Overhead music in brick-and-mortar stores is so common today that many people don’t think twice about it. There’s a reason why it’s become an unofficial industry standard — music has a powerful psychological effect on shoppers.

The best marketing is the kind that customers don’t even perceive as such. In-store music can fall comfortably into that category if you use it correctly. Once you know how your song choice can influence customers, you can use it to your advantage.

Improving Shopper Comfort

One of overhead music’s most straightforward impacts on shoppers is creating a comfortable environment. Songs around 60 beats per minute (BPM) can trigger brains to release alpha waves as they synchronize with the beat. Because alpha waves are also present when people are conscious and relaxed, this phenomenon can fight stress.

When your customers feel relaxed, they’ll be more receptive to what you have to say. Conversations with potential buyers have a better chance of being productive, and shoppers may stay in the store longer. If nothing else, creating a subconscious association with positive, relaxed feelings and your storefront is beneficial.

Solidifying Your Brand Image

The songs you play in your retail storefront can also craft a stronger brand image. Your identity as a brand consists of four key elements — purpose, values, personality and voice — and in-store music affects at least the last two.

A playlist of songs that gained popularity on TikTok could give your brand a youthful personality and communicate that you want to appeal to a younger audience. By contrast, classical music gives your location an air of sophistication and suggests you’re more concerned with quality than jumping on trends. No message is necessarily better than the other, but it’s important that your song choices match the rest of your branding.

Encouraging Specific Shopping Habits

You can even use music to influence specific behaviors among shoppers. Studies find that people tend to speed up when listening to fast music, so playing high-tempo songs could encourage buyers to make impulsive purchases. Alternatively, you could play slower music to make customers linger and consider multiple options.

Similarly, upbeat, happy songs make people prefer short-term rewards for their behavior, while slow music increases carefulness. You can drive specific purchases with your playlist, too. In one instance, German wines outsold French ones when a store played German music and vice versa.

Factors to Consider When Optimizing In-Store Music

The broad psychological effects of overhead music are too significant to ignore. However, making the most of this opportunity requires attention to a few key considerations.

Audience

As with any marketing strategy, your in-store music selection should start with identifying your audience. Song choices that work well for one demographic may not be ideal for another, so it’s important to build your playlist around your target market.

While you can start by recognizing your current audience’s preferences, matching specific tastes alone isn’t always a reliable strategy. Remember to keep your song choices aligned with the image you’re trying to create.

Song Popularity

How recognizable a song is can also play a role in your music’s impact. Playing nothing but radio hits may work well in some instances, but you also risk turning away shoppers who may feel tired of hearing the same track everywhere else.

Recognition can also affect the speed at which people shop. Customers will pay more attention to the music if they recognize it, which causes time to feel as if it’s passing slowly, leading to hurried actions. This effect can be beneficial if you want to encourage fast sales, but detrimental if you want shoppers to slow down and explore all you have to offer.

Audio Quality

The platform and files you use to play music matter, too. Innovations have greatly improved the dynamic range of digital tracks, so streaming options like Spotify and Pandora offer acceptable levels of quality. However, be sure to have a steady internet connection when using these options, as any dips in quality can hinder your music’s efficacy.

Distortion, buffering and other quality issues will stand out more than the song itself. These undesired audio signals, in turn, have the opposite effect of good music choice — they may increase stress and drive buyers away. Your speaker hardware will also impact this factor, so make sure you have a reliable, high-quality system.

Tempo

Tempo is another easily overlooked but critical factor. Studies show that fast-tempo music causes consumers to consider more variety when shopping, while slow songs have the opposite effect. Which behavior is best depends on how you’re trying to generate sales.

Variety-seeking behaviors are ideal when you want buyers to explore a wider range of products or if you’re trying to reel in new customers as a less recognizable brand. However, established companies or stores relying on fast impulse purchases don’t want to encourage comparisons, so songs below the 60 BPM threshold may be better. 

Volume

Finally, you should consider how loud your in-store soundtrack is. When music is too loud, it can increase stress and drive people away. On the other extreme, songs are unlikely to influence behavior much if shoppers cannot hear them.

An ideal level lies somewhere shoppers can recognize and enjoy the music without needing to raise their voices to communicate. The optimal volume may also vary between demographics, so some trial and error may be necessary.

Use Music to Your Advantage

Effective brick-and-mortar experiences engage all the senses. Auditory signals are an important part of that strategy, and music can affect people in many ways. Consequently, brands must learn how they can use overhead songs to influence shoppers.

The specific actions you want to spur through music will vary depending on your brand and audience. They may even change between seasons. In every case, though, recognizing how different qualities affect consumers is key to capitalizing on this potential.