Written and directed by David Unger, A History of Elevator Music – From Muzak to Streaming is a 52-minute documentary produced in collaboration with ARTE France and Oléo Films. This historical and cultural investigation delves into a pervasive yet rarely examined sound phenomenon: background music, commonly known as muzak. The film will be available starting Wednesday, March 11, 2026 on arte.tv, as well as on YouTube and ARTE’s social channels.
It’s everywhere, yet often goes unnoticed: in supermarkets, clothing stores, restaurants, parking lots, and waiting rooms. This so-called "functional" music is actually the result of a carefully devised system that originated in the United States in the early 1930s. Initially, Muzak — the company behind this soundscape — played music in elevators to soothe passengers, but their true aim was to boost worker productivity in factories, using carefully curated background tunes to influence behavior.
The documentary traces the gradual spread of muzak, initially across North America after World War II, before reaching Europe and the rest of the world. Shopping malls, hotel lobbies, banks, airports, hospitals, and gas stations: background music became a tool believed to soothe, reassure, encourage purchasing, and make work more bearable.
A blend of "music" and "Kodak," referring to the trigger it’s meant to create in the listener, muzak is rooted in a utilitarian ideology that has faced much criticism. The film highlights responses from artists like Brian Eno, who, in the late 1970s, challenged this approach by developing ambient music, an art form conceived as an aesthetic experience rather than just background noise.
Through rare archival footage and a series of in-depth interviews, Une histoire de la musique d’ascenseur highlights the perspectives of philosopher Pauline Nadrigny, writer Jacques Attali, journalist Sophian Fanen, and British academics Toby Dubois-Heys and Paul Rekret. Musical artists, including Jean-Michel Jarre, also contribute their insights into the aesthetic and symbolic layers of elevator music.
The documentary also explores modern uses of ambient music, which is now widely streamed across various platforms. Curated playlists of "mood music" — designed for working, sleeping, focusing, or relaxing — continue the legacy of muzak but are now tailored to algorithms and current economic strategies.
Supermarket employees, sensory marketing experts, and critics of the system share their firsthand experiences of how this music impacts daily life. As artificial intelligence continues to advance, the film questions the future of a genre that, after years of stripping music of its artistic meaning, still seems to hold on and refuse to fade away.
A History of Elevator Music – From Muzak to Streaming
Documentary | 2026
Available from March 11, 2026 on arte.tv, YouTube, and ARTE’s social channels
Duration: 52 minutes
Written and directed by David Unger
Co-produced by ARTE France and Oléo Films
Country: France
Blending cultural history, sociology, and music analysis, A History of Elevator Music offers a well-researched look into a subtle yet influential sonic phenomenon. It reveals how music designed to go unnoticed ultimately shaped our spaces and daily routines.
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