The huge business behind those background bops

Ever find yourself tapping your toes to the latest tunes… at McDonald’s?

Startups like Soundtrack Your Brand could be the reason why. The company just inked a deal with Universal Music Group to help corporate clients build streaming-safe playlists.

Licensing deals are music to artists’ ears

Musicians are supposed to get paid each time their music plays in public. But the industry loses an estimated $2.65B/year when businesses blast the manager’s personal Pandora stations.

Companies pay Soundtrack Your Brand $30-$40/month for music. Its revenues for 2018 were ~$3.5m.

The background biz has playlists down to a science

The psychology of music is powerful — and companies like Music Concierge are all about taking advantage of it.

According to Ambie, another music consultant, consumers are 24% more likely to buy a product when they dig the tunes they hear.

A few more things music can do, according to science:

• Traditional French music might make wine shoppers choose a French Sauternes over a German Gewurztraminer.
• Bright bops in the AM and down-tempo sounds in the PM can get a restaurant’s morning rush out the door, or lull dinner guests into staying for dessert.
• It can tame savage beasts — err, shoppers — so they’re less cranky to salespeople.