Music in Public Spaces—The Role of Background Music in Everyday Life

When you think about music, which settings and locations cross your mind? Maybe you envision yourself relaxing at home with your favorite tunes playing through your speakers, or dancing with friends at a club. Maybe you picture yourself enjoying a live performance or exercising at the gym while listening to energizing music that keeps you motivated. While these scenarios are quite common, we often encounter music in other, sometimes less obvious places. Yet, music in such settings often has a purpose, aiming to subtly influence our emotions, behaviors, and experiences. Let’s look into some examples.

Berlin, the capital of Germany, is well-known for its fast-paced and often chaotic nature. For many residents, taking the bus, train, or streetcar is a routine part of daily life. Much like the city itself, public transit can be a varied experience, from frustrating delays and crowded conditions to intriguing encounters.

To mitigate some of the stress, Berlin’s main public transportation provider BVG decided to bring unobtrusive classical music to four of the city’s underground stations. The pilot project, established in 2022 in collaboration with Klassik Radio, aimed to examine whether subtle music can make waiting for the train more pleasant. Despite some people finding the music rather eerie, the project was generally met with positive feedback and will most likely be expanded to other stations across the city.

The practice of playing music at train stations is a distinctive feature of Japan, where each station features its own unique sound that appears when a train arrives. These so-called eki-melo jingles have been part of Japan’s sonic landscape since at least the early 1970s. Originally introduced to help reduce stress levels in the bustling stations, they also assist commuters in navigating the platforms and recognizing their location. Interestingly, eki-melos have become so popular that their composers enjoy a fair amount of fame across the country. The melodies have even been incorporated into souvenirs for tourists, allowing them to replay their favorite sounds back home.

Music is also commonly used at airports, where the stress of finding the right terminal, navigating security checks, and boarding the plane can make for an exhausting experience. To ease traveler anxiety and create a more relaxed environment, airports often play ambient and relaxing music in terminals and lounges. Interestingly, this practice is closely tied to the invention of the genre ambient itself, most notably through Brian Eno’s iconic album Ambient 1: Music for Airports. In the interview below, he explains the thought process behind his compositions in a very honest and transparent manner.

Music is also used to create relaxation and comfort in patient rooms and waiting areas at medical facilities, where it can be much needed. In this context, it can help ease patient nerves and make procedures feel less stressful. Another example is the use of music in public restrooms to reduce the discomfort of sharing a private space with others, mask unpleasant noises, and improve the overall perception of cleanliness and comfort. Some places, however, prefer to play entertaining music at public restrooms, which can turn the visit into a fun experience.

Finally, music can be used to help people pass the time, such as in elevators or on phone hold. Elevators typically feature smooth and pleasant tunes to make the brief ride more enjoyable. This type of music has become iconic in pop culture, with many tracks available on YouTube under the search term 'elevator music.’

Meanwhile, phone-hold music is often tailored to match the business's type and branding. For example, a religious bookstore might integrate religious music into its calls, while a rock shop could feature classic rock. Alternatively, many businesses opt for smooth jazz, classical music, ambient sounds, or other genres that make the wait more bearable.

Music is also commonly integrated into exhibitions at museums, art galleries, and other cultural or educational venues. Customized audio can set the tone for an exhibition, influencing how visitors perceive and engage with the content. It can enhance immersion and storytelling by providing deeper context to the visual displays. Additionally, interactive installations often use music to engage visitors and create multisensory experiences. In the following example, sound plays a central role in the video installation, whereas in other cases, it is used more subtly as a background element.

Some recreational places use music to enhance the overall experience of a visit in unique ways. In botanical gardens, ambient sounds and thematic music can enrich the immersive experience, often reflecting the diverse habitats. Meanwhile, at beaches, music from nearby venues or public sound systems can contribute to a leisurely and vibrant atmosphere, adding to the enjoyment of the surroundings.

One of the most intriguing forms of music in public spaces is its integration into the built environment through interactive installations or playful elements. These sound-producing features add a touch of creativity and playfulness to urban landscapes. One example are the sound-producing tiles designed for the Budapest House of Music, which play music when stepped on and offer an interactive experience of the public space. Another notable example is the Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia, which uses sea waves and tubes to generate random yet harmonious sounds.

While music is often employed for positive reasons, such as relaxation or guidance, it is also used for hostile purposes. One example stems from Los Angeles, where the public transit authority began blasting classical music at certain stations to drive away unsheltered individuals. Despite claims that the music is not excessively loud, the LA Times reports that it averages 83 decibels on a handheld meter, with the station’s acoustics amplifying it even further. The ‘strategy,’ also deployed in front of numerous stores across the city, sparked significant backlash. In fact, one of the composers whose royalty-free music was used asked for the removal of his composition from the playlist, stating that “no form of art should be used to discourage or limit freedoms.”

This concept, commonly referred to as weaponized music, mirrors hostile architecture, where design elements are intended to prevent behaviors deemed "undesirable." These tactics are not only exclusionary but also fail to address the root causes of various issues, only pushing them away to areas where they become even less visible.

There are other contexts where music is used for hostile purposes, one of which is the previously mentioned phone hold music. While it is often useful, and sometimes even fun, you may have experienced situations where it is rather irritating. This might simply be due to a poor choice of music, but it could also be a deliberate strategy to push you toward email communication — especially when dealing with official institutions known for not being particularly welcoming.

While music can certainly help with relaxation in public spaces, its positive effects are not always guaranteed. Studies suggest that while music can be beneficial in some situations, it can also have the opposite effect.

In an interview with The National, psychologist Zoe Nendick explains that the presence of music “can cause some people to be overstimulated.” For this reason, “removing music is actually a way of making places more acceptable and comfortable for people to be in.” Additionally, she argues that “a certain piece could trigger a memory for someone and end up upsetting or angering them or reminding them of a situation that made them very tense or a person they don’t want to be reminded of. You don’t know how people will react to the music you play.” This is why, according to the psychologist, “it turns out that this works better if people can control the music they listen to.”

While Zoe Nendick emphasizes the value of choice and silence, there are situations where any music can be significantly better than none. For instance, a survey by audio branding specialist PHMG found that 73% of callers prefer to hear something other than beeps or silence when put on hold. Similarly, a CNN survey revealed that 70% of callers in the United States hang up within 60 seconds if left in silence.

Despite the mixed effects of music on listeners in public spaces, its broader benefits are widely acknowledged — so much so that a thriving industry has emerged to meet the demand for background music. The best-known company in this field is Mood Media, formerly known as Muzak, an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments.

Another notable player, as explored in depth by The Guardian, is Music Concierge. The company specializes in curating background music for a diverse range of international clients, including high-fashion brands, hotels, and restaurants. Their primary aim is to influence individual behavior or to create a certain atmosphere, closely tied to the concept of enhancing the customer experience. Similar to elevator music, this particular style of music has become popular enough to be found on YouTube and other platforms.