Aldi has revealed why it does not play music in its stores after dozens of shoppers flooded online forums seeking answers.
The supermarket chain said its decision is aimed at keeping costs down for customers, as it can pass on the savings it makes by not having to pay licensing fees for the music.
The revelation comes after shoppers flocked to Reddit forums to complain about the lack of music in the store and said they were surprised by how quiet it is inside.
But an Aldi spokesperson has since said Southern Living‘At Aldi stores, no detail is overlooked when it comes to saving our customers money, and that includes our decision not to play music.’
Aldi doesn’t have music in any of its stores, which helps the supermarket chain save money and offer frequent deals to customers.
If Aldi had music, the company would be required to obtain music licenses to avoid lawsuits from music rights organizations or record companies.
The German supermarket chain is known for its special discounts and has implemented a number of other schemes to help offset its low-cost offerings.
Among them is its shopping cart rental policy that costs shoppers 25 cents.
“This 25 cent deposit ultimately saves our customers money because we don’t have to hire additional staff to collect shopping carts,” Aldi’s website states.
Expanding further on the decision not to play music, a spokesperson told Southern Living: “We’re committed to passing every penny of savings on to Aldi shoppers, whether through our quarter-sized cart system or our Aldi-exclusive brands, and so when we realized we could save even more on music licensing costs, we didn’t think twice.”
It is not an easy process for business owners to obtain music licenses due to several requirements.
According to Cloud Cover Music, an average music licensing fee can cost anywhere from $250 to over $2,000, and has led to businesses signing up for commercial streaming services.
Factors that decide the final cost of music licensing for businesses include their size and the number of locations.
There are also several different types of music licensing and agreements.
Some companies have signed up to commercial streaming services to avoid paying expensive music licensing fees.
Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) is currently the largest music rights organization in the US and holds the rights to over 22 million songs.
If the selected Aldi stores obtained a BMI Music LicensingThose venues would be allowed to play songs by artists the music rights organization represents.
Other songs that are not part of BMI would need a separate license, which would increase the cost.
However, music in businesses such as supermarket chains is considered public performance.
This explains why the only way a store can legally play music that isn’t on a streaming service is to obtain a license, which can be expensive.
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