Music for your cidery’s taproom should be a strategic decision. Those that treat it as an afterthought can risk undercutting the very experience they’re trying to sell. There are cideries that approach it with intention, however, and are using it as a quiet (but powerful) business strategy.
At Finnriver, that lever is pulled with purpose.
“Live music is central to the Finnriver experience. It brings people together, creates a sense of place, energy, and community,” said Camelia Jade, music coordinator. For the past three years Finnriver has been named Best Dance Venue and Best Live Music Venue on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington and she gave her insights to Cider Business and BREWER.
“On any given weekend, the cider garden feels a bit like a mini festival, and music plays a huge role in shaping that atmosphere,” Jade said.
Framing it that way pushes against a common assumption that music should simply match customer expectations. Instead, Finnriver actively expands on them. Jade said the team introduces a wide range of genres, from jazz and folk to hip-hop and African fusion, with the goal of bringing “new sounds and experiences” to a rural audience. It’s not about genre consistency, but intentional curation tied to identity.
That same idea shows up in how they prioritize originality.
“A key part of our approach is prioritizing artists who perform primarily original music,” Jade said. “That focus helps create a more authentic and creative atmosphere, while supporting working musicians and songwriters.”
For those like Finnriver, it means it’s less about altruism and more about differentiation as original music becomes part of the brand and product, not just the backdrop.
Bob Manley of Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery takes a similarly deliberate stance, but with a different execution.
“At Hermit Woods, music is part of the atmosphere, not background noise,” he said.
That distinction matters. If music is treated as background, he said, it’s often turned up or down without much thought. If it’s part of the atmosphere, it has to align with the brand’s values.
“We choose music that reflects who we are: thoughtful, handcrafted, rooted in tradition but not stuck in it,” Manley said, pointing to jazz, folk and acoustic artists with strong musicianship.
But there’s a tradeoff between energy and usability some may overlook.
“We want guests to feel relaxed, engaged, and able to have a conversation … not compete with the speakers,” Manley said.
That’s a subtle but critical operational point as louder or trendier music can increase perceived energy, but it can also shorten dwell time or reduce spend if guests feel uncomfortable. Hermit Woods adjusts accordingly.
“During tastings and quieter afternoons, it’s more mellow,” Manley said. “On show nights, the music is the focus… the room shifts from social space to attentive concert setting.” You don’t just vary playlists, but recognize that music defines how a space is used at different times of day.
Ben Wenk of Ploughman Cider pushed back that brand and music should be tightly linked in a static way.
“I’m not sure we’ve ever tried to tie our brand to music per se, although music is a huge part of our brand,” he said.
That might sound contradictory, but it reveals a more flexible model.
“We’ve been very intentional about what kinds of experiences we want to provide… and then make the soundtracks match the vibe of those experiences,” Wenk said.
In other words, the experience comes first, not the playlist.
That becomes especially important across multiple locations.
“We’ve got a very rural taproom and a very urban taproom and they’re both serving our cider to different kinds of guests,” Wenk explained. Treating them the same musically would ignore context and likely miss revenue opportunities. Instead, Ploughman adjusts dynamically, shifting playlists by daypart and giving staff flexibility.
“We tend to change playlists for daytime vibes and nighttime vibes… plus having multiple options for our bartenders when the space might need higher energy, lower energy, etc.,” he said.
They also layer in theme playlists tied to promotions, turning music into a reinforcement tool for marketing campaigns rather than a disconnected element.
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That flexibility, however, still has guardrails. For Brooklyn Cider House, Richard Yi points out the risk of over-indexing on personal taste.
“Generally, we play music that we personally enjoy, but it’s important to be aware of your audience,” he said. “If the taproom is full of families, blasting heavy metal or bass-heavy EDM probably isn’t the best choice.”
Yi reinforces what the others imply: music is inseparable from atmosphere.
“Music is a big part of the atmosphere, and it plays an important role in creating the overall experience for guests,” he said.
Those who succeed aren’t just picking songs they like; they’re constantly evaluating whether the sound in the room is supporting the behavior they want. That can mean longer stays, stronger engagement, higher perceived value. Or, it can work against it.
The most effective cideries aren’t asking, “What music fits our brand?” They’re asking a more useful question: “What experience are we trying to create right now and does the music actively support it?”
That shift can help frame music from a stylistic choice into an operational strategy, one that can quietly influence everything from guest flow to sales per visit.
