You ’re being brainwashed when you sit in a Taco Bell and senselessly shovel Doritos Locos Tacos into your mouth . That ’s right – the music playing in there is contrive to make you feel good .

OK , maybe it ’s not that scary . But fast - nutrient brands know that when you feel just , you stay longer . You grease one’s palms more . You associate incontrovertible things with the eating place . And it turns out there ’s a society that programs all of that music : Mood Media .

We utter to Danny Turner , their Global SVP of Programming & Production , to find oneself out how they figure out what to play in your best-loved fast - food joint , who has the lucky job of selecting those songs , and why the medicine you hear there in the morning is dissimilar from what ’s take on at Nox .

Taco Bell music

Daniel Fishel/Thrillist

95% of fast-food chains' music is chosen by one company

That ’s correct . Mood Music ’s squad is responsible for for the soundtrack to more than a whopping 95 % of your dine - in fast - food experiences . Whether that banging 95 % includes walloper is up in the air : Mood Music could n’t break any clients for this story other than Taco Bell and Jersey Mikes , the latter of which has a suspicious want of Springsteen .

Brands have “audio identities”

Selecting the medicine for a flying - food for thought eating place is n’t as easy as creating a Spotify play list and hitting play . " Anybody and their brother can put together a tilt of 100 fantastic strain . But finding 100 song that are correct for a blade and mouth to the brand attributes is a very deliberate and different operation , " Turner says .

For model , Jersey Mike ’s has 1,000 + locations , and they want music that lends a " positive , welcoming , and pollyannaish " find to the place . grant , no eatery wants a " negative , downbeat " vibration other than maybe a destruction metal - themed BBQ joint ( if one exists , we ’re guessing it ’s in Portland ) . But there ’s still something different about the " audio identity " that Mood creates for Jersey Mike ’s as opposed to another firebrand . You ’ll ascertain " current pop , classical rock , and beach vibraharp " at the popular sub shop .

Want to find great new music? Taco Bell might be better than Spotify.

The Mexicanish fast - food spot differentiates themselves withmenu item not found anywhere else on Earth , and also in the music they play . For real : Sitting down for a chalupa might be the fastest way to get unwrap to a new artist forgetful of accidentally talking to some hippie in Brooklyn . Right now , artists played in Taco Bell is right smart dissimilar than the classic rock bands you might get word in Jersey Mike ’s . To wit : currently at the Bell some of the artists in rotation are Catey Shaw , Saint Motel , Neon Trees , and Mayer Hawthorne . That ’s a hearty playlist . And unlike Spotify , the music is paired up with nacho cheese at T - Bell .

And they pay these new bands in burritos

Mood helped the sword startFeedTheBeat.com , which awards up - and - coming instrumentalist $ 500 gift lineup . That complimentary food probably comes in ready to hand , as it ’s toughened being a musician these days ; the last metre anyone under the age of 30 pay up for music was … never .

Here ’s how it cultivate : Bands defer their medicine through the internet site , and if the eating house ' overlords like their tunes , the company will award them the gift card and , even better , potentially dally it in commercial message and in its brick - and - mortar location .

The music changes with the time of day

depend on when you dine in Taco Bell , the euphony playing will exchange . " morning time are more pop - leaning for the breakfast crowd who may not be the distinctive Taco Bell buff , " Turner says . " We keep it fun at lunchtime with a admixture of new and established artists . And in the evening for dinner party , we commence getting adventurous and going for more of a discovery sound . " Above all , Turner says the playlist have " some democratic creative person so that there ’s a nice mixture of credit and breakthrough . " Like any unspoiled DJ , Mood know to play a goodly mix of what you know and love , and some of what youshouldknow and love . He says you ’re " never more than one song off from something you ’re conversant with . "

Musicologists select the music

The folks who select the music for the brands are shout Music Designers . I ’d also call them Lucky Ass People because that sounds like a play , fun job . And some of them are also doctor ! " One of our favorite music clothes designer at Austin just this workweek set out her doctor’s degree in medicine anthropology , " Turner says . Not everyone has a fancy degree – most are receiving set or club disk jockey , music critics , and musicians . That ’s one of the prerequisites for the spear : You must have some sort of career in euphony to get hired . presently , there ’s about 60 of them spread out over the entire world , from Barcelona , Paris , London , Charlotte , Miami , and … Juliet , IL ? Ah yes , the Nashville of Illinois ! ( Not really . )

So next time you hear a birdcall at Taco Bell , Shazam it , and realize it ’s this player key out Foy Vance you ’ve never hear of , do n’t take it for granted . Someone at Mood Media wanted you to hear that Song dynasty at 12:45pm on a Tuesday and skip you ’d enjoy it , hang out in your kiosk a slight longer , and maybe order another one of those Doritos Locos Tacos .

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