The range of responses created are of great variety, and even opposite, depending on numerous factors such as, setting, culture, audience, and even time of day.
It is typically played at low volumes from multiple small speakers distributing the music across broad public spaces.
[2] Its use has grown worldwide and today incorporates the findings of psychological research relating to consumer behavior in retail environments, employee productivity, and workplace satisfaction.
Because the aim of background music is passive listening, vocals, commercial interruptions, and complexity are typically avoided.
[10] The term furniture music was coined by Erik Satie in 1917, and demonstrated by him in three sets of compositions: Musique d'ameublement (1917), Sons industriels (1920) and Tenture de cabinet préfectoral (1923).
After his death, furniture music was reinterpreted and programmed in concerts; many individuals found that it filled the awkward pauses, allowing audiences to become better immersed into the performance.
[18] Sometimes, a soundtrack from a videogame can be released separately, as it happened with GTA V's in-game "radiostations"[19] The early social media website Myspace has supported a feature where specific songs chosen by the user would automatically play on their profile pages.
This allowed the retailer to instantly update music and messages which were deployed at the store level as opposed to using older compact disc and satellite technologies.
[citation needed] Using this technique enables the creator to include more meaning in their work and effectively convey their messages.