# Piped Music in Public Places



## bonifacy (Dec 29, 2014)

Good Day, Music Lovers! 

As one who listens attentively to music, I find that piped music in almost every conceivable public urban location is not only annoying, but also offensive. As with all art forms, music is a very personal thing - for someone else to decide what I should be listening to and where/when I should listen is, I believe, bordering on arrogance. I wonder how many others out there feel as I do, and would strongly oppose 'piped music' if given the chance.

bonifacy


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

It's a fact of life, when I was growing up as a kid malls played classical music over the PA now they play Pop. When your on hold on the phone music has always been played. If you go ice skating they usually play music and so on. Not sure what you want to change but if you don't like it get some noise cancelling headphones and play your own music.
"You can't please all of the people all of the time, only some of the people some of the time"


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## bonifacy (Dec 29, 2014)

It is true that 'piped music' is a fact of life in modern western society, but so was smoking in public places until 'society' finally realized that it wasn't alright to pollute someone else's lungs just because you happened to like polluting your own. Unwanted 'music' is nothing other than sound pollution - but pollution nonetheless. I love music by Mozart, but I wouldn't think of forcing someone else to listen to it. I would hope for the same courtesy in return.


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

Background music isn't a problem for me in public places unless it's out of synch with the venue - country music in an upscale steakhouse, for instance. Don't get me wrong. I like country music, just not in that setting. And that's not a deal breaker, just an annoyance soon forgotten when the succulent meal is served. Background music may be innocently chosen in some environments, but is carefully chosen in others. Retailers invest a great deal in studies to determine the types of music that motivate shoppers; and what works for impulse-buyers at an Old Navy store is quite different from successful fare at a winery. According to an older study, classical music caused patrons to purchase more expensive wine than when pop music was played. In any case, eradicating background music from society would be like trying to convince the masses hi-res is better than MP3.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

bonifacy said:


> It is true that 'piped music' is a fact of life in modern western society, but so was smoking in public places until 'society' finally realized that it wasn't alright to pollute someone else's lungs just because you happened to like polluting your own. Unwanted 'music' is nothing other than sound pollution - but pollution nonetheless. I love music by Mozart, but I wouldn't think of forcing someone else to listen to it. I would hope for the same courtesy in return.


I am with you. IMHO, imposed music is noise.


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## bonifacy (Dec 29, 2014)

There is much truth in what you're saying. Ultimately, the psychology of marketing has a lot to do with the practice of piping 'sound' into a venue. Too bad - there's still something to be said about the rights of the minority who would prefer not to hear it. Thanks for commenting on this subject!


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

bonifacy said:


> There is much truth in what you're saying. Ultimately, the psychology of marketing has a lot to do with the practice of piping 'sound' into a venue. Too bad - there's still something to be said about the rights of the minority who would prefer not to hear it. Thanks for commenting on this subject!


Let me relate an interesting event.

We went to a restaurant which had reasonably quiet music playing but, after a while, I noticed that the music was sticking and repeating the music in chunks of 4-30 seconds. It was distracting and annoying. I called over the owner and informed her. She apologized and made a track change but, within, 5 minutes the problem returned. I informed her again and she turned off the music  promising to have the system fixed.

We returned to the restaurant about a month later only to find that the music was still sticky. When I told the owner, yet again, she was surprised because no one, guests nor staff, had complained or noticed in the interim! In other words, no one was listening or cared and the music served merely for background noise. I think that is more common than not.


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been countless times I've wanted to find out what's playing in the interest of later purchasing the music, only to be met with half-hearted attempts or excuses like: "Oh, it's just a station."


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Lumen said:


> On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been countless times I've wanted to find out what's playing in the interest of later purchasing the music, only to be met with half-hearted attempts or excuses like: "Oh, it's just a station."
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



This happens to me often. Luckily I just ask Siri what song is playing. Then I can easily purchase. Never worried about getting cancer from secondhand music though...if someone sneaks in my house and starts playing random music on my system, I will have a problem for sure. 


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

At least most places have quit playing that awful elevator music, you know those remakes of normal pop songs made instrumental for our non enjoyment :dizzy:


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

tonyvdb said:


> At least most places have quit playing that awful elevator music, you know those remakes of normal pop songs made instrumental for our non enjoyment :dizzy:



Lol. That stuff is offensive! 


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## DallasYbarra (Aug 3, 2015)

^ this is true!


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

Some are worse than others. The worst I've heard BY FAR, was an instrumental rendition of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." :rolleyesno:


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