Experts of Experience: Why Music Makes You Buy More

Episode: Why Music Makes You Buy More
Release Date: July 16, 2025
Host: Lacey Peace
Guest: Lauren Puffpath, President and Co-Founder of Feed Media Group
Presented by: Salesforce Customer Success

Introduction

In this enlightening episode of Experts of Experience, host Lacey Peace delves into the profound impact of music on customer behavior with Lauren Puffpath, the president and co-founder of Feed Media Group. Sponsored by Salesforce Customer Success, this discussion explores how businesses can harness the power of music to enhance customer experience (CX), drive engagement, and boost sales.

The Power of Music in Customer Experience

Lauren Puffpath opens the conversation by emphasizing music as an "emotional shortcut" that can regulate mood, reduce stress, and create emotional stickiness among consumers. She shares intriguing insights from various industries:

Lauren Puffpath [00:00]: "Music is kind of an emotional shortcut. It taps into your brain's control panel and helps regulate mood, reduce stress, create emotional stickiness."

She highlights studies showing that slower music in grocery stores can increase spending by encouraging longer browsing times, while up-tempo music in fashion retail environments can lead to increased purchases.

The Science Behind Music's Impact on the Brain

Lauren provides a deep dive into the neuroscience of music, explaining how different components of music engage various parts of the brain:

Lauren Puffpath [11:56]: "Music is kind of an emotional shortcut. It taps into your brain's control panel and lights up so many different areas of the brain, which is why it's so powerful."

Key areas affected include:

• Amygdala: Regulates mood and reduces stress.
• Auditory Cortex: Processes musical information.
• Motor Cortex: Syncs brain and body rhythms.
• Nucleus Accumbens: Activates the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine.

These interactions not only influence emotions but also drive decision-making and memory formation, making music a powerful tool for brands to connect with their audience.

Implementing Music Strategies in Various Industries

1. Fitness Industry

Lauren discusses how music is integral to workout experiences, noting that 95% of consumers believe music can make or break their exercise routines. Feed Media Group collaborates with leading fitness brands like Hydro, Tonal, and Beachbody to synchronize music with workout scripts, enhancing engagement and motivation.

Lauren Puffpath [16:33]: "So driving fast, fast rhythms that map to the heart rate you're trying, heart rate zone you're trying to get to is really important for exercise."

2. Retail Industry

In retail, music is used strategically to influence shopping behaviors. For example, American Eagle integrated AEO Radio into their app, resulting in increased app engagement and higher purchase rates.

Lacey Peace [02:35]: "We worked with American Eagle to while you're shopping, you can listen to the American Eagle radio and actually be shopping on your phone, on your device, listening to the brand's curated radio."

3. Health and Wellness

Lauren highlights the benefits of music in healthcare settings, such as reducing stress levels before surgery, sometimes more effectively than medications like Valium.

Lauren Puffpath [59:23]: "There's so much research around how music can impact stress levels prior to surgery. Better than Valium, by the way."

Feed Media Group is expanding into science-backed music compositions designed for specific purposes like sleep, focus, and relaxation, collaborating with health and wellness companies to enhance user experiences.

4. Social Media and User-Generated Content (UGC)

Music plays a crucial role in enhancing the enjoyment of viewing and creating content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Feed Media Group is launching a new product to help brands incorporate music seamlessly into their social media strategies, addressing the high expectations set by major digital platforms.

Challenges in Licensing and Global Expansion

A significant challenge Lauren identifies is the complexity of music licensing across different platforms and countries. Licensing music for physical spaces differs vastly from streaming through digital apps, and each country has its own licensing laws.

Lauren Puffpath [06:05]: "Licensing music for, let's say a physical studio is completely different if you're streaming it through a phone or an app, completely different."

Feed Media Group navigates these challenges by providing end-to-end solutions, managing licensing, curation, streaming, and compliance to ensure brands can implement music strategies without legal hurdles.

The Role of AI in Music Curation

While Feed Media Group doesn't currently utilize generative AI for creating music, Lauren discusses the potential of AI in enhancing music recommendations and personalization.

Lauren Puffpath [36:25]: "We're leveraging AI for a lot of backend work... We use AI for metadata cleanup to make sure that our data hygiene is good."

AI aids in cleaning and organizing music metadata, improving recommendation algorithms, and personalizing user experiences based on listening habits and biometric data from wearables.

Business Metrics Impacted by Music Strategies

Integrating music into customer experiences has tangible business benefits:

• Increased Engagement: Users spend more time interacting with apps and platforms when music is integrated.
• Higher Retention Rates: Music enhances emotional connections, reducing churn rates.
• Boosted Conversion Rates: Premium music offerings can serve as incentives for users to upgrade from freemium models.
• Enhanced Lifetime Value (LTV): Consistent emotional engagement through music increases customer lifetime value.

Lauren Puffpath [46:07]: "We find that music, when it's integrated properly, typically increases session time... increases frequency and LTV. So coming back more often and reduces churn."

Negative Experiences and Best Practices

Lauren shares that using music incorrectly can lead to negative experiences or even legal issues, such as the recent infringement case involving Crumbl Cookies and Warner Music.

Lauren Puffpath [53:44]: "From one side of things, using music incorrectly and getting sued. So that's that infringement side is there's loads of examples of those on the specific campaign side to think about that."

Best practices include ensuring music is congruent with the brand, tailoring playlists to specific times of day and audiences, and thorough user testing to gauge both qualitative and quantitative impacts on brand perception.

Future of Music in Customer Experience

Looking ahead, Lauren envisions a future where music strategies are tightly integrated with biometric data from wearables to provide personalized, real-time music recommendations that enhance daily experiences.

Lauren Puffpath [35:04]: "Biometric feedback... 'Hey, your cortisol just spiked. Go for a walk and listen to this playlist.'"

This integration will allow brands to offer dynamic, context-aware music experiences that respond to users' physiological states, further deepening emotional connections and enhancing overall customer experience.

Lightning Round Highlights

In the lightning round, Lauren shares practical advice and personal anecdotes:

• Music Misalignment: Lauren expresses frustration when music doesn't match the environment, such as techno in a high-end boutique or inappropriate music in a morning setting.

  Lacey Peace [55:33]: "Boomers don't like techno. Sorry to overgeneralize, but it's true."

• Effective Use Cases: Classical music in luxury settings like Audi dealerships enhances sophistication and aligns with brand image.

  Lauren Puffpath [54:17]: "Classical... it still conveys sophistication for a lot of folks."

• Negative Examples: Misalignment between music and brand can disrupt the customer experience, emphasizing the importance of strategic music selection.

Conclusion

This episode of Experts of Experience underscores the critical role music plays in shaping customer experiences across various industries. From enhancing retail environments and fitness apps to transforming healthcare settings and social media platforms, strategic music integration can drive engagement, retention, and sales. Lauren Puffpath of Feed Media Group provides valuable insights into the science, challenges, and future of music in CX, offering a roadmap for brands seeking to create emotionally resonant and memorable customer journeys.

For more information on Feed Media Group and their innovative music strategies, visit Feed FM or connect with Lauren Puffpath on LinkedIn.

Notable Quotes:

• Lauren Puffpath [00:00]: "Music is kind of an emotional shortcut. It taps into your brain's control panel and helps regulate mood, reduce stress, create emotional stickiness."
• Lauren Puffpath [11:56]: "Music is kind of an emotional shortcut. It taps into your brain's control panel and lights up so many different areas of the brain, which is why it's so powerful."
• Lauren Puffpath [46:07]: "We find that music, when it's integrated properly, typically increases session time... increases frequency and LTV. So coming back more often and reduces churn."

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing a clear understanding of the pivotal role music plays in enhancing customer experiences.