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Mood-setting background music for cafés and coffee shops

Licensed music curated to enhance the café atmosphere, from the first morning espresso to the last cup served. Discover the perfect music for coffee shop experiences with our flexible music service tailored for café environments.

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Curate the finest experience for
your café

Thoughtful music selections make your coffee shop warm and inviting, keeping customers coming back for more.

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Boosts brand identity

The right music helps coffee shops define their identity, from smooth jazz vibes to indie acoustics, reinforcing the brand.

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Eases wait times

Music keeps customers entertained, making lines or wait times feel shorter and more pleasant.

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Reduces background noise

Music can mask distracting sounds like coffee machines, providing a consistent audio environment for your patrons.

Two seated people icon having a conversation, representing zoned seating areas

Zones the space

Playing slightly different music styles or volumes in different areas allows some people to work quietly and others to chat comfortably.

The sound of better sips

Our music platform helps you control the mood of your café with licensed playlists, scheduling tools, and custom stations, perfect for crafting the ideal background music for coffee shop moments.

  • Pick your ideal sound from over 500+ curated stations across a wide variety of genres.
  • Import custom playlists from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Youtube, and more.
  • Talk with a dedicated music concierge to help make the perfect station.
Learn more about SoundMachine's music tools

Music for cafés made easy

Build the right in-café atmosphere throughout the day with scheduled music mixes, promotional messages, and multi-location control, all from one easy-to-use interface.Our music subscription service for cafés is designed to make managing music simple and seamless.

  • Schedule stations and custom mixes, building the right ambiance throughout the day.
  • Incorporate promotional messages for your café at exact times or in precise intervals.
  • Link as many locations as you like to your account and control music from a single interface.
Learn more about SoundMachine's programming tools

Why background music for cafés isn’t just background noise

Music influences customer behavior, from how long they linger to how often they come back. These stats show why investing in professional background music for coffee shop environments pays off.

20%

Increase in customer spending occurs in coffee shops that play slow-tempo music compared to those without it.

35%

Rise in customer satisfaction is observed when curated playlists are played in coffee shops.

40%

Enhanced brand recall happens when music aligns with the coffee shop's theme and style.

Figures and statistics are based on findings from reputable industry reports and academic research studies.

Music license solutions for different café environments

Whether you run a cozy coffee shop, a busy café chain, or a seasonal pop-up, our platform delivers the perfect music for café experience to match your space and your customers’ vibe.

Independent cafés & coffee shops

Create a warm, memorable atmosphere with curated background music for coffee shop playlists that reflect your brand’s personality and keep guests coming back.

Large cafés & brunch spots

Create the perfect atmosphere throughout your space with dynamic, zone-based music programming. It's ideal for energizing busy service areas while keeping seating zones relaxed and inviting.

Pop-ups & seasonal cafés

Make a lasting impression with our flexible, plug-and-play music service designed for temporary café setups. Grab attention and create the perfect vibe with curated, mood-matching playlists that keep customers coming back.

Multi-location café chains

Control music across every location from one easy-to-use dashboard. Keep your brand voice consistent while customizing subscription music for cafés by region, season, or time of day.

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Go beyond curated stations

Already using Spotify, TIDAL, or Apple Music at home? You can import playlists from major platforms into your fully licensed café account. Enjoy your favorite sounds with the peace of mind that comes from having a proper music license for café use.

How to get started

It only takes a few steps to get fully licensed music in your café.

1. Pick your plan

Choose one of our plans, tell us about your company, and you're in! Explore all features for 30 days, completely free.

2. Define your sound

Choose from 500+ stations or import custom playlists from major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, and more.

3. Program your content

Schedule stations, custom playlists, or mixes and get attention with promotional messaging.

4. Enjoy the music

You’re done! Watch as your cafés instantly feel more inviting with professional-grade and expertly curated music.

Trusted by cafés worldwide

Thousands of cafés and coffee shops around the world trust SoundMachine to create the perfect atmosphere with licensed, flexible music service for cafés.


Learn more about music for cafés

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March 18, 2019

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Coffee Connection and Music for Coffee Shops

February 26, 2018

Coffee Connection is a nonprofit community focused on well-being that specializes in ecological and organic coffee, and this is their story with SoundMachine. [...]

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What’s the Best Music Streaming Service for Businesses?

February 28, 2022

Background music is vital to businesses. It can affect customer behaviors, impact sales, and create an atmosphere that strengthens your brand. The simplest way to [...]

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Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. Playing moderate-volume ambient music in coffee shops can enhance focus and productivity. In fact, 71% of people report being more productive when the right music is playing. Choose instrumental tracks or gentle background music for coffee shop environments to support a productive atmosphere.

Regular updates keep the environment fresh for both customers and staff. Aim to refresh your playlists every 2 to 4 weeks. A music subscription service for cafés, like SoundMachine, offers automated playlist rotations to simplify this process.

Interestingly, yes. A study from the Journal of Food Quality and Preference found that music can influence taste perception. Lower-pitched sounds can make coffee taste more bitter, while higher pitches enhance sweetness. Your music for a coffee shop setting may do more than set the mood, it could shape flavor too.

No, personal streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube are not licensed for commercial use. To legally play music for a café, you need a commercial-grade music license. SoundMachine offers fully compliant music solutions specifically designed for business environments like cafés.

Playing music in a café is considered a public performance under copyright law. Without proper licensing, you could face fines from performance rights organizations (PROs). A commercial music service for café use like SoundMachine handles licensing on your behalf.

PROs like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC represent music creators and ensure they’re paid when their music is played in public. To play music in a café legally, you either need to obtain licenses from these PROs or use a licensed provider that covers them all for you.

It depends on your brand. Many cafés go for lo-fi, acoustic, jazz, or mellow electronic. The most important thing is consistency. The background music in your coffee shop should reflect your café’s personality and meet customer expectations.

Yes. With a central music service for cafés like SoundMachine, you can control music across all your branches from one dashboard. This helps you maintain a consistent brand voice while customizing by location, time of day, or season.

Make your café sound special. Try for free.

Book a demo