How to Choose the Best Restaurant Music

Restaurant, hotel, bar, and lounge music has become a trend in the hospitality industry. As a result, several operators are creating customized soundtracks to flourish their concept and increase their clients. Playing the same generic music all day long is not a good idea. We suggest you rethink your approach if you are still doing so. Your piece should evolve in tempo, style, and energy throughout the day and night, to attract your target audience.

How to Create the Best Restaurant Music

Your brand needs enough music not to bore your target audience and enough control and oversight to make it fit. When creating the best restaurant music, there are many factors to consider. You'll learn how to create the perfect soundtrack by following these steps.

The first thing you should consider is how many playlists you need. For example, there should be four playlists for a typical restaurant or bar (e.g., lunch, happy hour, dinner, and late night). Depending on your target audience, you should customize each playlist. It would be best if you didn't play the same music all day.

Next, you'll need to determine what style or type of music to play each daypart. Again, several factors will influence this, including the average age you want to attract.

Depending on your hours of operation, a restaurant or bar should have between 3,000 and 4,000 songs in its music library. When developing your database, you should also consider the length, lyrical content, BPM (beats per minute), chart performance, and more. Your music library should be curated by an experienced individual or company with extensive music knowledge.

Another consideration is music software. Music can be played with a variety of software applications. It analyzes your iTunes music library and sets a consistent volume level for all of your tracks.

Why Is Music Important for Restaurants?

Some music has been shown to increase sales and increase restaurant guest satisfaction. Customer satisfaction can be increased by playing music in restaurants. Research conducted by Soundtrack Your Brand shows the significance of restaurant music. Nearly 2 million transactions were analyzed for 16 restaurants in the study. A study found that playing music that reflects your brand's personality induced positive emotions among customers and increased conversions.

Tips to Create the Restaurant Music Playlist

Restaurant playlists are another component of interior design that requires some thought and attention. The following tips will help you play music in your restaurant.

Make sure it matches your brand. Creating an influential restaurant playlist is an essential factor.

Update your playlist frequently if you have a long playlist. Guests and staff will appreciate the variety.

Make it dynamic. It's not necessary for all the songs you choose to sound the same to match your intended ambiance. Instead, the genre, band, and tempo must be switched.

When choosing music, keep time of day in mind. Organize your playlist by energy level, or create several such as:
- Calm, uplifting sound for breakfast
- Slightly more energetic songs for brunch and lunch
- Lively music during happy hour
- A dynamic mix for dinner

The mood becomes more upbeat in the late evening. Play music softly.

It's too loud if you or your guests have to raise their voices to be heard. You can also use an app to measure decibel levels (dB). The combined volume of conversation and music should not exceed 70 or 80 dB. Otherwise, guests will find it difficult to hear one another. Over time, hearing loss can also result.

As more guests arrive, increase the volume. The average human absorbs about .3 dB, so you'll want to adjust your volume accordingly.

To encourage guests to stay longer, play slow tempo music. Slower music can entice diners to stay longer, possibly ordering a dessert or extra drink at a certain point in the evening.

Turn over tables by playing up-tempo music. Conversely, it can increase table turnover by playing faster music, giving the impression that time has passed faster than before.

Where to Find Some Good Examples?

Partner with music experts. Curate a playlist with the help of musicians, composers, and other qualified individuals. Or you can go to some restaurants. To find good examples you can google restaurants with music near me. A google map will show you the closest ones to you. But if you need to do a revision and want to check a few places, it's better to use services with reviews on local businesses, nicelocal for example. This is the best option if you want to experience the playlist of a particular restaurant live. And yes, a little tip - before you go there, check out the reviews and look for where people write that they are delighted with the music. If there are a lot of such reviews, you probably need to visit that restaurant.

Music License

Music licenses allow bars, restaurants, and retail stores to use copyrighted music. Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) also regulate public performance licenses. Having a music license allows you to support the artists whose music you play in your bar or restaurant. Having the proper permits for your restaurant is essential so that you don't have to deal with any legal issues or pay any extra fees. In addition, you can face federal penalties of up to $30,000 if you play unlicensed music in your restaurant.

How to Get a Restaurant Music License

You can legally play music in your restaurant in one of the following ways. Streaming subscriptions for personal use are not included. Artists are compensated through the Performance Rights Organization (PRO), which acts as middlemen between users and performers. Licensing fees vary depending on the venue type, size, and seating capacity. You can pay for a Music Solutions Service. For example, use a streaming service for your business or hire a company that creates playlists tailored to your restaurant's concept and brand. PRO fees are included in these options, which are licensed for enterprises. The company usually pays the fees on your behalf, and you pay them.

Playing music that expresses your brand will make your guests want to return to your restaurant. Volume and tempo should also be carefully considered to create a seamless sound experience for guests. You can enhance your restaurant's ambiance and boost sales by choosing background music wisely.