I feel for the folk at Asda.
Asda workers are furious over their bosses’ decision to play repetitive unlicensed music in store in an alleged cost-cutting move.
The supermarket bosses’ have swapped their in-store radio for music from unsigned artists which are not licensed- meaning no royalties have to be paid.
Staff have launched a petition calling for the ‘mentally draining’ music to be changed.
Staff across the UK flocked to an Asda Reddit forum to express their anger with the new music choice by supermarket, which employees said plays on both day and night shifts.
One comment dubbed the new unlicensed music ‘corny’ and demanded ‘real music back’ from bosses.
After listening to one of the new tracks in store, another said: ‘this is literally the worst song I’ve ever heard’.
I experienced something similar during my year at Sainsbury’s, although that was current licenced music. It was still mostly garbage, though and it was still mind numbingly tedious. So, yeah, I get it.
Staff on the Reddit forum have speculated that the change is a cost-cutting measure at Asda, which currently has a multibillion-pound debt with one user commenting that the supermarket ‘won’t pay the fee to play decent music.’
Here’s a radical idea, why not play nothing and let people work and shop in refreshing silence? It’s free, after all.
Once when I was on holiday in Cornwall I went to a local store which was just a huge warehouse with pallets full of stuff arranged in rows across the floor. There seemed to be an eerily spooky atmosphere as people silently wheeled their trolleys up and down. It took me a while to realise that it was the lack of piped music that was odd. I don’t think that it would take long to get used to it though.
A few supermarkets offer ‘quiet hours’ when music and announcements are not played. This is for people who become upset at too much noise. It sounds(!) fine to me.
I wonder if ‘quiet Mondays’ (and so on) could catch on?
I’ve walked into stores and before 2 yards have about turned and buggered off again due to the hideous racket some fool thought was music.
I spend around 30 hours a week alone behind the wheel, most of the time in companiable silence apart from the rumble of a big Diesel @ around 900rpm, that’s bliss compared to what passes for music these days.
Some here might recall those cheap LP’s one could buy back in the 70s, no name copies of popular songs, almost all bloody excruciating for the shell likes and senses, if this Asda musak is along those lines can’t blame the staff getting the hump.
I think people bought those albums by mistake, not realising that they weren’t by the original artists. I can remember hearing a version of the Osmonds Crazy Horses. The sound of the ribbon synthesiser was done on a violin, amazing musicianship but it sounded ridiculous.
I am perpetually surprised at the number of people wearing earbuds or headphones in the street, or while cycling. You would have thought self preservation would have kicked in, especially now EVs creep about quietly.
After the joy of Hollow-een we have CHRISTMAS!!!!
And all those jolly songs. 7/24.
Aren’t we lucky.
I have just returned from seeing my middle aged son complete what I hope is his last marathon.We had the misfortune to pass by one of the public address loudspeakers which was blasting out very loud, so called music. It was so loud that it was painful to be in front of the speaker, and I am partially deaf.It was all pointless anyway as no one was listening to it,they were all busy talking,or rather shouting to each other to be heard. Whenever I am in a big shop or DIY store and have cause to speak to an assistant, I always ask them to ” SPEAK UP, I CANT HEAR YOU OVER THIS BLOODY NOISE”. How they put up with 8 hours or so of the racket, I really can’t understand.
“I have just returned from seeing my middle aged son complete what I hope is his last marathon.”
Why, are you hoping he moves up to ultra running next? I was into twenty four hour racing for a while but I didn’t make much of an impression as the wheels started to come off soon after. My wife and her sister are marshaling at The Equinox next weekend.
Being bar staff at Christmas has left me with an indelible hatred of Maria Carey and “All I want for Christmas is you”.
Jesus wept.
Even the best songs get old if you are hearing them on repeat. The thing about Christmas songs, I fully understand why some people hate them, but my childhood memories of Christmas were really quite special and I still enjoy the festive season. Thanks to Spotify, I now have a festive playlist of Christmas songs that I haven’t heard a thousand times already.
On the original subject, maybe Asda should play classical music. It is an acquired taste I think, but it certainly isn’t crap and it should be out of copyright.
As I started reading this, expected the outrage to be about unsigned artists not getting the royalities they ‘deserve’ from Asda. I didn’t see their music getting a trashing. That was refreshing