Music in the office: Who gets to be the DJ?

Playing music in the office…some companies love it while others would never allow it. I’m sure we could go through the pros and cons of having music playing in the background for hours, but if it’s part of the company culture then there are more important matters at hand.

Who gets to be the DJ? Should there be a music rota? Perhaps a rota wouldn’t help if you’re completely ashamed of your musical tastes (don’t worry, Steps and Atomic Kitten are making comebacks…or so I’ve been told!)

Music in the office: troubleshooting suggestions

Mix it up

I will try to keep the DJ puns to an absolute minimum here. It is so important to have variation in the music, be it the genre or ensuring no song plays more than once. Many moons ago, in my days as a retail Christmas temp, nothing could prepare me for 8 hours on the shop floor with the same Christmas album on repeat… ten songs, ad infinitum. This lasted for the whole Christmas period and now, I never dream of a White Christmas. Maybe that’s a tad dramatic.

Just make sure this doesn’t happen; Spotify or iTunes can accommodate long lasting playlists. More often than not, most people will be so in the zone with their work that the music isn’t really registering with them. Despite this, even if you can’t hear the same song playing over and over, one of your colleagues can…and they are crying inside.

Need Car Insurance? If not, ditch the radio

Perhaps one way to avoid making a music rota would be to simply put the radio on. But which radio station do you choose? Should there be a rota for that too? Stop right there…ditch the radio.

The beauty of music in the office should be that it’s a pleasant background motivator. Again, it can be much easier to get into your work if there is a playlist ticking along nicely. Radio on the other hand? You might enjoy the interviews but that will distract you from the day job, and there are only so many car insurance provider adverts you can listen to.

Should there be a music rota?

I suppose it wouldn’t take much effort to allocate some kind of routine to the music that plays. Maybe just rotate around the desks, and whoever is in charge for the day can make their selections.

However, it doesn’t need to be so meticulous. As mentioned, having music in the office is a nice background motivator so if a playlist ends, it might be a while before you even notice. Working hard, and all that…

The best way to approach it is to let it flow and if the music does stop, someone will resume it eventually. However, make sure you NEVER change someone else’s playlist while it’s still playing…unless the majority agrees of course!

Should you wear earphones?

Wearing ear phones at work (for music) has its pros and cons too. Some people are naturally good at blocking out background music, while others might prefer to listen to their own. That’s fine, but it’s probably best to have a way to see if your phone is ringing or letting your colleagues know they can still approach you if necessary.

Music is the workplace either works or it doesn’t. If it works for your company and the culture, then great. Just make sure it’s varied, that people can get a say on volume and that everyone is welcome to use whatever program you are using.

Now that you've got your music in the office troubleshooting list sorted, discover more workplace and career tips from the pandas!