Background music is affected by social, legal, economic and technological factors. It is intended to be listened to inattentively and is predominantly selected by someone other than those who encounter it. The ACMESOCS (2019-2022) research project examines urban auditory cultures, particularly how they are articulated, experienced and reclaimed within the acoustic environments of different-sized cities, thus contributing to policy-makers’ awareness of the æsthetic design of acoustic spaces and the defining of urban sonic identity. This paper presents the preliminary results of a case study carried out in selected enterprises located in an individual shopping mall. It concentrates on the preferences of the end-users of background music and on their possibilities for alternative individual acoustic design.