Uplifting anthems: music’s role in setting the mood
Two studies published recently report very different results on the effect certain styles of music can have on our emotions, demonstrating just how personal music taste can be.
In the first of the two studies, the University of Missouri found participants were more likely to be able to improve their own mood when listening to upbeat tracks than more sombre songs. By contrast, University of California researchers discovered more downbeat music could have a soothing effect for anyone feeling down, as participants preferred music that matched their current emotional state.
As Dr. Stephem Palmer, the psychologist behind the study, phrases it, “Like a sympathetic friend, music, movies, paintings, or novels that are compatible with our current mood and feelings are more appreciated.”
Clearly, it’s not possible to draw any universal conclusion from these conflicting results on which type of music generates the most positive reaction, but what is certain is that music can have a powerful effect on how people feel. In turn, any music within a venue can play a large part in shaping its ambiance and deciding whether or not customers enjoy the time they spend there.
As the two studies suggest though, the link between music and mood is fairly complicated and the same song can have very different effects on different people. Since music tastes vary immensely, knowing what style of music will appeal to the customers visiting on any given occasion can be a difficult task, and getting it wrong could put some people off even entering the venue.
To cater to such diverse music tastes, digital jukeboxes from Soundnet provide access to a track library of over 7 million songs, offering a huge variety of different genres and artists. Beyond this though, Soundnet also tailor each jukebox specifically to the venue, profiling its customer base to recommend the best music package for their needs. Venue owners even have the option to add customers’ special requests to the jukebox library.
Contact Soundnet for advice on choosing the right digital jukebox package to create a welcoming ambiance within your venue.
Tagged in: Music News