Coffee shops of the 21st century are becoming more and more experiential. They’re no longer simply about coffee but providing a classy, curated, and bespoke ambiance to which coffee lovers keep returning. Their smooth transition into ‘hangout’ spaces has been received exceptionally well, especially by the younger patrons. And music for coffee shops has a positive experiential effect on the economics of a coffee shop. 

Experiences have evolved beyond simply attracting huge crowds. Now, carving a niche in a target audience demographic has become the norm, and for a good reason. Every successful coffee house shares similar anatomy of hand-picked and curated experiential environments. Music for coffee shops, undoubtedly, becomes an essential part of this curation.

How Countries Are Evolving Into An ‘Experiential’ Coffeehouse Culture

The coffee shop culture has evolved parallel to the work culture. With hybrid work becoming the norm, people are seeking out different places, especially coffee shops, to break the monotony. 

More people have accepted the conventional use cases such as a space to catch up with your friends, a quick run for a post-lunch coffee, or just indulging in a well-deserved break as coffee weaves itself into our lifestyle. While not every country mandates two 10-minute coffee breaks as they do in Finland, coffee is undoubtedly a significant part of our daily life. 

As networking takes precedence, freshers ask their seniors for a ‘coffee chat’ to facilitate building a personal rapport with them, potentially leading to life-changing opportunities or collaborations. Arguably so, coffee shops have become the very lifeblood of the working population, propelling new conversations and collaborations and causing a collectivist movement.

Therefore, it becomes crucial for coffee shops to lead the experience game by putting thought and heart into building a conducive ambiance. Music for coffee shops lends a hand in creating a cohesive brand.

Making Your Coffee Shop More Appealing

A coffee shop aims to strike the right balance between a happening and comfortable environment. It can be edgy enough to get your creative juices flowing, and homely enough so you can embrace your unique creative process. It needs external support while venturing and exploring newer ways to keep customers engaged becomes essential.

Coffee shops serve various purposes. Having ‘a great vibe’ is the newest. Numerous statistics, popular research, and behavioral science show that music for coffee shops is the most critical element in building and cultivating your brand. It helps convey your brand identity to first-timers and reinforces the brand positioning to returning customers. 

Striking the right chord with your customers can make the biggest difference for your customer. Statistically speaking, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a heightened customer experience. Among the documented rate, 49% of customers are likelier to make more impulse buys after receiving a personalized experience.

A Guide to Choosing Music for Your Coffee Shop

Several types of establishments appear under the general category of a coffee shop. In reality, they are vastly different in both their offerings and their target audience. This becomes an extension of your brand, spreading brand awareness through word of mouth. Let’s explore how to pick the music for coffee shops of various types to capitalize on the relationship between the right music and increased sales.

Coffee Roasteries

A roastery is where different types of coffee beans are roasted at different temperatures. These beans are then used to make fresh coffee for the patrons. These establishments attract a high-income demographic with a keen interest in coffee culture. The minimalist and sleek interiors offer an atmosphere to slow down, relax and enjoy this highly premium coffee. The smell of fresh coffee wafting and old classical, reggae, or base instrumental guitar is a good pairing for a sensual experience, stimulating all five senses.  

Offbeat Creative Cafes

These are the most popular ones in an urban landscape, with their unconventional, offbeat, artsy, and funky aesthetic. Think graffiti and neon quotes. These are frequented by a rather unconventional medley, including but not limited to thinkers, rebels, nonconformists, creatives, or just people looking for something different. A café that attracts this demographic must play groovy music that fuels inspiration. Because of its ‘made to make you stop and think’ design, it is also visited by influencers and bloggers, for whom experience has overtaken price and product to become the key brand differentiator. Cross-cultural music, bossa nova, and toned-down punk can get your clientele to spend more time and money at your café.

Cutesy Neighbourhood Cafés

These cafés are often bakeries doubling up as coffee shops. Selling coffee and cakes, they are the go-to places for people looking for some quiet time alone or a quick post-lunch catch-up with friends. With a range of familiar bakes like tea cakes, pound cakes, and more, they induce a sense of nostalgia and comfort for their clientele. Its romanticized vibe is often a part of the daily routine for older customers and creating a cozy, peaceful atmosphere is, therefore, essential. Playing lo-fi music, looking at beats, and reverbed songs have proven to build a to-come-back-for vibe. Playing melodic classics is also a great idea for these establishments.

High Street Cafes

These are frequented by busy professionals looking to have a quick meeting over the ‘work-casual’ environment a high street cafe offers. They also serve as places where people can simply grab their morning cuppa, getting their caffeine fix before starting out their, often hectic, workday. Hence, they depend on faster turnouts, due to which some high-paced groovy tunes or electro-pop beats make excellent additions. 

Espresso Bars

Although you might not have seen them frequently, you might be surprised at how popular espresso bars have become in recent times. This one is for those who love caffeine in its purest, unadulterated form. They have an unparalleled electric and energetic vibe, often serving premium blends of coffee for a high-income clientele.

Parisian Style Cafés

These chic, modern cafés are frequented by practically everyone, lovers of aesthetics, influencers, professionals, tourists, and office goers: un Chocolat Chaud in a busy roadside cafe is the stuff of many dreams. Some bal-musette, opera or symphonic music complements the mise en scene and makes the brand experience unforgettable.

Brasseries

These relaxed French-style breweries serving simple and hearty food are frequented by people looking to have quality conversations over quality food and espressos they can throw back without worry. Its chic but homely vibe goes best with cheerful folk music or relaxed tunes. People at ease tend to sit more, spend more, and come back for seconds!

Try Soundsuit

Soundsuit helps you plan and curate the atmosphere through music for your coffee shop. Not only can you sort playlists based on the time of the day, but you also create one specific to your target audience, so you don’t have to deal with the rather intensive task of compiling a playlist or the fallout that accompanies not having one! You can shift your focus to what you love most: coffee! 

And the best part? All the music we use is licensed and above board, saving you hundreds, if not thousands, on legal fees. Harness music’s clutter-breaking power, and make your establishment stand out now.