When we think of manipulation, it’s usually a direct action: something a person is actively doing to influence and persuade someone else. Rarely do we think of it as some passive background noise that no one <em>really </em>pays attention to. But of course, that’s the most efficient kind of manipulation. The persuasion you don’t see, don’t think about, and certainly never give credit to.

If you ask someone whether or not music can manipulate them, they may scoff, saying that such a notion is ridiculous. But if you ask that same person if music can affect their mood, they’ll likely say that it does. The irony is that affecting mood is manipulation, and that’s exactly why retail stores play music during their open hours.

If you’ve ever taken the time to even acknowledge that music is playing within a store, you probably didn’t think much of it, unless it was a song you specifically recognized. That’s they it’s supposed to be: ambient background music that orchestrates your mood without taking too much of your explicit attention. And whether you realize it or not, these tracks are selected on purpose to influence your buying habits: preferably in the direction of buying more.

All in all, it sounds like a marketing scam, a dirty trick to squeeze even more money out of us, but it’s not like every store is trying to nail you and your spare change. According to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36424854" target="_blank">this BBC article</a>, Marks and Spencer is getting rid of in-store music entirely after considerably feedback from their employees and customers. They weren’t explicitly clear on why they made this decision, though it could be because some music can influence customers to actually buy less.

Now lots of people may think this whole notion of musical manipulation is hogwash, but I believe it without a doubt. I love music. In fact, any time I’m alone, or doing some sort of work that doesn’t require communicating with someone else, I’ve got a pair of headphones feeding my imagination with all sorts of genres. And it definitely affects how I feel. Classical music brings a sense of refinement and class, while more modern, upbeat music can make me feel impulsive and bold. At home these feelings might not amount to much, but when you’re out shopping, your emotions can have a serious effect on what you buy.

This particular brand of market music used for influence is called “Muzak,” a term coined by General George Squires in 1920. As for how it works, it’s mostly a social tool, for making your targeted groups feel a certain way to urge them towards certain behaviors. If you’re feeling classy and refined, you’re more likely to take an interest in higher-end items, whereas feeling impulsive and brash could lead you to buy products you didn’t <em>really </em>need, and probably didn’t come for. On the other hand, some music, and by extension some emotions, might actually make you buy less. It seems underhanded, but in the end it’s just another form of advertising.

Personally I’m not too terribly bothered by the notion. Everything about a store is designed to subtly push you to buy more, or buy more expensive products. Product placement, store layout, advertisements… why not music as well? I don’t think retail companies are wrong for using music as a selling technique, especially since the whole idea of “Muzak“ is not an exact science. There’s no formula for what music will or won’t have an effect on a customer’s buying habits. It’s all guesstimates and rough ideas about what might work. And while some of us might detest the notion of being persuaded against our will, I for one would miss that ambient background music that makes every shopping trip a little bit more exciting.