# How does piped in music work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 25, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188 "2011-05-25T18:49:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/1 "2011-05-25T18:49:06Z")
I’m sure that the technology has changed over the decades, so if so, what changed?
I’m talking about the music that I hear in delis, restaurants, and stores. Where does it come from? It’s obviously not radio, as there are no DJs or commercials. I don’t see how it could be local media, as there seems to be huge variety. Or maybe it is, but I don’t know if workers need to change disks or whatever. Is it local, or piped in from an outside source? Is this and ongoing service that an establishment pays monthly bills for? What local equipment is needed?
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/2 "2011-05-25T18:56:31Z")
I’m guessing it’s mostly internet-based now, but not too long ago any music you heard in public was most likely supplied by [Muzak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak_Holdings).
The name is synonymous with sleepy elevator music, but in reality the company offers many diverse channels. Interesting company history.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/3 "2011-05-25T18:58:19Z")
It’s typically delivered via satellite, though Muzak (the big supplier of music for these situations) can also deliver it online, or on a disk.
> **[Music for Business - Innovative, Affordable, Revolutionary](https://us.moodmedia.com/sound/music-for-business/)**
>
> Discover the sound of your brand with music for business. Fully licensed for commercial use. Work with professional music designers and our intuitive app.
And, yes, companies pay a fee to Muzak for this. Among other things, Muzak handles paying for any fees for public performance of the music. As I understand it (and IANAL), public establishment (like a store or restaurant) which just pipe in music from a local radio station are liable for having to pay the royalties for public performance of those songs. For a little mom-and-pop store, it’s unlikely that the licensing agencies will ever notice or catch up, but for big chains, it’s a serious issue.
20 years ago, my wife was an assistant manager at a Lane Bryant (women’s clothing store, specializing in “plus sizes”). Back then, the in-store music was provided via a tape system (the cartridges looked like oversized 8-track tapes). Every month, the parent company would send the stores a new cartridge (the tape loop was several hours long). By the end of the month, the employees were mightily sick of that tape. 😛
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/4 "2011-05-25T19:01:58Z")
See [Muzak/elevator music/piped music](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_music).
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/5 "2011-05-25T19:15:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> As I understand it (and IANAL), public establishment (like a store or restaurant) which just pipe in music from a local radio station are liable for having to pay the royalties for public performance of those songs.
Some info from ASCAP on the topic:
[http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.html](http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.html)
FAQ #8 and #15 do indicate that eating, drinking, and retail establishments of a certain size can play TV or radio broadcasts without worrying about paying licensing fees, under certain conditions.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/6 "2011-05-25T19:21:37Z")
So it looks like the music can be piped in from the outside, delivered via Internet or sattelite, or exist on tape or disk media? And they offer all of those as options?
That makes sense.
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### Author:  [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/7 "2011-05-25T19:24:59Z")
In ye olde days, reel-to-reel machines were used. Here’s one that was for sale at a KMart location that was getting shut down. I presume the reels were created by KMart corporate headquarters and passed out to the stores on a regular schedule.
[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew-turnbull/5595804534/)
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/8 "2011-05-25T19:36:57Z")
Muzak used to have their own network of high-quality telephone lines in many cities for transmitting elevator music to subscribers. Cheap digital delivery via satellite made those obsolete.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/9 "2011-05-25T19:42:26Z")
When I started this thread I was under the impression that Muzak was not a big player anymore, and there were dozens if not hundreds of companies that provided this service. But it looks like Muzak is not only still dominant in the market, but may be the only game in town. Is that true?
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/10 "2011-05-25T19:56:46Z")
SiriusXM also offers satellite music services for business:
> **[Music for Business](https://www.siriusxm.com/business)**
>
> With SiriusXM, there is something for every restaurant, office & retail outlet. Choose SiriusXM Music for Business, and let our music work (and rock) for you!
I’m not terribly close to that industry, but I’m not aware of any other major players. However, I do suspect that some big retail and restaurant chains may still do their music in-house, rather than subscribe to a third-party service.
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### Author:  [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/11 "2011-05-25T20:58:45Z")
Where I work, we use this
[http://www.dmxmusic.com/guide/whatson/index.html](http://www.dmxmusic.com/guide/whatson/index.html)
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### Author:  [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/12 "2011-05-26T03:11:33Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#):
>
> In ye olde days, reel-to-reel machines were used. Here’s one that was for sale at a KMart location that was getting shut down. I presume the reels were created by KMart corporate headquarters and passed out to the stores on a regular schedule.
>
> [Death of a Kmart | Although I couldn't buy it at the time (t… | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew-turnbull/5595804534/)
Muizak also used FM radio subcarrier. I remember one of the selling points was that people don’t respond to solid music. They programmed in “silent points” at the quarter hours.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/13 "2011-05-26T03:18:56Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> So it looks like the music can be piped in from the outside, delivered via Internet or sattelite, or exist on tape or disk media? And they offer all of those as options?
>
> That makes sense.
Well, since the Internet is really a series of tubes, it would make sense the music is piped in …
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### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/14 "2011-05-26T03:33:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> SiriusXM also offers satellite music services for business:
> [Music For Business | SiriusXM](http://www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmforbusiness)
…as do Dish Network and DirecTV and most cable companies.
There are a huge number of options for background music.
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-piped-in-music-work/583188/15 "2011-05-26T04:28:16Z")
Japan’s largest player is [USEN](http://www.usen.com/biz_music/lp015/?cid=aws_graphic486c5086e93bd), (site is only in Japanese), but it’s a similar deal. You get a different monthly subscription packages with various genres of music, and they handle the licensing. Usually in Japan, it’s a cable connection although I’m sure there are internet / other options.
Usually you have a receiver box and various ways to changing the programming depending on the store. From there to the amp and audio system.
At my last company, the phone hold music was played on a cheap, portable CD player and connected to the router. We had to manually restart the player if the power ever went down.