The Neuroscience Of 'Nice' Music
What's going on in our brains when we hear our favourite tunes?
At Startle, we know the impact music can have on our behaviour and mood. But its power is much larger than just that; it can change the way we move, how we behave, our perception of time, our reading of a brand or influence our purchasing decision.
That’s why, when we create playlists, we don’t just pick ‘nice’ music. There’s no medals for nice music and wishful thinking, just a fair bit of risk. That’s why we focus on the science behind good vibrations and curate atmospheres with real intentions.
Let’s take a look at some of the science behind the processing of music, and why it’s important.
The areas of the brain
The brainstem is the oldest part of the brain. Its response to sound is reflexive, related to the most primal motor functions like flinching in response to a perceived danger. When you hear a loud bang, this part of the brain is alerting you to act fast.
Moving up the evolutionary ladder, the basal ganglia is the next most advanced brain area that has a musical function. This part of the brain can determine whether a sound is pleasant or unpleasant.
The amygdala is thought to be part of the limbic system within the brain, responsible for our emotional responses, survival instincts, and memory. Interestingly, emotions are connected to goals as part of a survival framework to encourage biological fitness.
Your neocortex allows you to process patterns and complexities, in music and beyond. Making up almost half the volume of the human brain, it’s also thought to be responsible for attention, thought and episodic memory.
Enough science - why does this matter?
Like we said, anyone can put together a ‘nice’ collection of songs. But backing up your music decisions with science is important.
The brainstem shows us the importance of volume in your venue. If there’s a sudden jump in how loud a song on your playlist is, it can provoke a negative reaction. That’s why our Atmosphere product includes automatic volume adjustment, so you can be sure that the level of noise is appropriate.
The music choices our team make are particularly important when looking at the basal ganglia and amygdala. When pulling together carefully curated playlists and suggested sounds for brands, we want to trigger the right emotions for their customers.
That’s what we mean when we say you don’t have to ‘like’ it. We choose music that has the right elements like pitch, tempo, and genre, that will evoke a positive emotional reaction from those listening to it.
Take a look at one of our lovely customers, schuh. Schuh were keen to keep music at a moderate tempo of 90-120 BPM, full of major keys, bright sparkly synths and upbeat vocals, imbued with the key themes of celebration, positivity and classic dance-floor hits.
We proposed 4 blended playlists; Mellow, Discover, Certified and Throwback, that showcased emerging artists as well as more commercial beats. After all, schuh are known for being all-embracing and forward-thinking, and these playlists have the right characteristics to evoke the desired customer emotions.
To find out more about how we use science, particularly behavioural science, head here.
Heard enough?
Ready to create standout customer experiences? Get in touch to find out how we can use music and tech to help you achieve your goals.
Request a quoteHeard enough?
Music is powerful, but using it with intention takes skill. Chat to our team today to find out how our behavioural-science backed, curated playlists could help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Seeing is believing. Engaging your customers through vibrant visual displays can be a game-changer in your retail or hospitality experience. Chat to our team today to find out how our dynamic digital signage solution could help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Live sport has been at the heart of many pubs for decades. Chat to our team today to find out how Arena, our automated, all-inclusive sports promotion platform, could help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Your environment is always changing. Chat to our team today to find out how using our invaluable insights to auto-adjust your atmosphere could help you achieve your goals and fine-tune your operations.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Replicate a perfectly curated atmosphere across an entire estate, all from a single platform. Chat to our team today to find out how using Studio could help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating something so deeply subjective as an atmosphere without a strong understanding of human behaviour is kind of silly. Chat to our team today to find out how behavioural science can be applied to help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Dedicated management, free player replacements, 24/7/365 support… what you want, baby we got it. Chat to our team today to find out how relentless our Relentless Support™ really are.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout retail experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create a till ringing atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout restaurant experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to serve up the perfect atmospheres in your restaurants and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout coffee shop experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to brew the perfect atmospheres for your cafes and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout pub experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and pint-sized tech to create the perfect atmosphere and help get the drinks flowing.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout hotel experience isn’t easy. Check out (or in) how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres and help you achieve your goals by chatting to our team today.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout gym experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to get your atmospheres into perfect shape and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout salon experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create an atmosphere with the perfect finish and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout office experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create atmospheres that work as hard as your customers.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout spa experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect peaceful atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me moreHeard enough?
Creating a standout ship experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres for your cruise ships and help you achieve your goals.
Tell me more