A new survey* from music licensing company PPL PRS of 500 UK workers reveals that almost nine in ten (87%) warehouses play music, while one in seven (13%) work in silence. Of these employees, nine in ten (89%) expressed a desire for music, as just one in ten (11%) prefer silence.
How does music benefit warehouse workers?
The average work week for a warehouse worker is 35 to 40 hours. PPL PRS has looked into the effects of working long hours on your feet in its walking 9 to 5 guide, after a 2023 survey of 500** standing workers revealed physical tiredness, sore legs, mental fatigue and low mood to be the most commonly-experienced mental and physical effects of doing so. However, it also found that over four in five (82%) believe that music improves their mood during the working day.
In PPL PRS’s latest 2024 survey, it found that over half (54%) of warehouse workers feel happy when listening to music at work, almost half (49%) said it energised them, and relaxation comes with tunes for over two fifths (43%), while just 6% said it made them feel distracted, and less than 2% reported feeling anxious, tense or upset.
Music can lead to increased productivity in warehouses, too; almost three in ten (28%) said their concentration improves. Respondents ranked packing and unpacking boxes (71%) as the most positively affected task, followed by moving boxes (59%), loading vehicles (44%) and building and assembling stock (38%).
So, how can employers harness this potential productivity booster?
Leadership coach for PPL PRS, Deborah Green, comments: “I’ve worked in warehouse environments that have had music playing and it creates an opportunity to have some really fantastic conversations. When a tune comes on and people start reminiscing or chatting about what the tune means to them, you get to know people a lot more. It enables you to adopt a curious mind to find out more about that individual, which in turn builds better relationships because, as leaders, you’ve got to know your teams on a human level.
“By leveraging the power of music with thought and consideration, leaders in a warehouse environment can enhance productivity and employee morale and create a great place to work.”
Employers can use music to support the bottom line and boost morale. According to our survey, over half (52%) of employees believe that music boosts the mood of the workplace, while more than four in ten (43%) found that it reduced their stress levels when working.
Other benefits of using music in a warehouse setting are that it can be used to drown out loud noises, which creates a better working environment for one in six (15%). One in five (22%) even said they found music builds bonds within their team when discussing music tastes.
But before you press play, remember you will usually need to have a music licence to play music within a warehouse or factory.
Why wouldn’t you want to play music in a warehouse?
There are some limitations to playing music in a warehouse, though. Over half (51%) said that music could pose a challenge as they need to be able to hear their co-workers clearly, almost two-fifths (39%) shared that they need to be able to hear machinery or vehicles and one in five (19%) say health and safety protocols restrict them from playing music. Whilst music can be an effective productivity- and morale-booster, ensure it’s played safely so as not to cause a hazard in the workplace.
* A survey commissioned by PPL PRS of 500 people who work in warehouses in the UK in February 2024
** A survey commissioned by PPL PRS of 500 UK respondents by Attest in October 2023
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