Key Takeaways
- The golden quarter is the most important trading period of the year for many UK independent retailers.
- Background music increases retail sales by an average of 8%, according to a large-scale study tracking over 130,000 tracks across hundreds of venues. (Audoo / GEMA Music Impact Study, 2025).
- 75% of shoppers report a more enjoyable shopping experience when Christmas music is playing, and 42% linger longer in stores playing festive music. (Mood Media Festive Music Survey, 2024).
- Playing mainstream commercial music requires a PRS PPL licence. Royalty-free music is a fully legal alternative costing £15 + VAT per month on a cancel-anytime basis or £150 + VAT per year.
- Background Sounds offers a free 7-day trial with no card details required.
The golden quarter, the ten-week run from October to December, is the make-or-break period for many UK independent retailers. With footfall increasing, tills ringing, and competition at its fiercest, every detail of the in-store experience matters.
One of the most powerful, cost-effective and most overlooked tools available to retailers during this period is background music. Not as a festive addition, but as a deliberate sales and marketing tool.
This post covers the evidence behind that claim, what it means in practice for your business, and how to implement it legally without the cost of a PRS PPL music licence.
1. Background Music Creates Atmosphere and Drives Dwell Time
A shop without music feels transactional. At Christmas, shoppers expect warmth, excitement and a sense of occasion. The right playlist sets that tone from the moment they walk through the door, and dwell time follows.
The evidence is compelling. According to Mood Media’s 2024 Festive Music Survey, 75% of shoppers report a more enjoyable shopping experience when Christmas music is playing, and 42% linger longer in stores filled with seasonal melodies. The same research found that 54% of shoppers make different shopping choices based on festive music, and 44% are more likely to return to stores that play Christmas music they respond to.
Dwell time matters commercially. The longer a customer browses in a positive emotional state, the more likely they are to make unplanned purchases. For an independent retailer in the golden quarter, when every transaction counts, that uplift can be the difference between meeting or missing seasonal sales targets.
2. The Commercial Case: Music Increases Retail Sales by an Average of 8%
Beyond customer experience, the commercial impact of background music in retail is now measurable at scale.
A 2025 study by music technology company Audoo, conducted in partnership with GEMA, one of the world’s largest performing rights organisations, tracked over 130,000 tracks across hundreds of real venues and found that background music increased retail sales by an average of 8%.
The study used real-time point-of-sale data; it is one of the most rigorous and large-scale pieces of evidence yet produced on the commercial value of music in retail environments.
3. The Psychology Behind It: Comfort, Nostalgia and Shopper Behaviour
The reason music works in retail is not simply that it sounds pleasant. It works because it changes how customers feel, and feelings change behaviour.
Background music provides an auditory buffer, masking noise from other shoppers, movement and conversation. Research consistently shows that this creates a greater sense of personal space and comfort, encouraging customers to relax, slow their pace and engage more deeply with their surroundings.
A meta-analysis of 66 studies covering more than 15,000 participants found that environments where music is present produce significantly higher pleasure, satisfaction and behavioural intention ratings than those without. (Morin et al., 2016, Journal of Retailing)
At Christmas, festive music carries nostalgic associations that no other element of the retail environment can replicate. Research published in The Conversation, drawing on multiple academic studies, explains that Christmas music reliably triggers nostalgia, and this has been shown to reduce resistance to spending, creating a psychological state in which customers place higher value on the emotional experience of shopping than on saving money. Customers in that state browse longer, make more purchases and return more readily.
The practical implication: festive music should not be an afterthought added in week eight of the golden quarter. It should be part of your Christmas strategy from October, planned and curated as deliberately as your window displays and promotional activity.
4. Music Reinforces Your Brand Identity
Your background music is part of your brand. This is as true at Christmas as at any other time of year, because the festive period gives you licence to express your brand personality through music in ways that feel entirely natural to customers.
A premium gift shop or independent jeweller might choose orchestral carols or jazz interpretations of classics, music that signals quality, care and tradition. A contemporary fashion retailer might favour upbeat, modern Christmas tracks that reflect energy and freshness. A family toy shop needs warmth, familiarity and fun.
The key is consistency. Music that clashes with your brand positioning creates a subtle but real sense of dissonance that undermines the experience you are working to create. Music that aligns with your brand makes customers feel more comfortable, stay longer and come back after Christmas.
With Background Sounds’ royalty-free music, you can reinforce your brand identity without worrying about costly licences or complex legal requirements. Our playlists are curated for different business types, ensuring the soundtrack matches your brand personality and audience.
5. Don’t Forget Your Team
The golden quarter is the most demanding period of the year for retail staff. Long shifts, high footfall and seasonal targets are exhausting and exhausted staff deliver worse customer service.
The right music helps. Research by Totaljobs and music psychologist Dr Anneli Haake, across 4,500+ UK workers, found that 79% of employees would benefit from listening to music at work, and 59% say it improves their psychological wellbeing.
In a retail environment during the busiest weeks of the year, a well-chosen playlist keeps energy levels positive, reduces the psychological weight of a long shift and feeds directly into the quality of service your customers receive.
A festive playlist that your team actually enjoys, varied enough to stay fresh across ten weeks, is one of the lowest-cost staff wellbeing investments you can make.
You can read more about the impact of music on staff productivity and wellbeing in our guide: 3 Reasons Why Background Music Boosts Productivity.
6. Playing Music Legally. Without the Cost of a PRS PPL Licence
For many independent retailers, the conversation about music in their business goes along the lines of “I want to play music but can’t afford a music licence.”
It’s one of the most common responses we hear, and it’s completely understandable. A PRS PPL Music Licence often adds up to hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds a year. For a retailer who only wants great music for the festive period, that’s a hefty amount.
Royalty-free music is how businesses play music legally, without the expense of a music licence.
When you play our roylaty-free music in your business, you do not need to purchase a PRS PPL music licence because they don’t collect royalties for our artists. Instead, they are paid directly through a licensing company.
What’s more, once you become a paid subscriber, you’ll automatically be issued a certificate confirming your subscription to our music service. If PRS PPL ever contacts your business, that certificate is your immediate answer; it is evidence you are using our royalty-free music service.
Make Music Part of Your Christmas Sales Strategy
Background music is one of the simplest, most cost-effective and most evidence-backed tools available to independent retailers during the golden quarter. Done well, it increases dwell time, boosts sales, reinforces brand identity and keeps your team motivated through the busiest weeks of the year.
Background Sounds makes it legal, affordable and flexible, so you can focus on your customers while we handle the sound.
- Free 7-day trial ( no card details required) CLICK HERE
- Full access to 70+ playlists, including all seven Christmas playlists
- Cancel anytime monthly subscription (ideal for seasonal use)
- Certificate of subscription issued automatically to all paid members
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the golden quarter in retail?
The golden quarter refers to the October to December trading period, the most commercially significant ten weeks of the year for most UK retailers. It encompasses Halloween, Bonfire Night, Black Friday, the Christmas shopping period and the post-Christmas sales.
For many retailers, the golden quarter accounts for a disproportionate share of annual revenue, making every element of the in-store experience, including music, more important than at any other time of year.
Does background music actually increase retail sales?
The evidence is now measurable at scale. A 2025 study by Audoo and GEMA, tracking over 130,000 tracks across hundreds of real venues, found that background music increased retail sales by an average of 8%. The study was conducted under the direction of international scientists using real-time point-of-sale data, making it one of the most rigorous pieces of evidence on this subject.
Separately, a meta-analysis of 66 studies covering more than 15,000 participants found that environments where music is present produce consistently higher satisfaction and purchase intention scores. (Audoo / GEMA, 2025; Morin et al. 2016)
Does Christmas music make customers spend more?
The research supports this consistently. According to Mood Media’s 2024 Festive Music Survey, 42% of shoppers linger longer in stores playing Christmas music, 54% make different shopping choices based on festive music, and 44% are more likely to return to stores that play Christmas music they respond to. Research into the psychology of festive music also shows that Christmas music triggers nostalgia, which has been shown to reduce resistance to spending and increase purchase behaviour. (Mood Media, 2024; The Conversation, 2024)
Do I need a music licence to play Christmas music in my shop?
Yes, if you play mainstream commercial Christmas music, including streaming services, TV, radio or CDs. If you use a royalty-free music service like Background Sounds, you do not need a no PRS PPL music licence. All paid subscribers receive a certificate of subscription automatically as proof of compliance.
Can I subscribe to Background Sounds just for the Christmas period?
Yes. Background Sounds offers a monthly cancel-anytime subscription at £15 + VAT per month. You can join when you want to play festive music, use the service throughout the golden quarter and cancel when you no longer need it, paying only for the months you use.
There is no penalty for cancelling and no minimum term. All seven Christmas playlists are included in the monthly subscription.
References
Audoo / GEMA (2025). Music Impact Study. Conducted under the direction of international scientists across hundreds of venues tracking 130,000+ tracks. Available at: audoo.com
Mood Media (2024). Festive Harmonies: New Data Reveals How Music for Retail Shapes the 2024 Shopping Experience.
Morin, S. et al. (2016). Calibrating 30 Years of Experimental Research: A Meta-Analysis of the Atmospheric Effects of Music, Scent, and Color. Journal of Retailing, 93(2), pp.163–177.
Totaljobs / Dr Anneli Haake (2016). The Sound of Productivity: Analysing attitudes towards music listening in the workplace. Survey of 4,553 UK workers.
The Conversation (2024). How Christmas music in adverts and shops harnesses nostalgia to encourage you to spend more.
Questions?
Need a little more guidance or want to chat? Get in touch; we’re always happy to chat.
Email support@backgroundsounds.co.uk
Background Sounds is a specialist provider of royalty-free music. Working with small businesses looking to play music without the need to buy a PRS PPL Music Licence.
The service is offered via online streaming and can be accessed when you take a subscription. You can find out all you need to know on our home page here.
This post was originally published in October 2025 and was last updated in August 2026.
