Selects: Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness

Muzak, often associated with background music in public spaces, owes its existence to Major General George Square, a trailblazer in electrical engineering with a remarkable penchant for innovation.

Major General George Square, Muzak Founder, Was an Electrical Engineering Pioneer and Innovator

George Square, born in 1865, was not only the first army engineer to hold a PhD, but he was also a man of many firsts in the field of electrical engineering.

Square Invented "Multiplexing" to Transmit Multiple Signals Over one Wire, Laying the Groundwork For Muzak's Business Model

He earned his doctorate from Johns Hopkins in electrical science and quickly put his expertise to use. Square invented multiplexing, a method of sending high-frequency radio signals and low-frequency telegraph signals over the same wire, allowing for multiple uses of single telephone lines. This groundbreaking development laid the technological groundwork for what would later become Muzak, and its principles contributed to early Internet development and are still in use in some applications today.

Square's Military and Engineering Background Led Him to Use Trees As Radio Transmitters and Receivers

Square's extraordinary ingenuity is also evidenced in his development of the "tree telephone," a system that could turn any tree, preferably those with leaves, into a radio signal transmitter and receiver. His military experience as a Signal Corps officer and induction into the National Academy of Sciences, along with his early interest in human flight and consultation with the Wright brothers, all fed into his innovative spirit.

Muzak Began As a Home Music Subscription, Then Pivoted To Business Environments

Initially, George Square utilized his multiplexing technology to create a music service for homes, delivering sound waves over electrical wi ...

Muzak, known for crafting background music to influence consumer and workplace behavior, utilized a unique "Stimulus Progression" model that aimed to boost productivity through meticulously curated playlists.

Muzak's "Stimulus Progression" Model Curates Productivity-Boosting Playlists

Muzak conducted research to identify types of music that would keep workers motivated throughout the day. They discovered productivity dipped before lunch and again a few hours after, which their programming aimed to counter.

Model Segments Workday Into 15-minute Increments, Each With Unique Music to Maintain Energy and Focus

Muzak divided the workday into 15-minute increments. Each increment featured a DJ playlist of music ranging from mellow (with a "stimulus value" of one) to energetic (with a "stimulus value" of six). The music's tempo increased subtly over each segment, culminating in 15 minutes of silence, which reset the cycle and helped prevent overstimulation.

Muzak's System Could Prevent Midmorning and Midafternoon Slumps

The "stimulus progression" model strategically aimed to counteract midmorning and mid-afternoon productivity slumps. The goal was to help workers maintain consistent effort and efficiency throughout the day. Chuck Bryant cites The Blue Album as an example of a complete stimulus progression album.

Muzak Influenced Consumers Through Crafted Background Music

Muzak’s influence extended beyond the workplace to consumer venues such as hotels, restaurants, and stores, where it added an element of sophistication and comfort.

Muzak Created Calm, Comfort, and Brand Association in Venues

Businesses found that continuous Muzak music gave their venues an upscale atmosphere. The music was intended to fill life's awkward pauses and create a background ambiance that both soothed and encouraged consumers to linger longer while shopping.

Company's Instrumental Covers of Hits Designed to B ...

The background music provider Muzak has experienced a dynamic shift in its cultural reception over the decades, transitioning from omnipresent to criticized and eventually into a decline.

Muzak Criticized In '60s-'70s For Lack of Lyrics and Social Messages

During the '60s and '70s, the cultural landscape shifted dramatically, with music increasingly being used as a vehicle for social messages. Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark point out that Muzak, known for its instrumental covers that lacked lyrics, missed this wave. Lyrics were crucial during this era as people had significant statements to make about the world, and Muzak's offerings simply didn't resonate with the times.

Critics Claimed Muzak's Intent to Influence Behavior Was Manipulative and Undermined Integrity

Bryant and Clark also discuss how the very intent behind Muzak—to manipulate the listener's mood to make them more productive workers or complacent consumers—became a point of contention, sparking resentment among those who felt the manipulation undermined music's integrity.

Upbeat Lyrical "Foreground Music" by Yesco Competitors Eroded Muzak's Popularity

Competitors like Yesco saw an opportunity and started to use licenses for current popular songs, including lyrics, to produce what was known as "foreground music". This was in sharp contrast to Muzak's lyric-less "background music". Yesco’s approach changed the audio landscape in commercial settings and played a part in eroding Muzak's popularity.

Muzak Ubiquitous in Public Spaces Into 1980s and 1990s

Despite the beginning o ...

Muzak, a company initially known for its background music, adapts to the changing market by targeting business markets with curated playlists designed to enhance brand atmospheres.

Muzak Shifts to Curated "Foreground" Playlists for Specific Brands and Environments

Clark describes how Muzak shifted its focus from the home consumer market to targeting business environments, like clubs and the Stork Club, with tailored music selections.

"Quantum Modulation" Links Moods With Commercial Spaces

With the introduction of quantum modulation, Muzak began to curate playlists that evoke emotions tied to specific brands where people shop. This technique aims to influence shoppers by associating the music's ambience with the retail environment. Brands may request different atmospheres, such as a continuous DJ mix, or individual songs with gentle transitions, depending on their image. For example, Armani Exchange might look for a seamless DJ mix to maintain shopping momentum, whereas Ann Taylor might prefer a succession of individual songs with smooth fades.

Muzak's Recordings Catalog Enabled Adaptation Over Time

Muzak’s adaptability over time was made possible by its substantial recordings catalog of 1.5 million commercially recorded songs, known as "the well." This catalog has remained valuable even after various acquisitions, providing the company with the resources to continue offering specialized music curation for different brands.

Muzak's Legacy: Complex, Revered, and Reviled For Shaping Daily Life's Sonic Landscape

The legacy of Muzak is complex and elicited varying reactions, as it has been both revered and reviled for its influence on daily life's sonic environment.

Muzak: Soothing Provider or Manipulative Force?

The conversation sugges ...