The Challenges of Background Music in Hospitality

As part of our new whitepaper, Sound Decisions: The Role of Background Music in Hospitality, we conducted 1 to 1 interviews with Founders, Marketing Directors and Ops Managers in hospitality to shed light on a multitude of challenges associated with background music.

Let’s take a look at the main challenges they reported. 

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Operational challenges.

• Need for dedicated staff
• Handling explicitly lyrics
• Accommodating customer requests
• Seasonal music management
• Licensing & legal requirements

One of our main challenges is the need for someone on the team to manage the music effectively, ideally a dedicated champion. Unfortunately, this is often executed inconsistently and isn’t broken down by day part.

- Nicolo Portunato, founder at Platform

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Playlist management.

• Repetitive music & limited selection
• Lack of frequent updates
• Time-consuming maintenance
• Difficulty in maintaining brand consistency 

We want the music to be present, relevant and engaging but not overpowering. Volume normalisation and adjusting the music pitch for different times of the day have been ongoing challenges that we continually work to improve.

- Noel Hunwick, Marketing Director & Co-founder at Inamo

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Technical challenges.

• Volume level management 
• Need for better programming 
• Manual processes
• Technical limitations 

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Customer experience.

• Balancing volume levels with busyness 
• Creating the right atmosphere 
• Meeting diverse preferences 
• Maintaining brand consistency

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Staff-related issues.

• Inappropriate music played by staff
• Impact on staff morale 
• Disagreements about selection 
• Music management seen as trivial
• Lack of music knowledge

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One of the biggest challenges I've experienced is staff playing inappropriate music in venues, with team members often choosing their own selections that don’t align with the brand. Particularly with destination venues that welcome families, this can be an issue.

- Simon Anderson, Food Hall & Hospitality Consultant at Next Phase

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Regional and cultural considerations.

• Balancing global consistency 
• Different demographic needs
• Cultural differences 
• Varying customer preferences 
• Adapting to tourist locations

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Luckily, Startle’s industry-leading background music services are designed to combat these difficulties. From volume and EQ scheduling, to varying permission levels and frequently updated playlists, we help hospitality brands build impactful music experiences that amplify their brands whilst easing operational headaches.

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