From business insider and stichert, this is Household Name.

Brands, you can trust.

Brands, you know stories you don't.

I'm Dan Baufkopf.

Today, two stories about listening.

First, the history of elevator music, known to some as music, but not so much anymore.

Why?

Later, we all know smart speakers like Amazon Echo are listening.

You might not know what these companies are doing with your voice.

I'll speak with Washington Post tech columnist Jeffrey Fowler.

Stay with us.

elevator music, hold music, whatever you call it, you've probably heard it referred to at some point as music.

But what you might not know is that music was an actual company.

Our first story today comes from the podcast 20,000 Hertz, which is a show all about sound.

You're listening to 20,000 Hertz.

The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

I'm Dallas Taylor.

What came to be called elevator music is almost never heard in elevators today.

So, how did it earn the name elevator music?

This is the story of music, a company that changed the way public spaces sound.

I like the term elevator music.

I don't think there's anything inherently pejorative about it because it's music that's supposed to elevate people's moods.

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