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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 28, 2000 by Mr. Cogito
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  | | Hello,
Excellent entry. I like it and I think it deserves to make it into the edited guide. It's certainly an interesting look at something we usually have to suffer through each day. I have a few questions I have to make though:
1. How much muzak is actually provided by Muzak these days? Are there other companies that sell muzak? Or is most muzak created individually by store chains instead (eg, the Gap probably has a music mix it uses)? Finally, what about stores that play muzak they also sell (eg, Tower Records, Urban Outfitters, Pottery Barn). Wacky.
2. It's good that you mention that Muzak is getting more aggressive and foregrounded, but it begs the question of when it stops being muzak. So in the example of stores, muzak is there to keep you shopping away to a covered pop song or a throbbing techno beat. It's always in the background, since shopping is the main focus. However, in the example of advertising, the music's often in the foreground, there to grab your attention and pull you from what you're doing. Is this still muzak? Or is there another term for this?
3. Yeah, what are the effects of constant exposure to musak? Does it count as Noise Pollution? Especially as it gets more repetitive (listening to Top 40 stations all day) or more prolonged? Any good stories of people being driven too far?
Well, all I can think of for now. Besides, gotta run. The "Girl from Ipanema" playing in the elevator. This song's my favorite! 
Yours,
Jake
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 29, 2000 by Mr. Cogito
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| | Hello,
"Cotton buds?" Wow, that's a new one for me. Of course, you Brits can't even spell "color" correctly and you call pants trousers and underwear pants, so what can we expect?
Seriously, it's a good point. I guess some of this downgraded brand names aren't quite so universal. Incidentally, what about "xerox"?
Yours,
Jake
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 29, 2000 by Dr. Funk
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| | Boys--
All excellent questions, and ones that bothered me as I was writing the thing up.
1. My impression is that Muzak actually provides the bulk of the muzak that you hear. I'm sure that there are other companies that provide the same kind of service (there always are, aren't there...) but I tried not to get into that because it ran the risk of diluting the entry away from its purpose of explaining muzak with a little m. About the individualized muzak for each store: Muzak's website contains a section where they talk about putting together sample CDs, so Muzak does provide that service. As above, however, it's just as easy to imagine that some stores put together their own mixes. In the case of using music that somebody else already owns in your store, it's all about finding the cheapest way of acquiring the rights to use it. Again, I tried not to get into it because it seemed sort of straying from the topic again.
2. I tried to address that question in the first section there, by saying that any music a store uses on its premises to create a mood to get you to buy something is muzak. The two key factors there are 1. it's in the store and 2. the company has selected it as part of their own image. The first criterium is harder to satisfy. I don't think that music used in advertising can be considered muzak because it fails the first criteria--though if the company then uses the same piece of music in the store, it becomes muzak. A good example here would be the Badly Drawn Boy song used by the Gap. In the Gap commercial (where the handsome couple is walking toward each other slowly), the Badly Drawn Boy song is advertising; when used in the store, it's muzak. It sounds arbitrary, I know, but by God, you have to draw the line somewhere--and I drew it there because, in the end, I'm talking about muzak as a cultural phenomenon, and we, as mere mortals, mostly experience muzak in stores.
3. Another great question. Again, I didn't get into it in any great detail because, frankly, I think both proponents and detractors grossly overestimate the power of music to persuade and alter moods, especially to compel someone to buy something. On the noise pollution thing, I think it depends mostly on whether you like the music being played. I could listen to that Badly Drawn Boy song for hours. I could also listen to classical music for hours. I could not listen to Britney Spears for hours.
It would be cool if there were stories of people being driven bonkers by muzak, but I'm inclined to think that a man driven crazy by muzak is probably already a little unstable. That's not a story about muzak--that's a story about psychopathy of a strange and sad kind.
You rule for bringing up "The Girl from Ipanema." It took every ounce of self-control I had not to put it into the entry.
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 29, 2000 by Dr. Funk
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| | In the footnote, I think I might make a note that the use of brand names for everyday objects may be a peculiarity of American English. That speaks volumes somehow about American culture, doesn't it?
Muzak is a worldwide company, but I can't say whether it is a hegemon in the piped-in music biz. You could go to their website (it's referenced in my entry) and have a poke around if you're curious.
I didn't know the company existed either until I started doing a little research, so don't feel bad 
-Dr. F.
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 29, 2000 by Mr. Cogito
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| | Hello,
So, it seems like the company has a website [URL Removed by moderator] And interestingly enough, they don't seem to have an international office in the UK, so the UK must be a blessed isle, free of the taints of background music. Nah, there's probably just another company that does it.
The Muzak website is rather interesting to look through. Their list of common genres is Classical, Country, Jazz, Latin, Mature Adult, Oldies, Popular Contemporary, Popular Contemporary Instrumentals, Urban, Specialty. These are broken down into sub mixes. Plus, they'll do custom work. Here's how they describe the "Hot Hits" subgenre:
A high energy mix of mainstream pop sounds with an emphasis on today's dance rhythms.
What: "Top 40" Pop, Dance, Euro and Urban hits mixed to
maximum effect.
Target: Primarily female 14-24 years old, active urban
lifestyles, establishments needing a consistently
upbeat atmosphere
Energy: High
Audio Architect: Herman "Perk" Perkins
Sample artists: Janet Jackson, BT, Madonna, Martha Wash, 'N Sync,
Towa Tei, P.M. Dawn, Byron Stingly, Wubble U, Lionrock
See, it's all about demographics and energy. Fascinating stuff. Of course, I also want to know how I can get a nickname in quotes like that.
Yours,
Jake
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Dec 30, 2000 by Titus Andronicus
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| | Well done on a very well-written article.
I myself am not a big fan of Muzak shall we say, and I found your referrence to a link between Muzak and 1984 most interesting: and likely!
But I'm afraid I cannot see why they don't play something like, um, Beethoven in lifts instead of Muzak. Surely that would be less painful in a way. Beethoven can be unobtrusive you know!
No, no - I must stop. Your entry is very good despite its subject and it gives readers the opportunity to actually think about something that they have never really taken much notice of.
Although I do find it hard to believe that anyone has ever truly enjoyed it.
Have a happy new year,
Best Regards,
Rhys Tranter
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| | | Subject: A497856 - Muzak: Past, Present, and Future
Posted Mar 20, 2001 by Mr. Cogito
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| | Thanks for your recommendation. You'll be glad to know that we think this
entry is great, and it has now gone into the Editorial Process for future
inclusion in the Edited Guide. When it does get into the Edited Guide, we
will email to let you know, but please bear in mind it can take a while for
entries to go through the sub-editing system. Thanks for writing for the guide!
Yes, the editors have agreed... Congratulations!
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