Music is more than just an art form for songwriters and composers. It’s also how they put food on the table, pay their bills. Like any other business, they have the right to be compensated when their music is performed - even when they’re not in the room playing it themselves.

For a business that attracts such a wide age range of members, a thoughtful and flexible selection of music is imperative to consistent customer satisfaction, and studies have shown that the right music can increase customer satisfaction by up to 10%.

This year, we listened to thousands of records, as ever, from a pool of diverse national and international talent; debut albums, sophomore works, and highly anticipated returns to the scene. Here are our favourites from 2023….

🎄 Happy Holidays from our team to all of YOU 🎁⁠.⁠.This lovely bunch will be working hard to help with any support queries coming through during the festive period.⁠.⁠.Check out the troubleshooting guide we've put together:

2023 is still delivering some album gems and we've reviewed a few of them, including music by the likes of André 3000, bar italia, and Art Feynman. Plus, a look back at Dr. John's 'In The Right Place' - what a masterpiece!. Words by @notblueyedsoul.

Music can be an effective tool for torture and a great number of business owners are inadvertently causing misery to staff and customers alike with their poorly chosen Christmas soundtrack. We can help. See it for yourself 🎅.

We may be approaching the end of 2023, but new amazing music keeps coming out so here we are, reviewing some albums for your listening pleasure. Including @BlackPumasMusic, @sampha, @PRIYARAGUMUSIC, @Pipblom and more.

Ever wondered why is it illegal to play music from Spotify (or any other streaming platform, for that matter) in your commercial space?. Here's everything you need to know about music licensing for businesses. (You're welcome 😃).

How do you find new music? Are you solely relying on your preferred streaming service and its algorithm? . Here are 6 ways to discover new music: .

RT @ishgaskincare: Discover the new ishga five senses sound ritual at @Seahamhallhotel Serenity Spa in #Durham. Awaken your senses with a b….

Congrats to our client @xandwhyspace on the opening of the stunning The Orchard. Located at One Great Cumberland Place, The Orchard is an exclusive club space within #ThePortmanEstate overlooking Marble Arch and Hyde Park. Pssss. their music is curated by our team 🤠

Even though music is a subjective area, there is a growing mass of evidence that supports that playing the right tracks while working can have an impact on productivity and focus. We dug into the science behind this - read more below.

Did you know that you can block unwanted tracks in 3 simple steps?. With the Open Ear Manager App you can take full control of the music played in your venue/s, including excluding tracks from your schedule thanks to our Block feature.

After an exploration of eclectic sounds, including Electronica, Soul, Funk, and Disco, we ended up defining the Koran Dinner Party sound through a combination of American and Korean Hip Hop. Read more:

A month full of great releases by amazing artists we love, including Cleo Sol, Róisín Murphy, Mitski, and The National. We also looked back at Amy's 'Frank', which will turn 20 this month. Check out our album reviews: ✍️ words by @notblueyesoul

We love #RosasThai and feel privileged to be working with their team, curating the brand's everyday music selection as well as ad-hoc playlists to celebrate special moments. Here's a brilliant feature in The Times with Saiphin Moore, founder of Rosa's.

A selection of juicy tunes for you. From the OE Music team, with love.

We love working with Dr. Martens, bringing a curated nuance to the sound of a brand with such a deep history and relevance within the music space. Find out more:

“Music can be the difference between enjoying your workout and not.". It's #NationalFitnessDay and we talked all things Music for Fitness with our in-house curator, DJ, and runner, Oscar Arroyo.⁠.

Today would have been Amy Winehouse's 40th birthday 🖤. Credit: Mark Okoh (Camera Press)

The 2023 #RugbyWorldCup - the quadrennial world championship for rugby union national teams - has started and we've got 3 dedicated playlists you can get added to your schedule to set the vibe in your venue. Get in touch! info@openearmusic.com