The Science of Elevator Music

Muzak was engineered specifically to boost worker productivity rather than just provide pleasant background noise. Using a technique called stimulus progression, the music gradually increased in intensity to gently push employees to work faster during the day.

Originally developed for factories in the 1920s, this background audio was designed to stave off boredom and fatigue. By carefully selecting tempos and arrangements, the company believed they could influence the rhythm of human labor. It was so effective that it was even piped into the Apollo 11 moon mission to help ground control teams maintain their focus. Today, the brand is more widely associated with the quiet, soothing melodies heard in office buildings and shopping malls.