The right volume has an effect – more than you would think

Music in a store is more than just background noise. It influences how we feel – and how we behave.

How much can the volume of music or background noise influence customer behavior?

Dipayan Biswas, Kaisa Lund, and Courtney Szocs investigated this question in a scientific study. A pilot study, two field experiments, and five laboratory studies were used to test how the volume of music and background noise affects food choices.

What is bought at which volume?

The result is fascinating:

At low volume, test subjects felt more relaxed. This more relaxed mood was associated with a greater selection and higher sales of healthy foods.

At high volume, however, arousal levels increased. The result: participants were more inclined to reach for unhealthy foods.

The interesting point

So, it wasn't just the music itself that influenced behavior. The volume altered the mood – and the mood influenced the purchasing decision.

This makes volume an exciting tool in retail:
Lower sound can support calm and conscious decisions.
Louder sound can promote energy and spontaneous decisions.

Therefore, there is no universal “right” volume, and it is not about simply making music “loud enough.” The key is always the space, its usage, the target audience, and the desired atmosphere.

Sound is part of the atmosphere

Particularly in retail, restaurants, or hotels, music is part of the overall spatial experience.

It is not just the volume that plays a role. Even sound distribution, good speech intelligibility, and a pleasant sound profile are decisive and create an atmosphere.

Good sound reinforcement means: being able to hear well everywhere

This is exactly where professional audio planning comes in. Instead of having very loud sound at a few points, an even distribution of sound ensures that music is perceived pleasantly throughout the entire space – without unnecessarily high levels.

Because good sound should not be noticed. It should have an effect.

More about professional audio solutions from NewTec Design : Audio

Source: Biswas, D., Lund, K. & Szocs, C. (2019). “Sounds like a healthy retail atmospheric strategy: Effects of ambient music and background noise on food sales”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(1), 37–55. DOI: 10.1007/s11747-018-0583-8.