People are just realizing Aldi never plays music in their stores – but they have a very good reason
Aldi has revealed why no music is being played in stores after scores of customers took to internet forums in search of answers.
The supermarket chain says the move is intended to keep costs down for customers, and the savings it makes from no longer needing to license music can be passed on to consumers.
The revelation comes after customers took to Reddit forums to complain about the lack of music in the store, saying they were shocked by the silence inside.
But an Aldi spokesperson has since said Southern life: ‘In Aldi stores, no detail is overlooked when it comes to saving money for our customers. This also applies to our decision not to play music.’
Aldi does not have music in any of its stores, which saves the supermarket chain money and allows it to offer customers regular offers
If Aldi had music, the company would be required to apply for music licenses to avoid lawsuits from music rights organizations or record labels.
The German supermarket chain is known for its bottomless discounts and has introduced a range of other schemes to compensate for the low prices.
One of these is shopping cart rental, which costs the customer 25 cents.
“This 25 cent deposit ultimately saves our customers money, as we don’t have to hire additional staff to retrieve the shopping carts,” Aldi’s website states.
A spokesperson told Southern Living more about the decision to not play music: ‘We want to pass on every penny of the savings to Aldi customers, whether that’s through our quarter cart system or our exclusive Aldi brands. When we realised we could save even more on music licensing costs, it was a logical decision.’
It is not easy for entrepreneurs to apply for a music license due to the different requirements.
According to Cloud Cover Music, the average music licensing fee can range from $250 to over $2,000, which is why companies are signing up with commercial streaming services.
Factors that determine the final cost of music licensing for companies include the size and number of locations.
There are also different types of music licenses and agreements.
Some companies have signed up with commercial streaming services to avoid paying expensive music licensing fees
Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) is currently the largest music rights organization in the US, owning the rights to over 22 million songs.
If certain Aldi stores have a BMI music licenseThese locations should be allowed to play songs from artists represented by the music rights organization.
Other numbers that are not part of BMI require a separate license, which increases costs.
However, in businesses such as supermarket chains, music is considered a public performance.
This explains why a store can only legally play music that isn’t available on a streaming service by getting a license, which can be expensive.