Open Ear Music

18/01/2024

Music has always been an integral part of the yoga practice - let's just think of yoga chants and yoga mantras - and it surely is when it comes to the Hot Pod Yoga experience.

Deep bass, future garage, ambient and atmospheric. All to suit the vibe of the experience... That's the music brief we got for their playlists.

Find out more:

We talked about music for fitness and playlists for yoga practice with our long-time client Hotpod Yoga.

10/01/2024

For a business that attracts such a wide age range of members, a thoughtful and flexible selection of music is imperative to consistent customer satisfaction, and studies have shown that the right music can increase customer satisfaction by up to 10%.

🏋️‍♀️ We started working with JD Gyms in 2018 - find out more: openearmusic.com/jd-gyms/

04/01/2024

Happy New Year!

Sound is everywhere and we are immersed in it. Whether in the form of noise or music compositions, it can move and affect us on multiple levels and in a wide variety of situations.

While there is still so much to learn about sound, science tells us that it has a major impact on our minds, bodies, souls, and consequently behaviours.⁠

Here are some takeaways you should keep on top of your mind:

While there is still so much to learn about sound, science tells us that it can have a major impact on our minds, bodies, souls, and consequently behaviours.⁠

27/12/2023

Despite or perhaps due to our worldwide cultural, socioeconomic and political state, music has - once again - soared. This year, we listened to thousands of records, as ever, from a pool of diverse national and international talent; debut albums, sophomore works, and highly anticipated returns to the scene.

We’ve been reviewing seven new releases and one classic record each month, cherrypicking from a variety of genres, artists and bands that get featured in our commercial playlists - the ones that you hear across all of our clients’ venues; from the finest R&B and neo-soul rising stars to pop and dance icons, through indie superstars.

Now it's time to look back; here are the albums our team picked from this year’s selection…

Which ones did you love?

We took some time to look back at the music that came out in 2023 and selected a…

14/12/2023

2023 is still delivering some album gems and we've reviewed a few of them, as per usual.⁠
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Including brilliant music by the likes of André 3000, bar italia, Art Feynman, and Beirut. Plus, a look back at Dr. John's 'In The Right Place' - what a masterpiece!⁠
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Find them on our blog:
openearmusic.com/blog/reviews/

Words by Michael McDonald 🙏

05/12/2023

While it's generally dismissed as a necessary evil, our team of Music Curators know that there's a whole load of good Christmas music out there.

It's well documented that music can be an effective tool for torture and that a great number of business owners are inadvertently causing misery to staff and customers alike with their poorly chosen Christmas soundtrack.

At such a busy time, the added insult of having to absorb the same set-in-stone 'classic' tracks for a month (or more!) does nothing for a staff member's enthusiasm or a customer's desire to hang around and spend.

Here at Open Ear, we really don't want people to hear the same song a dozen times a day in a dozen different businesses...

What are your thoughts on festive music?

Not the usual Christmas music selection for your business thanks to our choice of four festive playlists.

30/11/2023

We may be approaching the end of 2023, but new amazing music keeps coming out so here we are, reviewing some albums for your listening pleasure.

Including Black Pumas, Sampha, Priya Ragu, Pip Blom and more.

https://openearmusic.com/blog/reviews/

29/11/2023

Ever wondered why is it illegal to play music from Spotify (or YouTube, for that matter) in your commercial space?

And why do you need to pay for a licensed business music provider on top of your PRS/PPL licence?

Here's everything you need to know about music licensing for businesses...

You're welcome 😃

Why you need a Music Licence by PPL and PRS and how to get it

14/11/2023

How do you find new music?
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We find that when relying on our preferred streaming service and its algorithm, we are passively exposed to similar artists and track suggestions that tend to be disarmingly predictable...⁠

There's much more out there.

Here are 6 ways to discover new music:

https://openearmusic.com/blog/2022/10/07/six-ways-discover-new-music/

01/11/2023

Even though music is a subjective area, there is a growing mass of evidence that supports that playing the right tracks while working can have an impact on productivity and focus.

Do you find that this is the case for you?

We dug into the science behind this - read more below.

When working or focussing at home, research shows that the type of music you are listening to, volume, familiarity and lyrical content determine whether music helps or hinders you. Studies show music can improve attention, memory, mental arithmetic and learning but only when applied in the right way...

25/10/2023

Did you know that you can block unwanted tracks in 3 simple steps?

With the Open Ear Manager App you can take full control of the music played in your venue/s, including excluding tracks from your schedule thanks to our Block feature.

How? Simply hit the red block symbol next to the song and don’t worry about it again.

🆘 Visit our Help & Support page if you have questions: openearmusic.com/help-and-support

18/10/2023

Korean Dinner Party is all about creating an electric atmosphere with a tasty menu of East-meets-West fusion dishes, inspired by LA’s Koreatown.

Our challenge was trying to capture the sound of LA’s Koreatown in an authentic and fun way. After an exploration of eclectic sounds, including Electronica, Soul, Funk, and Disco, we ended up defining the brand's signature sound through a combination of American and Korean Hip Hop.

https://openearmusic.com/korean-dinner-party/

11/10/2023

🎺 New album reviews!

Another month full of great releases by amazing artists we love, including Cleo Sol, Róisín Murphy, Mitski, and The National.

Our Michael McDonald also looked back at Amy Winehouse's 'Frank', which will turn 20 this month.

Check them all out here: openearmusic.com/blog/reviews

04/10/2023

Here's a brilliant feature in The Sunday Times with Saiphin Moore, chef, author and founder of Rosa's Thai and Lao Cafe, two of our long-standing clients.

We love Rosa's and feel privileged to be working with their team, curating the brand's everyday music selection as well as ad-hoc playlists to celebrate special moments.

Growing up in rural Thailand, Saiphin Moore became the envy of her friends when, aged 14, she saved up enough money from growing coriander to buy a television

28/09/2023

We love working with Dr. Martens, bringing a curated nuance to the sound of a brand with such a deep history and relevance within the music space.

Here's a round-up of everything we do for the iconic shoe brand, from curating playlists to sending music-focused monthly newsletters to staff, and more: openearmusic.com/dr-martens

21/09/2023

“Music can be the difference between enjoying your workout and not. It could make you go that extra mile and be rewarded with extra endorphins. Music can be a trigger for positive memories which can keep you going when you feel like stopping.”⁠
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It's and we talked all things Music for Fitness with our in-house curator, DJ, and runner, Oscar Arroyo.⁠
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National Fitness Day - Interview with Oscar Arroyo

14/09/2023

Today would have been Amy Winehouse's 40th birthday 🖤

Credit: Mark Okoh (Camera Press)

12/09/2023

The 2023 - the quadrennial world championship for rugby union national teams - has started and we've got 3 dedicated playlists you can get added to your schedule to set the vibe in your venue.

Find them on your Dashboard, whether you are a client or you're trying us out for 30 days (you should give it a go, it's free).

Sign up here: https://login.openearmusic.com/signup/