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The Surprising Military Origins of Muzak From Battlefields to Background Beats
Military Signals to Background Music Squier saw an opportunity to create a system where music could be transmitted over electrical lines, allowing people to listen to tunes without needing a radio. In 1922, he founded Wired Radio and later rebranded the company Muzak — a name inspired by the popularity of Kodak.
Ever found yourself humming along to an elevator tune on the way up to the 10th floor? Muzak is background music no one asked for but (almost) everyone appreciates. It’s the soundtrack of elevators, shopping malls, and office buildings. But its origins aren’t in retail or corporate spaces. Instead, the story begins with a high-ranking U.S. Army officer whose fascination with communication technology
affected more than just military strategy. The Mind Behind the Innovation
General George Owen Squier built a career that bridged military and scientific innovation. Born in 1865, he was a trained electrical engineer whose expertise shaped early military aviation and communication systems. Squier’s work in communications didn’t stop at improving battlefield coordination. He constantly searched for new ways to make information travel faster and more efficiently. During World War I, he led the U.S. Army’s Signal Corps, focusing on radio transmissions, telegraph signals, and a technique called multiplexing, which allowed multiple messages to share a single wire. Squier’s advancements streamlined military operations and had an even broader impact. His research in signal transmission laid the groundwork for innovations that later extended into everyday life.
Initially, Muzak focused on bringing music into homes, but the company later shifted gears to find a niche in commercial spaces. Businesses quickly realized that carefully curated background music could enhance productivity, ease tension in public spaces, and subtly guide customer behavior. A Lasting Legacy Squier may have been a high-ranking Army officer, but his vision went beyond the military. His pioneering work in telecommunications influenced modern streaming, workplace productivity, and even the psychology of sound. What started as an experiment in transmitting music through power lines became a global phenomenon that still shapes how we hear the world today.
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