Background Music for Spas: A Manager's Guide

Written by Luke Tyler, composer

Good background music in a spa is easy to miss. Clients just feel calm. Bad music gets noticed straight away. An advert, a sudden loud track or a gap in the middle of a treatment can undo a lot of good work.

This guide is for spa managers who want music that sounds right, runs itself and stays legal. We compose music for spas, so we'll share what we've learned.

The short answer

Good spa background music is calm, steady and simple to run. It should suit each room, play without gaps or ads, and stay at a low, even volume. And every source of music on site needs the right licence.

The rest of this guide shows you how to get there, one step at a time.

Start with your rooms

Walk round your spa and list every space where music plays, or could play. Most spas have some or all of these:

• reception and waiting area
• treatment rooms
• relaxation room
• pool, sauna and thermal areas
• changing rooms and corridors
• staff room and back office

Each space has a different job. Reception greets people. Treatment rooms help them let go. Relaxation rooms keep them there. Your music can follow the same plan.

Matching music to each room

Here's how we'd use the four Dawn Chorus collections across a typical spa:

• Reception. Open Air is bright and spacious. It makes the space feel calm and cared for from the moment someone walks in.
• Treatment rooms. Warm Ground is rooted and slow, for massage and bodywork. Still Water is calm and warm, for deeper, quieter treatments.
• Relaxation, pool and thermal areas. Still Water suits spaces where people lie still for a long time.
• Corridors and all-day spaces. Clear Day is soft and light. It's easy to be around for hours.

You don't need all four. Plenty of spas use one collection everywhere. Clear Day is the safest single choice if you want to keep things simple.

What good spa music sounds like

Spa music has to sit in the background for hours without getting in the way. That rules out a lot of music that sounds lovely on its own.

Here's what to listen for:

• A slow, steady feel. No sudden changes in pace or mood.
• No lyrics, or very few. Words pull attention, especially when someone is trying to switch off.
• No big peaks. Loud swells and sharp sounds jolt people.
• No ads or gaps. Silence mid-treatment is as jarring as an advert.
• An even level. One track shouldn't be much louder than the next.

Long single pieces help with all of this. A playlist of short tracks has more chances to jump in mood or volume.

Getting the volume right

It's easy to play music too loud. As a rule, clients should be able to hear their therapist without either of them raising their voice.

Set the level in each room when it's quiet, then check it from where the client lies. We go into detail in how loud should music be in a spa?

The kit you need

You don't need anything fancy. You need something reliable.

• A device per zone. An old tablet or a small media player works well. Keep it just for music.
• Files saved on the device. Music that plays offline keeps going when the Wi-Fi drops.
• Decent speakers. Two or three small speakers at low volume sound better than one loud one.
• Notifications off. Airplane mode stops messages and calls cutting in.
• A spare. Keep a backup device with the same files at reception.

Try to avoid playing music from staff's personal phones. It's harder to control, and personal accounts on music apps usually aren't allowed for business use. Our post on playing Spotify in a salon or spa explains why.

A simple daily routine

The best music setup is one nobody has to think about. Give one person the job of starting it each morning.

1. At opening, press play on the 10-hour file in each zone.
2. Check the volume in each room before the first client.
3. Glance at it mid-day when you do your room checks.
4. At close, stop the music and charge the devices.

Every Dawn Chorus collection comes as a 60-minute file and a 10-hour file. The 10-hour file covers a full day with one press. The 60-minute file suits a single treatment if a therapist wants to start fresh.

Think about your team

Clients hear your music for an hour or two. Your team hears it all day. Something that feels calm at 10am can wear thin by 5pm.

A few easy fixes help. Use different collections in different zones. Swap collections between days. And ask your team what they think. They'll tell you quickly if something isn't working.

Keep it legal

Every source of music in your spa needs the right cover. That includes the staff room radio and the TV in the waiting area.

Most music needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. Music licensed directly by its composer, like Dawn Chorus, doesn't need it, as long as that's the only music you play. If anything else is on, you still need TheMusicLicence for it.

For the full picture, read our guide to music licence options for business, or see how it works for treatment venues on our music licence for spas and salons page.

A quick checklist

• Every space with music is on your list.
• Each zone has a device with the files saved on it.
• Notifications are off on every music device.
• Volume is set and checked from the couch.
• One person starts the music each morning.
• Every source of music is licensed, and you keep the proof.

Ready to set yours up? Hear the four Dawn Chorus collections and pick what suits your rooms.

This post is general guidance, not legal advice. If you're not sure what your venue needs, contact PPL PRS or a legal adviser.

FAQs

What kind of background music is best for a spa?

Slow, steady music with few or no lyrics and no sudden changes. Long pieces work better than short tracks, because there are fewer jumps in mood or volume. It should feel calm without drawing attention.

Should every room play the same music?

It doesn't have to. Many spas use something brighter at reception and something slower in treatment rooms. One collection everywhere is fine too, and simpler to run.

Do I need a licence for spa background music?

Usually, yes. Most music needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. Music licensed directly to your venue by its owner may not, if it's the only music you play.

Can staff play music from their own phones?

It's best not to. Personal music accounts are usually for personal use only, and phones bring alerts and calls. A dedicated device with licensed files saved on it is more reliable.

How do I stop the team getting tired of the music?

Use different collections in different areas and swap them between days. Ask your team for feedback now and then. Small changes go a long way.