SOUND IS TOO POWERFUL TO BE USED CARELESSLY

That recent, brilliantly written, burst of exasperation in the Dutch NRC about music in office toilets felt bitterly accurate. Enough, says author Japke-d. Bouma, living in a painful sonic nightmare. Hell is not other people but other people’s sound she says.

It’s a reminder that we are contributing to and living in a noise overload: from urban sound pollution to noisy human beings and to marketing teams that still too often throw in sound as an afterthought. Or from a branding-centric thought, not taking the sonic environment and its public into account.

And yet… every decibel contributes either to a positive experience or to sensory stress. So beware of the audio waves and choose wisely, because at the end of the day, it all shapes your brand perception. For better or for worse.

Meaningless sound = noise

Constant random background noise/music activates the limbic system, increases cortisol and disrupts memory & executive function. Studies show that meaningless, low-grade sound increases fatigue, reduces concentration, and decreases task performance.

Sonic overload therefore impacts decision-making, shortens dwell time, and raises irritation ; especially in high-stimulus environments like public places, supermarkets... and office toilets.

The nuisance is not new: in his time, Satie going out to a restaurant with friends got annoyed by the music, preventing him enjoying a nice diner with friends. He came up with the idea of musique d’ameublement: one that doesn’t force you into actively listing. Ironically enough, quite a few of Satie’s music could make a good ambient music but not really musique d’ameublement.

But what if the playlist is well-designed?

Albert Heijn is often cited as one of the more thoughtful pioneering retailers in The Netherlands. And nowadays curated playlists can be adjusted per time of day or locations or public, ahead of the “one-size-fits-all” approach.

However, AH falls short in playlisting, accuses Japke-d. Bouma’s quoting her overwhelmed publisher who brings home the wrong rice variety because “Katy Perry was screaming overhead”. The result: not brand experience but brain black out. And probably a household crisis over rice. Having a Cambodian family in law I can totally relate: you’d better not mess with the rice.

Hello adaptive soundscapes

Thing is, even curated playlists remain static. They don’t adapt to the real-time mood, energy or emotional state of the space. They don’t interact with crowd density, weather, sound reflections or social behaviour. They’re pre-scheduled, not responsive.

At Shiseido’s flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo, a different approach has been used: real-time, AI driven generative soundscapes. Powered by inputs such as weather, time of the day, season, location and sonic algorithms (co-developed by Sound Artist&Engineer Yota Morimoto), these moving sounds adjust continuously, creating an ever-evolving sound texture aligned with mood and space function.

This is not playlisting and certainly not background music. This is a sonic architecture layer that doesn’t loop or aggress but lives and integrates in space functionality and potentially even masks sonic nuisances that have a negative impact.

Back to The Netherlands...

Now imagine this in Albert Heijn: no more Beyonce clashing with freezer hums, Ed Sheeran detuned from stubborn trolley wheels, or kids screaming for an ice cream while Dua Lipa sings “I know it’s hot”. Instead, a gentle, responsive sonic layer that modulates stress, supports rhythm, and even enhances focus. Picture sharp decisions about jasmine rice. Spot on thinking about tonight’s diner in the veggie aisle.

Because that’s the power of sound when it’s working with the space, when we use sound not as background filler, but as strategic design.

Today’s take-away

A lazy background music can backfire, an overly branded jingle can irritate, but when sound is designed with intention, we create meaningful genuine emotional connection.

Not louder. Just smarter.

What’s your opinion? Because silence may be golden but a smart conversation about sound is priceless.