# Music in shops



## Garry

How do you think most shops implement music (like do they just have a huge spotify playlist?) and what kind of music do you like to hear in the coffee shop enviroment?


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## The Systemic Kid

Great in principle but harder in reality - that is, to find music that appeals to everyone.


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## forzajuve

How about no music. Some of the best cafes I have been to have been really relaxing and the buzz of chatter and espresso being pulled is far more alluring than music you hate and people shouting above it. But then noise pollution is a particular pet hate of mine


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## Garry

yeah i know it's going to be a hard area to cover hence i though i'd look into it a little

would the music choice affect you going back to a great coffee?


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## forzajuve

Garry said:


> would the music choice affect you going back to a great coffee?


I guess no if it was a take away. If I was meeting people for a coffee and there was another choice which did not bang out the music and did good quality coffee then I would naturally migrate there. If you are looking into setting up a cafe do not forget how important the environment is. Getting people to stay for food/another drink is really what can make a difference to it stacking up financially. This is the UK, you cannot rely on nice weather and cafe culture to generate income!


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## painty

Something like Chill FM would be my choice - pleasant, inoffensive background music without adverts. Not sure what the PRS situation is with playing an internet radio station.


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## Garry

thanks for the insite

my thoughts on building a shop would to build it an kinda energetic feel as im sure it will help me be much happier with my workplace and offer something a bit difrent to all the kinda subdued (in my personal opinion) edinburgh shops i feel music could be lending quite a big hand in that but im not saying having music blairing loud just subtly lending a hand to it all the other contributing factors

it sounds a nice idea to nip into somewhere with no music and just enjoy the shop but as a worker i can imagine it becoming very repetitive and tedious quick


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## 4085

You could look at your target market throughout the day and put on different styles to suit. I did this in a town centre pub I had years ago. From opening at 11am we played light cocktail type of stuff, for older shoppers. At lunch it went to frank Sinatra and the likes. Shut at 3, early evening it was modern stuff, but at 9.30 pm every night, we played nothing but really heavy stuff you did not hear elsewhere and it brought the punters in a treat. I mean mainstream stuff like Led Zepplin , Deep Purple rather than Rammstein!


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## Garry

basicaly i think music would affect my happyness and that inturn may affect my baristi skills

sounds like a fine establishment dfk wish there were a few more pubs like that here


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## jeebsy

It's nice having music if it's a) good and b) appropriate, it's just that those two criteria are completely subjective!

Was in guardian coffee last week and they had some early Daft Punk on which I really like but not sure out was suitable for Sunday 11am. The girl put some David Gray on afterwards which is never appropriate. Not sure you can really go wrong with stuff like Bowie, Talking Heads, the Smiths etc.

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## Garry

Some of my intial thoughts are that it is all subjective and that i might just have to run with my own tastes and go for it it until I attract a following of people who are into that choice of music (and the rest of that shop and it offerings for that matter! Just so many variables to consider)

Not a clue who David Gray is but all the other choices are quite to my liking


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## The Systemic Kid

Garry said:


> Not a clue who David Gray is but all the other choices are quite to my liking


That's the thing - music is tribal and can be self-selecting. I wonder how many customers are put off by a particular venture's music choice to the point they don't visit?


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## jeebsy

The Systemic Kid said:


> That's the thing - music is tribal and can be self-selecting. I wonder how many customers are put off by a particular venture's music choice to the point they don't visit?


I reckon the daft punk would have put my mum off.

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## garydyke1

Its a tough one and something I have often pondered.!


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## garydyke1

The type of music has to say something about the style of the shop and its owners/workers/location but not alienate its patrons.

Personally having eclectic tastes , could be something like and I'd be happy: -

Friday just before closing - 




Saturday Afternoon - 




Sunday morning -





 which could sit next to 



 could sit next to 




I think commercial pop / dance / R&B cheapens shops and you feel like youre in MacDonalds or H&M !


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## painty

^ nice playlist (Fila Brazillia are my all-time favourite act). Ska and Jazz nice too, though some people seem to have a deep-seated hatred of the latter. I think if a cafe is aiming to appeal to the widest possible market, then "chillout" (hate the phrase) is likely to appeal to most and offend the least. However for somewhere wanting to cut more of an identity for itself, it might be seen as too safe and bland.


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## garydyke1

Cheers man. Yeah Fila are up there, shame they went on their separate ways. I have Steve Cobby on Twitter and follow his newer musical involvements.


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## gmason

It needs to be an integral part of the coffee shop environment. Definitely no elevator-style music. Very tough to decide. I guess there will be those customers to plug into their own music source irrespective of what's playing.


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## painty

garydyke1 said:


> Cheers man. Yeah Fila are up there, shame they went on their separate ways. I have Steve Cobby on Twitter and follow his newer musical involvements.


Yes shame, what a fine body of work they produced though. Ah didn't know SC was on twitter, that's good to know. Been meaning to see what he's been up to since..


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## Glenn

Whichever route you go down, make sure you apply for and purchase the appropriate licences for playing the music.

Depending on the source you may need to apply for 1 or more licences.


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## Charliej

The other option to go for is acoustic material mainly, but still gives you a wide choice and still unlikely to offend many people unless you opted for some Tenacious D tracks, it's also well worth checking out your local music scene and playing local music at times too as this can attract people because you're the only place that will play stuff from their local band. I've seen this approach turn a a struggling pub and next door cafe into thriving establishments by becoming the chosen hangout of local musicians.


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