If you walk into a Tom Ford store during the holiday shopping rush, you won’t be greeted with looping pop music or standard Christmas tunes. You might not even notice the music—but it will be there: artists seducing you from a playlist crafted to embody sophistication, edge and elegance, as you sort through wide lapel velvet smoking jackets and dark cherry scented candles.

The music selection is no mere whim of the sales associates that day; it was carefully chosen by a team of experts at Gray V, a global music branding agency that specializes in playlists for retail and hospitality brands. And it was selected with three main goals in mind: first, to encourage you to stay and luxuriate in the store; second, to create an environment that aligns with the brand’s identity and emotionally resonates with its audience (in harmony with the textures and smells you encounter there); and finally, to provide seasonal inspiration based on upcoming collections. 

We’ve all experienced the lure of an effective music playlist. Stores, hotels and gyms are actively influencing us right from the moment we walk through their doors with music that informs how we interact with their products, services and spaces. But it’s not just what’s played that affects our mood, it’s also how that music is delivered. Louder volumes, for example, can quicken the pace of interactions and customer turnover, whereas quieter and lower tempo music can inspire a more considered approach to products.

Keeping things fresh and interesting is especially key for younger audiences, according to Alec DeRuggiero, head music supervisor at Gray V. “It’s important that we’re turning them on to stuff they may not know, as well as giving them a familiar song or two—whether it was discovered on TikTok or it’s something that’s trending.” But equally, no one wants to feel old and out of touch, and so by weaving new sounds that also reference classics in the mix, brands can seamlessly appeal across the age spectrum. For the Gray V team, discovery is in the ear of the beholder — a younger customer might go into a James Perse store, for example, and discover Crosby, Stills Nash, because the band sounds like their beloved Fleet Foxes and Ray LaMontagne. 

For Todd Snyder, founder and president of the menswear brand that carries his name, music plays an important role in telling the story of his latest fashion collections. “When designing a new collection, I often imagine where a guy is headed, what he’s driving and what he’s listening to,” says Snyder. “This season, I pictured him tuned into Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures.” In response, the stores play a curated mix of upbeat yet understated tracks to create a sense of energy and exploration, balanced with slower, soulful songs to invite customers to linger over a rack.

The increased footfall over the busy holiday period underlines the importance of immediate vibe setting for brands. The Times Square Edition hotel in NYC is a good example of this musical journey in action. “The playlist in the entrance is intentionally designed to signal a transition—inviting guests to leave the chaos of Times Square behind,” says Joe Lynskey, head music supervisor at Gray V. “As you move down the hallway toward the elevators, the music creates a serene and calming atmosphere. The experience shifts as you ascend to the main lobby, reception, and dining areas, where the playlist becomes more vibrant and energetic, reflecting and enhancing the liveliness of these spaces.”

Lynskey says that the festive season brings a natural uptick in activity for the $1.2 billion music curation industry, as brands look to create that perfect celebratory atmosphere in their spaces while also thinking ahead to how their sonic identity should evolve in the coming months. 

As for Christmas music, brands are split between playing some songs to delight people with nostalgia versus avoiding it altogether and focusing on their brand identity, especially in the knowledge that customers are inundated with it elsewhere. “We’ve always been trying to alleviate that top 20 Christmas issue for ourselves,” says Phil Quinaz, head of creative studio at Gray V.

“Ultimately, it’s about cooking for the middle and offering music that represents the majority but also knowing what fun deviations can work, too. An element of discovery is always key—luxury brands love to explore and they also love to be first.”

Award-winning fashion designer Billy Reid agrees. His eponymous clothing stores take an in-house approach to curating their music and tend to play an eclectic mix of old and new, up-and-coming, and staff favorites. “We add new playlists to keep it fresh,” says Reid. “It’s more about discovery or playing something customers may not have heard in a while.” And you won’t be hearing All I Want for Christmas Is You in a Billy Reid store anytime soon: “I love Christmas, but I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music,” Reid says. “Let everyone else do that.” 

So, what goes into curating music for brands that have a very particular target customer in mind or a desire to conjure up a specific feeling?

“While there’s definitely some magic involved in that process,” says Gray V’s Alec DeRuggiero, “we do it by asking a lot of questions, doing our best to listen to our clients and knowing when to read between the lines.”

The client requests can be wide-ranging: Some send 20 to 30 page briefs including everything from a store’s color palette and fabric swatches in the hopes of finding just the right matching playlist. Others just shoot over a couple of adjectives asking for “a vibe” or “up-tempo, fun music.”  These briefs inform the music’s genre, energy levels, and the artists that are chosen to embody the brand. “And sometimes we get some crazy requests,” adds DeRuggiero. “I’ll never forget when a restaurateur once said to me: I want it to sound like honey is dripping from the walls.” So the Grey V team created a rich honey dripping playlist to evoke that very image—close your eyes while you listen and you can see that honey ooze. 

Another important musical consideration is lyrics, and specifically what is and is not appropriate for a brand. For a company like Tiffany Co., for example, that’s super important, according to DeRuggiero. “We have to make sure we’re not using any lyrics that mention a breakup or a heartache,” he says.

The physical environment is also considered during the creative process. Tiffany’s recently renovated Landmark at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue is an immersive experience with wall-to-wall digital displays. When the store transitions from day to night, it brings customers on that journey—tunes included. And DeRuggiero says the music they curate for the store’s engagement floor is slow to mid-tempo to encourage people to browse a little longer.

DeRuggiero believes that music in many ways is an added layer of design. “We work closely with Frank Roberts, VP of brand management at Edition Hotels, and as they’re opening new locations globally, we’re talking about what materials they’re using throughout the hotel,” he says. “Is there a lot of glass or marble in a room? How high are the ceilings? Is there an open kitchen in the restaurant space? .” 

W Hotels uses tailored playlists that speak to the unique cityscape around each of its hotels. “It’s not just about background music, it’s about creating an immersive experience that reflects the unique culture and energy of each location,” says LP Giobbi, global music director at W Hotels. And for brands like Todd Snyder, which has spent the past couple years expanding in California, the store music leans into this strategy with laid back, sun-drenched tracks that have an indie or surf rock style. 

The association of music with the fabric and identity of a venue is equally important to restaurants, too. The Dover restaurant in London’s Mayfair puts music front and center in their approach to service. Its founder, Martin Kuczmarski, crafts the playlists himself based off his personal vinyl collection. The restaurant has a dedicated record selection to set the tone for each time period, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 p.m. into the earliest hours, taking diners on a trip through classic soul, funk and disco—with a preference for the likes of the Gap Band, Leo Sayer, George Benson, the Temptations, Roy Ayers, Donna Summer, Mary Jane Girls, and Soul II Soul. Kuczmarski is especially particular about the volume of the music at the restaurant, which is set carefully to ensure that guests can enjoy a nightcap, have a conversation, but are still able to move their shoulders to the beat.

The style of the music is always the same, he says, as it represents the character of the restaurant. “We want people to hear the track, and say ‘Oh, this is the music I hear at the Dover’. Like a soundtrack to a famous movie.”