The Best Music Playlists for Your Retail Store

What is the best music to play in retail stores?

Shopping music taps into the pleasure principle of the human psyche. Consumers are more likely to buy from your store with the right type of music playing, especially when those items connect with pleasure such as workout gear, party items, or fun clothing.  The "right" music varies based on your clientele. For example, classical music can help a wine store drive more stores while non-classical romantic music can help a florist sell more flowers. So, what type or genre of music is best for your retail store? 

If you sell high-end consumer items like wine, gourmet foods, or art, curated playlists of classical music are the way to go. You can even experiment with music sung in the languages of the country of origin of your products. If you serve a lower-end or younger demographic, older popular songs with a moderate to slower tempo or instrumental versions of popular songs can align your music to your brand and drive more sales. For a mid-range demographic, shoot for high quality up-tempo jazz that sounds compelling but not too fast-paced. The brand right strategy keeps you from playing the wrong music at your retail shop. 

Sometimes, the time of day or year influences the right music for your retail store. Right around Christmas, the right music playlist is about keeping your staff happy and in the holiday spirit. Working just one retail shift during the holidays is enough to understand how much a boring, repetitive playlist can impact the vibe inside a retail store. With a wide selection of music that doesn’t repeat many times a day, your staff can better enjoy music that works for your brand and the Christmas season. 

How does music differentiate and build my brand?

Background music is more than just a playlist. In fact, almost 8 out of every ten consumers browsing the aisles of your retail store notice the music playing in the background. From resonating with your unique target audience to separating your brand from the other players in your retail category, there’s a powerful branding element that makes retail music so much more than just a playlist of songs. 

The right music choices do the same job as your logo and retail store design to make emotional connections with consumers, influencing everything from the number of repeat visits to how much time and money people spend in your store. Brand-fit music is intricately connected to both the in-store experience and overall customer satisfaction with the power to drive 37 percent more sales than a random playlist.  In a world where one out of two shoppers will leave a retail store playing annoying background music, no brand can afford to exclude the power of a great music library from their marketing strategy. 

How music influences the retail shopper.

Anyone can grasp the connection between music and the retail experience. Just think of how uncomfortable you feel shopping at a silent retail store with no background music. Imagine how stressed you feel inside a store with loud or unpleasant music. Now, compare those feelings to your experience at a store with a friendlier, more welcoming music playlist. The fact is that music influences the moods and feelings of consumers in a way that retail store owners can’t ignore. Brand-fit music impacts everything from your brand image to your sales, revenue, and growth, remaining one of most underrated elements in a retail store’s mix. 

Your music is your brand.

Music creates and differentiates your brand from the moment consumers walk through your door. In a shopping mall, the moment happens even faster with consumers picking up your brand personality just by hearing your music playlist from outside your store. Music tempo, loudness, and style together separate vibrant, energetic brands from laid back, carefree ones, the same way pop or rap music separates an on-brand experience at a youthful sneaker store from an off-brand one at a business that stocks formal wear. The key is to optimize your background music to fit your unique brand, such as playing music with a family friendly radio edit in a toy store.  

Align your music to your brand goals.

Did you know that four out of five small retailers believe that turning off their music would damage their store’s atmosphere? Tempo and style alone can create a visible change in your retail store’s atmosphere, creating a playful space with high-key pop music, a relaxed, pensive environment with slow rhythms, and even a private, personal space for customers by masking the sounds of voices and movements. Just ask the staff working at a retail store without music and almost all of them will say that a store that plays music is more modern and appealing. 

From setting the pace and flow throughout your retail store based on the time of the day to shortening the perceived wait time when lines are long, the right music for the situation can support your sales goals. In-store music can also influence your staff, boosting morale, concentration, and productivity. People work faster and complete tasks more accurately and creatively with music playing in the background, which is reason enough to play music in your retail shop.

Play and observe.

Streaming music for business is about influencing buying behavior through subtle, subliminal messages. Have fun and experiment with how the different musical selections in your store impact customer satisfaction and sales. With all other things equal including the same staff and same level of cleanliness, observe how shifts in your musical selections encourage your customers to hang around for longer and buy more. The right music for your brand will show you the impact on your sales and success.

With Soundtrack Your Brand, you can select the perfect playlists and lengths, curated especially to complement the shopping experience and take your retail shop brand to the next level. Take advantage of the advanced scheduling tool inside our music service for business, so there’s always something fresh on deck. With all the right music licensing, you’re legal to stream all the music you love. 

Where do retail stores get their music?

When it comes to playing music in your retail store, not all music streaming services are created equal. For example, consumer streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora are not licensed for business use and put you at risk of fines and legal consequences. 

Soundtrack Your Brand is a licensed music service that eliminates the risk of getting fined or sued by playing music in your retail shop or business. In the U.S. and Canada, retailers can save money by bundling both performing rights licenses including ASCAP, BMI, GMR, or SoCan.

With Soundtrack Your Brand’s made for business tools, you can select the perfect playlists and lengths, curated especially to complement the customer experience and enhance the ambiance inside your retail store. Take advantage of our advanced scheduling tool, so there’s always something fresh on deck. You can even keep your music family friendly with an explicit lyrics filter.

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