Background music is no longer an afterthought at many airports, which are hiring local musicians and carefully curating playlists to help .

built a stage to showcase emerging British performers for the first time this summer. The program was so successful the airport hopes to bring it back in 2025. has five stages that host more than 800 performances per year, from country musicians to jazz combos. , Punta Cana International Airport greets passengers with live merengue music.

Tiffany Idiart and her two nieces were delighted to hear musicians during a recent layover at .

91裸聊视频淚 like it. There91裸聊视频檚 a lot of people here and they can all hear it,91裸聊视频� said Grace Idiart, 9. 91裸聊视频淚f their flight got delayed or something like that, they could have had a hard day. And so the music could have made them feel better.91裸聊视频�

Airports are also carefully curating their recorded playlists. Detroit Metro Airport plays hits in a tunnel connecting its terminals. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas has a playlist of local artists compiled by an area radio station. Singapore91裸聊视频檚 Changi Airport commissioned a special piano accompaniment for its giant digital waterfall.

Music isn91裸聊视频檛 a new phenomenon in airport terminals. 91裸聊视频淢usic for Airports,91裸聊视频� an album released in 1978, helped define the ambient music genre. It91裸聊视频檚 minimalist and designed to calm.

But Barry McPhillips, the head of international creative for Mood Media, which provides music for airports and other public spaces, said technology is enabling to be less generic and more tailored to specific places or times of day.

Mood Media 91裸聊视频� formerly known as Muzak 91裸聊视频� develops playlists to appeal to business travelers or families depending on who91裸聊视频檚 in the airport at any given time. It might program calmer music in the security line but something more energizing in the duty-free store.

91裸聊视频淲e see it as a soundscape,91裸聊视频� McPhillips said. 91裸聊视频淲e design for all of these moments.91裸聊视频�

There91裸聊视频檚 a science to Mood Music91裸聊视频檚 decisions on volume, tempo, even whether to play a song in a major key versus a minor one, he added.

91裸聊视频淗ow do we want to affect their mood at that moment?91裸聊视频� McPhillips said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not just like, 91裸聊视频楬ere91裸聊视频檚 a load of songs.91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 a load of songs for that 10-minute segment, and then we move to the next 10 minutes.91裸聊视频�

At the same time, many airports are going low-tech, hiring local musicians to serenade travelers and give them a sense of the place they91裸聊视频檙e passing through.

Chicago91裸聊视频檚 O91裸聊视频橦are and Midway airports have more than 100 live performances each year. Phoenix91裸聊视频檚 Sky Harbor International Airport began a live music program five years ago and now has two stages featuring local artists.

Tami Kuiken, the manager of airport music in Seattle, said the Seattle-Tacoma airport launched its live music program about a decade ago after a city commissioner heard live music at the airport in .

91裸聊视频淭he idea was like, 91裸聊视频橫an, why doesn91裸聊视频檛 Seattle have music? We91裸聊视频檙e a music city too,91裸聊视频� Kuiken said.

At first, the airport created a playlist featuring emerging artists along with famous ones like . Then it decided to try live musicians for a 12-week trial. It was so successful that the airport now features live musicians daily and is building new performance spaces.

91裸聊视频淧eople91裸聊视频檚 anxiety levels are very high when they91裸聊视频檙e traveling,91裸聊视频� Kuiken said. 91裸聊视频淭he feedback that we started getting was that once they got through the checkpoint and they were greeted with music, all of a sudden their anxiety and stress levels dropped.91裸聊视频�

The programs also benefit musicians, who get paid to perform and gain wider exposure. When Colorado Springs Airport announced a live music program in March, more than 150 musicians applied. It now hosts two two-hour performances each week.

David James, a singer and guitarist who plays at Seattle91裸聊视频檚 airport about once a week, said waking up in time for a daytime gig took some adjustment. But he91裸聊视频檚 gained new fans from all over the world.

91裸聊视频淚 get really sweet responses from people all the time, saying, 91裸聊视频楾hat was so soothing to be able to just sit and listen to music in between flights,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� James said. 91裸聊视频淪o it feels like it91裸聊视频檚 especially therapeutic for people.91裸聊视频�

Country stars like and have come through Nashville91裸聊视频檚 airport and interacted with local musicians, said Stacey Nickens, the airport91裸聊视频檚 vice president of corporate communications and marketing. Shelton even gave one his guitar.

Otto Stuparitz, a musicologist and lecturer at the University of Amsterdam who has studied airport music, said airports should think carefully about their selections. Music that91裸聊视频檚 meant to be actively listened to 91裸聊视频� like live music or catchy pop songs 91裸聊视频� can be very distracting in an already chaotic environment, he said. He has noticed some airports 91裸聊视频� especially in Europe 91裸聊视频� turning off piped melodies altogether.

But McPhillips said big spaces like airports can feel cold and unwelcoming without background music.

91裸聊视频淎 well-crafted audio strategy is one that people aren91裸聊视频檛 particularly cognizant of,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey just know they91裸聊视频檙e having a good time and that it91裸聊视频檚 appropriate.91裸聊视频�