Hotel music as profit booster – here is how and why

Most of us have occasionally experienced hotels that immediately generate that ‘wow’ feeling –where we are getting a one-of-a-kind experience. It may be notable in some striking interior design or overall opulence, and paired with fantastic hospitality. It may be the overall feeling of many things combined.

Without even noticing it the music being played is quite likely then one of the components. If something feels out-of-place about the music we might notice it in particular. Should there be no music we might feel that something is missing for the atmosphere to be complete. But if the music is properly curated and programmed everything just feels in harmony, with a vibe that is perfect for the setting – no matter the time of the day and activity. Then you’re getting an authentic sense of place.

So the focus here is on this one element that tends to be, to some degree if not entirely, overlooked: the music. It may be in place but perhaps too random or not styled and programmed in the way it could, and should, be, to give the optimal result.

The way to go is this: the music soundtrack should be something that fits the identity of the venue; that is influential but a discreet background that enhances the intended mood and scene. It should reflect that particular venue, hotel brand and culture. And this is actually part of taking it to the next level; to be foreground music that identifies the brand voice, in the form of distinctive and highly tailored music experiences.

With this method one can ensure the hotel’s music to be top-notch, taking the brand I.D to an even higher level. And serving the right music flavours for the audience and the atmosphere, with a positive reinforcement of your brand and venues in the ears and eyes of your customers as result, is really just half the work. Because, as a hotel- and F&B operator you can actually, if done correctly, really take control of proceedings with the help of music. And having crafted music that really sets the scene can be costly to overlook – impacting your bottom line.

One starts off with the prospects of the enhancement of an experience – for instance ‘Afternoon Tea’ or a sunset happy hour – thanks to having the right, curated background music that fits your business and brand. Then the art is to really know how the music can be adjusted to influence the customers and how this affects their perception of the atmosphere and value of the service. Because music has the power to energise or relax us, stimulate and influence us.

The reputation of a venue can be strongly enhanced through music. But there is also another key component: sales. Having the right music in your hotel/venue can pay for itself – and boost profitability. Provided the implementation is appropriately incorporated (using insights, metrics, and feedback from your operation), it can give fast ROI. It pays off in the form of returning guests and increased consumption.

Music can work as a tool to influence customer behaviour in order to attract customers and maximize revenue, for example by taking into account the musical tempo's impact on the customer. Handpicked music is then designed for each outlet, depending on the precise setting, the time of the day and day of the week. The music mood and tempo also differ as the day progresses.

Royal Streaming’s customised sound strategy

Royal Streaming (with Asian presence) is an international provider focusing on delivering precisely that, as part of providing an unparalleled level of service that’s also based on coming up with a customised sound strategy.

As supplier, Royal Streaming (RS) knows exactly how to create the perfect tailored music for your brand, and can (unlike some competitors) actually time-steer the music according to the operation. So RS works with the client at the operation to figure out which the peak- and off-peak times are – what the different phases of the venue consists in. RS then programmes the music, devices a playlist, an algorithm and time-steering that will switch to all these different phases.

The music can affect the behaviour of the customers without them experiencing changes in the atmosphere's characteristics. Within restaurant and café outlets operators can use the tempo of the music as a tool to influence their guests' behaviour in the desired direction, thus generating higher revenue. Such operators want different customer behaviours depending on how the activity on the premises. For instance, a slow music pace at a café results in a longer average visit time in relation to when music with a varied or high tempo is played. So you might be looking at a venue that has five different phases throughout the day.

RS works first and foremost with the subtlety in producing tailormade, designed music soundscapes, where science, statistics and the human touch are blended to create your “brand voice” that will be heard in all your outlets.

Working in this fashion RS is disrupting the existing background music industry with broader capabilities to come up with a hotel/brand/outlet’s foreground music. Aside retail the hotel sector is served, where RS works with the involved stakeholders in order to identify their brand voice and achieve the perfect pulse for the curated audio channels. This typically involves the general manager and F&B manager, along with hotel brand/marketing representatives.

Public areas, in particular where guests can consume something while enjoying the setting, should have designed music. The main differentiation – and what sets RS apart from other providers – is the time being spent to put together a fairly extensive analysis and creative process, in order to get the music right. This includes paying significant attention to the demographics of the hotel guests when designing the music soundtrack. The process goes deeper to really identify what the brand consists in, who the customers are and who the clients might want their customer to be in the future.

Stimulating the senses of your clientele you are able to connect with your customers in a way that will create long-lasting and positive memories, and make them become return customers.

“You are looking to get the right kind of customers as well; there’s a certain responsibility on the whole operation to attract the right kind of spenders and customers. The music will do its job with existing guests, but eventually you need to build up the place with the kind of guest you want; which comes back to branding, knowing who your customers are, having the right kind of marketing, social media manager etc.,” says Jaime O’Rourke Head of Brands and Partnerships, Asia at Royal Streaming.

The music then has to be spot on and precisely targeted from a wide range of musical choices. RS has its very own Royal Artist catalogue of independent direct licensed songs, today with a database of around 300 000 songs, and that is very attractive for most clients. Keeping a high-quality standard of music many clients are also saving big amounts of money on using this catalogue instead of commercial music (no additional reproduction fee and performance licence).

All RS music is handpicked by humans, with options for category pre-sets and more hands-on design of channels.

The branded music also engages and entertains staff, where RS offers a large channel of 800 tracks to avoid too repetitive music. This helps keeping the morale of the staff up, who are then becoming stronger brand ambassadors. Consequently, ales are more likely going to increase, while the staff turnover is going to decrease (and save you money in the long run.)

About Royal Streaming

RS is a Swedish-owned B2B music design and streaming service for retail, hospitality, and commercial properties working with key players in the market.

RS offers a premium indie catalogue of direct license music called Royal Artists to help manage costs. For this Royal Artist Library catalogue RS makes direct licensing agreements with artists. RS can also facilitate agreements for commercial music on behalf of the client.

As for commercial versus independent musical soundscapes, a study in Sweden by RS shows that the familiarity does not seem to have any direct impact on the customer’s level of joy or average purchase. It is the design of the music that is central to influencing the consumer, not how well-known it is.

Music channels are built over a long period of time, tailoring to the individual customer, so via RS clients have a better chance to really pinpoint the brand.

Increase your sales through solutions created to set the right atmosphere at the right time. Royal Streaming brings brands to life.

For assistance, contact us at Serve Hotels who are proud representatives of Royal Streaming in Asia!