What does your brand sound like – and why is it worth taking control of it now?

A customer coming to your store visits hundreds of different companies during the year. What makes your store special and memorable? What does it sound like?

Building a brand is not just about logos or colors, it is about the feeling that the customer takes with them. Sound and especially background music are powerful and often undervalued tools for building this feeling.

Standing out is challenging, but that is exactly why every detail that can make an impact is worth utilizing. Background music is one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to support your brand. However, background music chosen in accordance with your brand is not just about creating an atmosphere. It is a functional tool for improving sales and customer experience, which is directly reflected in your company’s cash flow.

A properly designed soundscape affects:

• how your customers feel
• how long they stay
• how much they buy
• and above all: how they remember you

Studies show that music directly affects customer behavior. Well-chosen music improves customer satisfaction and makes customers spend more time in the store – and the longer they stay, the greater the likelihood of purchases.

A personalized customer experience with branded music

Let’s think about how you dress. You probably don’t go to the beach in high heels or to a gala in a bikini. The same applies to music: every environment needs the right sound for that moment and place.

The background music you hear in different spaces is no coincidence – or at least it shouldn’t be. The soft acoustic ambience of a sophisticated restaurant is different from the loud beats of a gym. If the music is wrong, it can ruin the entire experience, or at worst, drive a customer out the door.

Imagine a candlelit dinner with a loud bass blaring in the background. Atmosphere? Broken. Experience? Disaster.

Carefully selected music is one of the elements that makes your business stand out and unforgettable. For this reason, you shouldn’t leave background music to the whims of everyone or the radio. The role of background music is subtle, but its impact is huge. When it works, the customer doesn’t consciously pay attention to it – but if it’s missing or out of place, they’ll notice.

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An unknown song is proven to be more effective than a well-known hit

It’s a common misconception that well-known hit songs attract customers. In reality, they can disrupt shopping behavior. Why? Because a familiar song draws attention to itself. The lyrics, melody or memories take the customer’s thoughts away from the store’s atmosphere and shopping.

Studies have found that generic, less well-known music supports shopping behavior more positively. It creates a background in which the customer can focus on what they want to do, which is shopping.

Playing the radio = free advertising space for competitors

If the background music comes from the radio, you can’t control what is played under your brand. At worst, your competitor’s offers will echo through the speakers – in your store. Not an ideal situation, right?

“If the background music comes from the radio, there will also be advertisements – and at worst, they will advertise your competitor’s offers right in your store.”

Radio music is designed according to the channel’s target group, not your customers. In addition, advertising breaks break the atmosphere, distract the customer and introduce inconsistency into your store’s soundscape.

Hit songs can evoke the wrong emotions

All I Want for Christmas Is You. What a summer. These songs evoke memories – but not always the right ones. When the same song is played repeatedly in the wrong place, it can even cause negative emotions and avoidance behavior. If the customer’s experience is associated with an annoying song, they may not want to come back again. That’s why control over music is important. Background music is not intended to be entertainment, but rather to shape the emotional state and brand experience. When you choose the songs that play in your store yourself, you can create an atmosphere that is exactly in line with your brand. At the same time, you can leave out music that doesn’t fit your brand.

So don’t entertain, but create emotional states that support your business goals. When the music doesn’t come randomly from the radio or from well-known hit lists, but is carefully selected according to the customer and the situation, the end result is a strong competitive advantage.

Savings without compromise – background music without separate copyright fees.

Commercial use of music almost always requires a music license and separate copyright fees. In Finland, music copyrights are managed by Teosto, among others. Separate licenses with copyright holders can be expensive. The price depends on factors such as your industry, the music usage environment, the duration of music usage and the number of customers.

For example, in a 1,000 square meter store, annual fees can be several thousand euros – and this is just the license fee, not including equipment, systems or design.

With FirstView’s license-free background music service, you save a lot of money – every month. You only pay for music according to the number of square meters, and no separate license fees are required.

With the FirstView Music service, you get everything for one fixed monthly price:

• A large Teosto-free music library
• Customized playlists
• Manage background music, announcements, ads and digital signage content on one platform
• Option to schedule music
• If you want, we also provide equipment, installation and turnkey commissioning.

With FirstView Music, you get 100% control over what your customers hear about your brand.

Read more: Background music and soundscapes bring your brand to life

Whether you have 5 or 500 locations, you can manage your music remotely. You can schedule different music for different times of the day:

• A soft and gentle start in the morning
• A more energetic atmosphere during the day
• A calmer, relaxing music in the evening

You can also manage announcements, campaign messages and advertisements on the same platform – all in a controlled way and in support of your brand.

Summary: You decide how your brand sounds

Background music is not random. It is a strategic choice that has a direct impact on the customer experience and cash flow.

Choose the right sound for your brand. Say goodbye to competitor ads, inappropriate hit songs and extra copyright fees. Welcome to the world of branded music, where every note supports your business.

Contact us – let’s design a soundscape worthy of your brand together.