Asda workers are furious over their bosses’ decision to play repetitive unlicensed music in store in an alleged cost-cutting move.
The supermarket bosses’ have swapped their in-store radio for music from unsigned artists which are not licensed- meaning no royalties have to be paid.
Staff have launched a petition calling for the ‘mentally draining’ music to be changed.
Staff across the UK flocked to an Asda Reddit forum to express their anger with the new music choice by supermarket, which employees said plays on both day and night shifts.
One comment dubbed the new unlicensed music ‘corny’ and demanded ‘real music back’ from bosses.
After listening to one of the new tracks in store, another said: ‘this is literally the worst song I’ve ever heard’.
Disgruntled staff launched a petition in July to ask the supermarket to revert back to their previous radio
Asda says it will not replace self-service tills with manned units – but will ensure the remaining old-fashioned checkouts are readily staffed more often
An angry shopper also said the songs were an ‘instant headache’ and most were ‘absolutely shocking’.
For staff, the songs play on a loop everyday, which led one employee to describe the radio as ‘a form of torture.’
Another said: ‘I’d rather listen to the souls of the damned screaming at me for six hours.’
Staff on the Reddit forum have speculated that the change is a cost-cutting measure at Asda, which currently has a multibillion-pound debt with one user commenting that the supermarket ‘won’t pay the fee to play decent music.’
Companies must pay a license to play commercially released music in order to cover the cost of royalties to copyright holders.
Previously, Asda had its own in-store radio, ‘Asda Radio’ which launched in 1991 and was previously known as Asda FM.
Disgruntled staff launched a petition in July to ask the supermarket to revert back to their previous radio.
With more than 600 signatures, the petition states: ‘Asda workers across the nation are getting sick of the royalty free AI generated music.
‘It is hindering concentration and causing immense stress for our Asda retail workers. For example, our Asda plays the same 20 songs throughout the day and I know this from working just 12 hours a week.
‘ I can’t imagine how irritating it must be for those working full time.’
The statement added: ‘Now I leave Asda feeling worked up because I’m exhausted not only from physical work but also mentally drained from listening to whatever they’re playing now.’
It comes as Asda seeks to turn around its financial performance, managing huge debts and tumbling sales in the past months.
An Asda spokesman told The Telegraph: ‘We made this change in February to align with our other sites including depots and in-store cafes.
‘We appreciate that colleagues have different tastes in music and we always welcome feedback when making decisions about how our stores operate, including the music played on Asda Radio.’