Even if you are hardly aware of it, music can be surprisingly powerful.

Researchers have found that it can affect:

• how much time we think has passed while waiting
• how co-operative shoppers are with sales staff
• how sweet or bitter food tastes
• what you will ...

It is also known as music design, music consultancy, or as part of a broader package of experiential design or sensory marketing.

The work involves creating distinct,  compatible musical identities for brands.

Muzak, a brand of background music, set the template for background music. It played in retail stores and other commercial premises and sold itself on the basis that it could increase productivity in workplaces. 

Muzak's template for background music persisted for decades. The music was a b...

• The physical effect. We subconsciously match what we are doing to what we hear. One study found that diners chewed at a faster pace when higher-tempo music was played.
• Associations that music can trigger and how our environment can affect those associations....

Shops are no longer just a functional place to buy things in. In the face of competition from online retailers, many high-street businesses can provide their customers with more than just satisfying their basic needs: They can repackage shops as an experience, using the marketing power of sound t...