right music contributes to sales increase

Restaurants playing carefully selected background music that reflects their culture can push up sales by more than 9%, as found by a five-month study performed by HUI Research. Certain products showed even higher results. Dessert sales, for instance, climbed by more than 15% while the sales of side dishes spiked by over 11%.

According to the survey of greater than 2,101 restaurant guests, tailored music can help increase the likelihood that customers would buy additional items.

Experts at HUI Research also revealed that it is better to play no music at all than random popular tracks, since this may lead to the sales volume reduced by over 4% in comparison with silence.

Another report says that 21% of respondents say they have a stronger desire to make more purchases when they enjoy the background music played in the public venue.

3. Brand-fit music improves customer experience

MRC Data defined that 79% of participants reported their experience was enhanced when enjoying background music. It also revealed that 19% of shoppers are more willing to recommend a company with tailored music to their friends.

HUI Research studied how brand-specific music influences client emotions and satisfaction after visiting a restaurant compared to random music. The analysts discovered that customer well-being and engagement improved when listening to brand-tailored music selections rather than when hearing random hits.

4. The right music leads to higher time spent and retention 

Brand-fit background music encourages 41% of customers to stay longer and 39% of respondents — to return to a business, as found by MRC Data. What’s more, 27% of the surveyed say they are likely to become regular clients. 

Therefore, background music streaming can enable businesses to not only attract the audience but make them come back and spend more time at your place.

5. Tailored music improves the ambiance and guest mood

Based on online polls taken by 11,255 consumers worldwide, “The State of Brick and Mortar 2017” report says 81% of participants believe that background music improves the overall atmosphere and puts them in a better mood. On top of that, the analysts found that 70% of customers feel more connected with the brand when listening to tailored music.

MRC Data determined that 65% of respondents across the US claim it is crucial for companies to create a compelling ambiance through music. Another study investigated music’s impact on shoppers and revealed that it lifts the mood of 70% of customers, making them want to spend more time in the room.

6. Music can boost employee productivity 

Totaljobs analyzed the answers of 4,553 respondents when studying the use of music in the working environment. Experts identified that 79% of participants would take advantage of listening to music at work regardless of their tastes, age, occupation, and location. 

The research discovered that 99% of employees in open spaces would benefit from listening to music during work. Additionally, 48% of users said that music contributes to higher concentration on their job activities.

WebFX reports that 61% of people enjoy music, as it makes them happier and helps perform tasks faster. Analysts 88% of professionals do their jobs more accurately when tailored music plays.

“Music can have a dopaminergic effect on the brain, meaning it creates dopamine. Dopamine is what stimulates the prefrontal cortex, which is the center of the brain responsible for planning, organizing, inhibition control and attention.” —Merriam Saunders, psychotherapist and adjunct assistant professor.

Summing it up

Every venue that aims to engage and retain the audience should take care of background music not only because now it’s impossible to imagine our life without it but because music really enables to put buyers in a better mood and even increase revenue. The income growth you can achieve with brand-fit music ranges between 9% and 40%. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

Today music is an irreplaceable part of customer experience, brand identity, and venue’s atmosphere. So, you should make the best of this, tailoring music to your specific needs and automating background music curation. 

At Moodby, we cooperate with professional DJs who compile playlists and stations customized to the needs of numerous establishment types. On top of that, our music experts can create a personalized station for your venue. 

With Moodby Play, you’ll have full control over the background music, from managing everything across multiple locations to assigning access rights to your employees. This B2B music streaming platform offers many cool features, including explicit lyrics filter, playlist scheduling, and offline mode. Start a 30-day free trial!🎁


Diana Maltseva