Coffee shops are an integral part of the college student’s experience. For students that want to escape the congested confines of campus, these places offer an alternative space to get work done, socialize, and go on first dates. Every coffee shop is different, especially in such a unique city like Austin. However, a common variable that unites each coffee shop is its choice of music.

Story by Miles Eackles

Walking into a coffee shop, you’ve probably thought that there isn’t much thought that goes into curating the playlist. This is quite the contrary. According to a study done at Texas Tech University, a customer wants music to “fit” the context. Playing music that complements the aura and overall vibe of the establishment will cause customers to value it so much more and, in turn, spend more money.

“At Cherrywood, anyone of us can play and we can play whatever we think fits the vibe,” Cherrywood barista Olympia Garcia said. “The manager gets mad if there’s no music so anything goes.”

Another study done at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, however, has stated that “music at a slower tempo encourages customers to linger and spend more money; conversely, fast-paced music led to a quicker exit.” Garcia goes on to say, “One time I was playing music and my coworker wanted me to play something faster, harsher to drive people out.”

While Cherrywood is a coffee shop that has closing hours, 24 hour coffee shops such as Bennu and Epoch tend to have a more eclectic range of music playing. Music from artists like the Beastie Boys to Earth, Wind, and Fire are common to play in the span of one trip. This unique range of music is common because something has to fill the air even at 3 a.m.

Mainstream coffee shops such as Starbucks have playlists that are curated by upper-division heads in the corporation; local coffee shops like Lucky Lab and Flightpath take a more populist approach. You can hear the hypnotic flourishes of Kacey Musgrave’s entire “Golden Hour” album at one place and a mixed bag of ‘80s disco hits at another.

While listening to your own playlists may be crucial to your study routine, going to a coffee shop and discovering the different tastes that the baristas have to offer may be beneficial to you. The next time you have to get a lot of work done, take bus 20 to Bennu or Thunderbird, bus 801 to Flightpath or Epoch, or just walk across the street to Lucky Lab.

“I’ve found a lot of my favorite music at coffee shops,” journalism and RTF sophomore Sydney Underwood said. “Cherrywood has a really good mix of bops that aren’t too distracting and every time I go to Bennu they’re playing ‘90s and early 2000s music.” While it is understandable that a certain level of peace and quiet is required to actually get work done, coffee shops try to cater to every student. “At Epoch, I prefer to just hang out with friends because the music can be really chaotic sometimes. Like you’ll be trying to study at midnight and they’ll be playing death metal.”

Study locations on campus like the PCL and the FAC have a time and a place. However, if you’re aching for new music and want a different atmosphere, there are a multitude of coffee shops waiting for you to explore.