24 Jun Why it’s worth putting the extra effort into your music
Generic background music is in decline – just like the high street
If there’s one thing we can learn from the decline of the high street, it is that consumers in the late 2010s are clearly in favour of independent businesses with their own identity.
For business owners and operators, it’s important to move with the times and adapt your offering to reflect this new trend. One place where a business can stand out from the crowd, without spending a fortune, is through their music.
As a percentage of outlay, the cost difference between a generic, off-the-shelf music service and a bespoke option is negligible – yet much like the difference between a suit from a high street retailer and one from Savile Row, having one tailored to your own specific dimensions can make the world of difference to how your brand appears. Music is never one size fits all, and your business deserves the care and attention of the human touch.
Whilst many restaurants focus on smell, sight and (of course) taste, and retailers focus on layout and visual identity, hearing is the one sense that’s often neglected. However, hearing is one of humanity’s most primal instincts and can subtly change the mood of your customers – without them even realising it’s happened.
Studies have also proven the crucial importance of the right music, with a 38% increase in sales shown and 79% of consumers agreeing that the right music makes them stay longer and spend more.
MAV Music’s Top 5 Tips For Getting the Right Sound:
1) Think about your customer before yourself
Too many business owners are preoccupied with their own taste music – if your customers don’t like it, then it’s not right for your business!
2) Build your music around your operation
You need lively music when you’re busy and something more subdued when you’re not – although this sounds like common sense, it’s often neglected, especially when using inflexible, pre-made playlists.
3) Seamless delivery
Jumps in volume and gaps between tracks are more noticeable than you might realise. It’s vital to have a professionally delivered solution which equalises the volume, cuts out long intros and avoids explicit tracks – using a staff member’s Spotify just doesn’t cut it.
4) Think about time…
It’s important that your music is in tune with the seasons – just like your menu or product lines. When it’s cold and goes dark at 4pm, you require a radically different sound to a warm summer’s evening. Make sure your music supplier adjusts your content and schedule in tune with the seasons.
5) And space
It’s also important to look at the space where the music is going to play – from open-air to hard surfaces, the style of your venue makes a huge difference to how the tracks you select will sound. There’s a reason folk tracks don’t often become festival anthems, and it’s important to ensure your sound is going to work with, and not against, your venue.