Prompt Cast
The History and Influence of Muzak
TLDR Muzak, a brand name for background music in public spaces, has a rich history and has played a significant role in creating atmospheres and enhancing experiences. From its invention of multiplexing to its development of stimulus progression, Muzak has been a pioneer in the field of background music.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Muzak is often misunderstood and underappreciated, but it is technically proficient, clever, and inventive, providing a background music experience that is familiar and enjoyable without being intrusive.
05:03
Muzak is a brand name that has been used to refer to background music in public spaces, but it is not true that it was played on elevators to calm people down or cover up noise; it was just more noticeable in elevators because they are small and quiet.
10:03
George Squier invented multiplexing, which allowed for multiple uses of single telephone lines and was a significant advancement in telecommunications.
15:48
Muzak, instrumental tracks that are re-recorded and arranged by professional musicians, became popular in business markets like hotels and restaurants for creating a fancy atmosphere.
21:14
Muzak hired people to research music and figure out what kinds of music keep people happy and working, leading to the development of stimulus progression, a pseudoscientific method of using music to improve productivity and reduce slumps in the workday.
26:30
Music can affect the mood of a group of people, as demonstrated by the difference in reactions to upbeat and ambient music at a house party, and Brian Eno's ambient music is intended to induce calm and space for thinking, serving as an antidote to more manipulative music that aims to improve productivity and consumer behavior.
31:43
Muzak versions of songs are seen as an honor by most musicians, as it takes creativity to create a version that is not predictable or boring, but also doesn't grab too much attention.
36:51
Muzak was everywhere in the 70s and 80s, but in the 80s a competitor called Yesco emerged that played the actual popular songs of the time instead of covers, changing the audio landscape of the United States.
42:24
In 1984, Muzak merged with Yesco and moved to Seattle before the Grunge movement, and later, in 2011, the Muzak name was retired and the company became Mood Media, focusing on creating curated playlists that evoke specific emotions and enhance the shopping experience.
47:53
Muzak was always on the forefront of technology, being early adopters of vinyl records, creating an electronic brain called Mater M, launching their own satellite, and having a computer database, making them pioneers and early adopters of technology that we take for granted today.
53:05
Very little is edited out of the podcast episodes, with only singing and dancing being cut, and occasional word stumbles and ums left in to maintain the conversational and unscripted nature of the show.
Categories:
Society & Culture
