Helping a Shopping Centre Reduce Music Costs by up to 40%.
The Brief.
When a shopping centre in South Yorkshire was asked to reduce its operating expenditure, the management team needed to identify meaningful savings without negatively affecting the visitor experience.
Background music remained an important part of the centre’s atmosphere, so simply reducing or removing the service was not the right solution.
OnBrand developed a carefully curated royalty-free music offering that allowed the centre to retain professionally managed background music while meeting its revised budget requirements.
Industry
Shopping Centres
Services
Royalty-Free Music
Centre Radio
Playlist Curation
Music Cost Review
Remote Music Management
The Challenge.
The shopping centre needed to make meaningful reductions across its operating costs.
Playing commercially released music generally requires the relevant PRS and PPL licences. Because these costs are influenced by the area in which the music can be heard, they can represent a significant expense for larger retail destinations.
The challenge was to reduce music-related expenditure without losing the welcoming atmosphere and continuity that background music provided throughout the centre.
The OnBrand Solution.
Reviewing the Existing Service
OnBrand considered the centre’s current music provision, operating requirements and revised budget before recommending the most commercially suitable approach.
A Royalty-Free Alternative
Rather than reducing or removing the music, we recommended replacing the existing commercially released playlists with a professionally curated royalty-free alternative.
Music Selected for the Environment
Tracks were carefully selected to suit the centre’s environment and audience, maintaining an appropriate and engaging soundtrack throughout the customer journey.
Professionally Managed Programming
The centre retained a managed Centre Radio service, providing consistency and variety without requiring individual teams to source or schedule music themselves.
Reduced Licensing Costs
Moving away from commercially released music removed the associated PRS and PPL licence fees from the new music provision, helping the centre meet its revised financial requirements.
30–40% Potential Saving.
Shopping centres moving from commercially licensed music to an OnBrand royalty-free solution typically reduce their overall music and associated licensing costs by approximately 30–40%.*
The South Yorkshire centre reduced its music-related expenditure in line with its revised budget while maintaining background music throughout the customer environment.
It retained the atmosphere and continuity provided by Centre Radio but benefited from a more commercially flexible service designed around its changing operational needs.
The project demonstrates that music does not need to be treated as an all-or-nothing expense. With the right content and service model, centres can make meaningful savings while continuing to provide visitors with a welcoming and professionally managed environment.
* Indicative saving based on OnBrand’s experience of centres moving to royalty-free music. Actual savings depend on factors including the size of the audible area, current licensing fees and the selected OnBrand service.
Could Royalty-Free Music Reduce Your Centre’s Costs?
If your shopping centre is reviewing its operating expenditure, OnBrand can assess your current music provision and explore whether a carefully curated royalty-free alternative could deliver meaningful savings.
