Eating at a restaurant is a luxury for many these days – which is why, for many customers, an excellent dining experience has as much to do with environment and atmosphere as it does food. Your customers’ perception of their overall experience is essential, and environmental elements such as lighting, audiovisual components and restaurant background music can play an enormous role.

The perfect background music can help you set the stage for the ideal customer experience, which is why successful food establishments put so much time and effort into playlist selection. Still, we’ve all entered an establishment which is quite clearly doing it wrong. Here are some essential elements to consider when making decisions about your restaurant music.

Volume. If your restaurant caters to college students or ‘tweens, a thumping beat can be the right choice, but if you’re catering to an older clientele, pumping up the volume may drive customers away. The same goes for different times of day – the early-morning hustle is conducive to higher volumes, but evening patrons may prefer a lower sound level that allows for easy conversation.

Pace. Fast-paced background music will increase customer excitement and inspire them to eat faster, boosting your table turnover. Slower music encourages patrons to relax and eat more slowly. This slower-paced experience encourages higher per-person spend, as customers who linger are more likely to indulge in extras like dessert or an after-dinner coffee.

Message. The tone and message of your restaurant background music should reflect your brand’s unique values and personality. Make sure your music selection embodies your restaurant’s core message and you’ll connect with your guests in a more meaningful way.

Timing. Your lunch and dinner crowds are two different beasts – so why would you feed them the same playlist? Creating the appropriate atmosphere for each time of day is essential, and your selection of background music should be tailored to meet the time-sensitive needs of your patrons.

Familiarity. Customers can’t help but bob their heads to a familiar tune, but make sure your background music offers something different. Recycling the same cookie-cutter playlist as your competition won’t help you stand out. Make sure your playlist features some custom selections in order to keep it fresh and set your brand apart from the crowd.

Freshness. Stale music creates a stale environment, which is the last thing you want associated with your restaurant. Make sure your playlist selections are updated and cycled regularly, and you’ll maintain your clientele’s interest.