How the Right Ambient Music Increases Your Customers' Average Spend

When we think about the levers a hotel has to increase average guest spend, we think about upselling at reception, the minibar menu, or spa offers. We rarely think about music. Yet solid research demonstrates that the sound environment has a direct and measurable impact on consumer behavior, and many hotels are leaving money on the table simply by not paying attention to this factor.

Psychologist Adrian North of the University of Leicester is one of the most prolific researchers studying the effect of music on consumer behavior. His experiments in restaurant settings showed that classical music increased average spend by up to 23% compared to the same situation without music, and up to 18% compared to pop music. Customers weren't aware of the effect, but the average ticket clearly reflected the difference.

How Music Works Psychologically

The mechanism by which music influences spending isn't mysterious, though it operates through psychological factors that work unconsciously. Music tempo directly affects the pace at which customers eat and drink: slow music slows consumption, which leads to more time at the table and more additional drinks; fast music speeds up the pace, which in fast food environments can improve table turnover but in higher-category settings reduces spend.

Volume also matters. Low volume creates an intimate atmosphere that invites staying longer. High volume makes conversation difficult and causes customers to leave sooner. The correct volume is a critical factor for a city hotel that wants its guests to stay for dinner in the restaurant rather than going out.

Musical genre activates cognitive associations that affect quality and price perception. Classical music or jazz makes customers perceive products as higher quality and be willing to pay more. Mainstream pop generates a perception of accessibility and reasonable pricing. Knowing this effect allows hotels to align the sound environment with the price positioning they want to communicate.

Zone by Zone: What Works in Each Hotel Space

Each hotel space has different objectives and therefore needs a different music strategy. The lobby is the first point of contact: music should be welcoming, comforting, and consistent with the hotel's positioning. The restaurant is where the spending impact is most direct. The optimal strategy varies by time of day: during breakfast, soft and positive music; during lunch, something more energetic; during dinner, music that encourages quiet conversations and long stays.

Automation as the Key to Consistency

The problem with manually implementing a sophisticated music strategy is inconsistency. If you rely on on-duty staff to play the "right" music without a defined system, results will be random. RoomStream allows programming playlists by zone and by time slot, so the music strategy is implemented automatically without staff intervention. The system changes the restaurant playlist at 7:30 PM when dinner service starts, raises bar volume at 8:00 PM, and reduces lobby music at 11:00 PM when activity drops. All without anyone having to remember to do it.

Conclusion

Ambient music is probably the cheapest and least utilized marketing lever in hospitality. RoomStream allows implementing a consistent music strategy in all hotel zones, scheduled by time slot and adapted to each space, with support for Spotify, Tidal, and AzuraCast streams. The result is a more coherent guest experience and a positive impact on average spend that accumulates every day.