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Best Background Music for Resort Pools, Pool Bars, Beach Clubs and Waterfront Bars

The best background music for poolside, pool bar, beach club and waterfront Bars. Set the ambiance with these 8 playlists.

Whether you’re setting the ambiance for guests at a beach hotel resort with ocean views, separate adult and family pool and hot tub areas, a beach club, or waterfront bar with a cool summer vibe, you can take the experience to the next level with the perfect music soundtrack.

Posted on July 11, 2023

Music impacts mood as guests seek to chill waterside. 

Music impacts the mood and energy at your pool bar or beach bar, influencing everything from how many guests visit to how much they spend on drinks and food. The right atmosphere keeps guests returning and keeps the tabs and waterside drinks flowing. 

Research shows that customers carefully select resorts and waterside getaways based on the ambiance and that music selection plays a crucial part in the guest experience provided throughout the day.

More than any other hospitality setting, waterfront spaces are a haven where guests are happy to pay extra to relax, unwind, and mingle with friends. The right music genres, energy, style, and volume set the stage for an elevated guest experience and increased sales. 

What is the best music for your Resort Pool, Beach Club & Pool Bar?

Getting your brand sound right extends to your pool or beach bar. In this unique environment, guests respond to background moods that feel casual, relaxing, and breezy without being too overbearing. The right background music matches  the sound to the setting, whether yours is a pool bar with a contemporary aesthetic that’s conducive with laidback, familiar songs, or modern, electronic sounds or a beach bar with a more natural setting that syncs with the feel of live music and instrumentations such as steel drums and acoustic guitars.

Beyond matching the setting, playing the right music sets the mood. For example, many poolside and beach bars evolve as day turns into night, switching from a lounge area for a relaxing morning, to a chill spot for a bite to eat in the afternoon, to a vibrant, energetic atmosphere to grab drinks in the evening. 

Factoring the time of day, as well as the synergy between genre and energy plays a role in setting the tone. The same heart-pumping house music that keeps the party going at night can ruin the vibe during the day for guests seeking to relax. Every pool area and waterfront bar shares its own unique aesthetic and demographic, which is the reason the right music varies depending on your unique space and brand. 

The right music can help increase cabana or fire pit rentals,attract guests to a poolside bar & grill for lunch with family, or encourage guests to stay for happy hour, cold beers, rose’, margaritas, and mai tai’s, or attend an evening pool party.

As guests kick off their day poolside, lakeside, oceanfront, or beachside, start off with a relaxed ambiance to create the perfect beach resort vibe.  

Whether a pool bar or beach club, it's essential to create the right atmosphere that caters to a diverse crowd. Here are some of the music genres and styles that can appeal to a range of tastes and moods throughout the day:

  • Reggae/Island Vibes

  • Yacht Rock

  • Pop/Top 40

  • Beach-Style Rock/Indie

  • Tropical House/Deep House

  • R&B/Hip-Hop

  • Latin/Reggaeton

It’s important to consider adapting playlists to the time of day and the atmosphere you want to create. For example, you can start with more laid-back tunes and gradually transition to more energetic tracks as the day progresses. Leverage Soundtrack Your Brand’s scheduling tool to help make the experience seamless. And don’t forget to update your playlists regularly to keep the music fresh and exciting for frequent or returning guests, and staff.

Music for rooftop pool bars and beyond.  

The right music playlist for your rooftop pool bar sounds similar to most cocktail bars, where the genre, energy levels, and vibrant mood feel appropriate for the audience and design of the space. The objective is to enhance the guest experience with music and create an atmosphere to help them escape through the power of music. 

For example, a rooftop bar offering panoramic views may lend itself more with eclectic styles and genres of music. Music selections for this type of setting include songs that feel cinematic and emotive while helping customers relax as the sun sets slowly in the distance. Experiment with both electronic and live instrumentation while keeping the energy levels a little slower than in your average cocktail bar, creating that cinematic feel while remaining unintrusive, laidback, and casual.

What are the best music playlists for Background Music for Poolside Bars and Beachside Resorts, Clubs and Bars? 

Creating the perfect music playlist for beach and pool bars involves selecting a mix of relaxing tunes to enhance the laid-back atmosphere and upbeat songs to entertain guests through the day.

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