Page 1 of 1
Grocery Store Music
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:38 pm
by burkeingraffia
I shop at a grocery store which is a popular chain in the Mid-Atlantic region, and every time I go in I wish I had brought ear plugs. It is all uptempo, 4/4, soaring pop songs. There’s no real variety. I might find another place to buy my eggs.
I’m sure some people like it, but as a jazz musician in my 50’s my tastes are different. While I’m doing my weekly shopping for 30 minutes, I don’t need or want that kind of pounding energy.
Does anyone know how these grocery store chains select their music and why there is no variety?
Re: Grocery Store Music
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:51 pm
by cassmcentee
When I lived in Los Angeles, my grocery store (Whole Foods on 3rd) had a DJ spinning Vinyl of all styles.
Was a very pleasant shopping experience.
Re: Grocery Store Music
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 8:07 pm
by funsongs
Maybe they could organize their food by decade-appropriate aisles - and only play songs from those eras.
"Jazz fruit on Aisle Take 5..."
"Bread rock & rolls from the 60s on Aisle 6..."
etc. etc. etc.
"New Age in the organic-vegan section."
Re: Grocery Store Music
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:36 am
by cosmicdolphin
There is a whole a world of retail music that you may be unaware of.
I worked in a large retailer that was part of a nationwide chain back in the day and we were sent a bunch of CDs from head office with different dates on them indicating when they should be played. They were generally Top 40 artist type songs and then around peak season it'd be switched for Xmas Music. Of course we used to get bored and burn our own CD's to play, I even threw in a couple of my own songs which is quite funny to hear in a big store and I saw someone singing along with one once.
The psychology of it is the faster the music the quicker people in the store will shop or work. So if it's a store that depends on high footfall they would need more urgent uptempo songs. In shops where the products are expensive and there is a high mark up you will probably find slower paced music so customers take their time.
All of this was under a retail licence from PRS ( the PRO here in the UK ) so the retailers contributed to the pot of money which gets distributed as royalties.
These days it's done via streaming and a there are services out there that are Royalty Free so no licence is required and you won't hear any well known songs, it will be written by people like us and you might pick up a few pennies on with someone like RadioSparrx if you sign up your music with them.
I guess if you don't like what they're playing wear some earbuds and listen to what you do like. I use the weekly shopping trip to catch up on my podcasts.
Mark
Re: Grocery Store Music
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:38 am
by Casey H
Yup. I have my music in a number of libraries that specialize in "in-store" music. Most or all of it used overseas, not sure if my tunes are being used that way anywhere here in the US. But one day, I really want to go into a store or restaurant and here one of my own songs playing. That would be awesome!
cosmicdolphin wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:36 am
There is a whole a world of retail music that you may be unaware of.
I worked in a large retailer that was part of a nationwide chain back in the day and we were sent a bunch of CDs from head office with different dates on them indicating when they should be played. They were generally Top 40 artist type songs and then around peak season it'd be switched for Xmas Music. Of course we used to get bored and burn our own CD's to play, I even threw in a couple of my own songs which is quite funny to hear in a big store and I saw someone singing along with one once.
The psychology of it is the faster the music the quicker people in the store will shop or work. So if it's a store that depends on high footfall they would need more urgent uptempo songs. In shops where the products are expensive and there is a high mark up you will probably find slower paced music so customers take their time.
All of this was under a retail licence from PRS ( the PRO here in the UK ) so the retailers contributed to the pot of money which gets distributed as royalties.
These days it's done via streaming and a there are services out there that are Royalty Free so no licence is required and you won't hear any well known songs, it will be written by people like us and you might pick up a few pennies on with someone like RadioSparrx if you sign up your music with them.
I guess if you don't like what they're playing wear some earbuds and listen to what you do like. I use the weekly shopping trip to catch up on my podcasts.
Mark
Re: Grocery Store Music
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:07 pm
by Ted
cosmicdolphin wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:36 am
There is a whole a world of retail music that you may be unaware of.
I worked in a large retailer that was part of a nationwide chain back in the day and we were sent a bunch of CDs from head office with different dates on them indicating when they should be played. They were generally Top 40 artist type songs and then around peak season it'd be switched for Xmas Music. Of course we used to get bored and burn our own CD's to play, I even threw in a couple of my own songs which is quite funny to hear in a big store and I saw someone singing along with one once.
I used to tend bar in an airport concourse, and being a music junkie I'd always want to play music I liked in the bar (which I was often the only one working there at a time)-- and I liked pretty "indie" stuff.
In the beginning, there was a Muzak system piping in the music-- and it was the same garbage music all the time. I couldn't stand it, so I'd bring in my own choice of music and play it. People liked the music and often I'd get guests who told me they came into the bar because of the choice tunes I was playing.
But my GM caught wind of my "going around" Muzak and forbade me from doing it again. He installed a new system he thought I couldn't hack but I'd climb up into the ceiling tiles and wire in my own music player each day. I'd sneak in playlists with a few tunes here and there that almost sounded like what you'd hear on Muzak but a little bit more hip and then back to the normal stuff I'd always play.
I remember one day the GM walked in while one of my playlists was playing, thinking it was his Muzak stuff and he was like "now this is some GOOD music, Ted". LMFAO.
The only time I really had an issue was when I was playing a Björk album and some older couple couldn't take it and begged me to turn it off. Looking back, I think they had a point.