Music at corporate events is more than background. It's atmosphere-setting, energy management, and brand communication all happening simultaneously — before anyone has said a word from the stage. Getting it right takes more thought than most event planners give it.
Arrival and networking: Music should facilitate conversation — present enough to feel welcoming, quiet enough to talk over. Mid-tempo, familiar but not distracting. Volume should allow comfortable conversation at normal speaking level.
During formal program: Usually no music, or very subtle background during meal service. Music during speeches or presentations competes for attention — avoid it.
Post-program / dancing: If your event has a social component after the formal program, the music needs to build — starting where dinner background music left off and building toward something energetic over 30–45 minutes.
Your music choices signal something about your organisation. A tech company playing background jazz feels misaligned. A law firm playing EDM feels wrong. Think about what musical choices are consistent with your organisation's personality and how you want guests to feel about you.
This doesn't mean rigid genre conventions — it means thinking about music the way you'd think about any other brand touchpoint.
Live music at corporate events almost always elevates the atmosphere. Even a simple solo acoustic guitar or piano during cocktail hour creates an impression that a Spotify playlist can't replicate. For larger budgets, a jazz trio, string quartet, or function band transforms the room.
If live music is not in the budget, invest in a good DJ rather than a playlist. A DJ can read the room and adjust in real time. A playlist cannot.
Your MC needs to coordinate closely with your DJ or band on musical cues. Key transition points that require precise coordination:
Schedule a call between your MC and DJ before the event. If they've never spoken by the day itself, you're relying on improvised coordination for every one of these moments.
Background music that's too loud is the most common corporate event music mistake. Guests spend the evening straining to have conversations, leave feeling subtly exhausted, and the event is remembered as "a bit loud." Volume should be checked from multiple points in the room — not just near the speakers — and adjusted accordingly.
Perth-based, experienced across all event types, and available to discuss your date.
Check AvailabilityCheck availability for your date — we respond within 24 hours.
Check Availability