More than half of all Americans feel anxious or uncomfortable when visiting a car dealership. They worry they’re paying too much, buying the wrong car, or selecting packages they don’t need.
The right background music for car dealerships could ease jittery drivers, making the average 4-hour visit more pleasant for everyone, including your staff. This article will answer the question: “What music should you play in a car dealership?” We’ll also explain how to play that music legally.
What Music Should You Play?
The better you can articulate your brand, the better you can create the environment that attracts (and pleases) your ideal customers.
Imagine that your car dealership focuses on luxury, high-end vehicles. Classical music might be best.
In a study published in 2023, researchers played different types of music for people looking at a car advertisement. They found that buyers thought the car was the most elegant (and worth the most money) when classical music was playing. This study proves how classical music might help you.
Imagine that your car dealership has a lot filled with classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Playing music from that era could entice people to buy your products. In a study published in 2013, researchers said that classic music produces feelings of nostalgia that allows people to reflect on or live in the past. Using those feelings could make people want your classic cars.
Now imagine that your car dealership is filled with minivans and other family-friendly vehicles.
Research published in 2011 suggests that children pick up musical preferences from their parents. For example, when parents liked so-called “highbrow” music, so did their children. However, the researchers found that parents and children both liked pop and dance songs.
Filling your dealership with these songs could entice people to buy.
Get licensed and legal music streaming for your car dealership
Should You Change the Music?
Dayparting is the concept of changing music throughout the day. It’s a concept that’s closely tied to consumer behavior, and it could help your dealership to succeed.
Time of Day
People often switch up the type of music they play. In a study published in 2019, researchers examined the songs played by 1 million people in 51 countries. They found similar patterns across cultures and demographic groups. People tended to listen to relaxing music at night and energetic music during the day. People especially enjoyed energetic music in the mid-afternoon.
In a second study published in 2021, researchers found that consumer preferences for music could be split into five distinct blocks stretching from morning to late night. You may not need to divvy up your music choices so extensively, but it could be helpful to shift songs a few times during the day.
Matching Tempo to Mood
In the morning, for example, you could play moderate-paced songs to help your consumers feel energized (but not overwhelmed). By mid-afternoon, you could pick up the pace a bit to entice your consumers to feel more energy. And in the evening, when you’re ready to close up for the night, you could slow down the tempo to usher your customers out the door.
Incorporating Music Into the Floor Plan
Many modern dealerships use technology to engage with their consumers. You could incorporate music into these applications, too.
For example, companies like Pandora CloudCover allow customers to create customized audio messages and blend them into the playlist. When your customers visit your dealership, they could hear messages about your sales and special deals.
Some dealerships also use smart screens to engage with customers. For example, you might have touch screens that allow people to play with features like wheels, colors, and interiors. Adding music to these features could make them really pop.
How to Play Music Legally
It’s critical to get a license before you play music in a car dealership. Songwriters, producers, and artists have a legal right to payment when their songs are played in public places (like dealerships). If you violate those laws, the copyright holder can take you to court and ask for damages starting at $750 per song.
One of two methods could ensure you have the right licenses to play music.
Option 1: Contact PROs
Performance rights organizations (PROs) manage contracts and accept payments on behalf of copyright holders. Several PROs exist, including BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. To get a license from one of these organizations, follow these steps:
- Determine which PRO holds the licenses for the songs you want. You might find it listed on a printed copy of music (like a CD or record), or you might see it listed on sites like YouTube when you search for a song or an artist.
- Contact that PRO via the organization’s website. Outline how you want to use the music, how many customers you typically serve, and how big your facility is.
- Sign a contract the PRO gives you and pay your licensing fee.
A contract with one PRO doesn’t allow you to play any song you’d like. Instead, you’re restricted to the song list that PRO manages.
Option 2: Contact Third Parties
A background music provider like Pandora CloudCover can help you create the perfect playlist for your customers and staff. Providers work directly with music copyright holders, so every song you play is protected. Let your music partner handle these details, so you can focus on serving your customers.
Choose the company you’d like to work with, and contact them to get started.
Steer Your Company to Success
Choosing the right songs and navigating licensing can be confusing and complicated. With Pandora CloudCover, access thousands of song combinations to make the right mix for your customers, or let your partner make a mix just for you. Stop worrying about what music is playing or whether or not you’ve bought the right license to play it.
One dashboard controls the sounds at all of your locations. Use dayparting to pump up the tempo to motivate early-morning shoppers and slow things down to ease stragglers out the door in the evening. Schedule different songs in sensitive parts of your dealership, like the finance office.
Pandora CloudCover offers audio promotions, so you can tell shoppers about special deals or savings within your repair department. And know you can change anything about your setup with one quick tap.
Now is a great time to be in the car business. The average dealership recorded a net profit of $3 million in 2021. Background music for car dealerships makes this possible. Contact us today, and start driving your company in the right direction.
References
Study: Americans Feel Taken Advantage Of at the Car Dealership. (June 2016). PR Newswire.
Behind the Scenes at a Car Dealership. (April 2016). Edmunds.
How to Legally Play Music in Your Business. (February 2020). Plagiarism Today.
Average Dealership Profit on Pace to Shatter 2020 Record, NADA Data Shows. (November 2021). Automotive News.
Chapter 5: Copyright Infringement and Remedies. U.S. Copyright Office.
The Impact of Musical Fit and Sound Design on Consumers’ Perception of a Luxury Car Ad. (July 2023). Luxury.
Nostalgia and Technology Innovation Driving Retro Music Consumption. (September 2013). Emerald Insight.
Intergenerational Continuity of Taste: Parental and Adolescent Music Preferences. (September 2011). Social Forces.
Global Music Streaming Data Reveal Diurnal and Seasonal Patterns of Affective Preference. (January 2019). Nature Human Behavior.
Diurnal Fluctuations in Musical Preferences. (November 2021). Royal Society Open Science.
