VPA guide · Music for business
Background Music System for Your Business: 100V Line BGM + Paging
A background music (BGM) system sets the mood in shops, cafés, hotels and offices — and the same speaker line carries voice announcements without stopping the music. Here is what equipment you need and how to size it.
Not sure how many speakers you need? The free VPA online calculator sizes the system from your floor area — no registration required.
Open the calculator
Why a 100V line and not home audio?
Commercial background music runs on a 70/100V constant-voltage line: one amplifier drives dozens of loudspeakers across the whole venue over simple cabling, with no impedance calculations and no quality loss on long runs. It is the worldwide standard for commercial paging and BGM.
- Dozens of speakers on a single line with long cable runs.
- Even, comfortable volume across the whole floor — background music, not one loud corner.
- Priority paging: the microphone automatically ducks the music, which resumes after the announcement.
- Zoning: separate volume or program per floor, room or department.
What equipment you need
- Mixer amplifier — the heart of the system. VPA MK-series units have a built-in MP3 player (USB/SD), FM tuner and Bluetooth, plus priority microphone inputs. Power from 50 to 2000 W, models with 3 or 6 zones.
- Loudspeakers — flush-mount ceiling speakers for rooms with suspended ceilings, wall-mount speakers for corridors and rooms without ceiling voids.
- Music source — the amplifier's own player, a phone over Bluetooth, or any line-level source.
Example configurations
All VPA catalog prices are open — typical setups look like this:
| Venue | Equipment | Sizing logic |
|---|---|---|
| Shop or café ~100 m² / 1,000 sq ft |
1× VPA-MK 50 (50 W, MP3/FM/BT) 8× VPA-P3 ceiling speakers (3 W) |
8 × 3 W = 24 W — a 50 W amplifier runs with ample headroom. One 3 W ceiling speaker covers 10–15 m² of background music. |
| Restaurant or office ~250 m², music + paging |
1× VPA-MK 100Z3 (100 W, 3 zones) 10× VPA-PM6 ceiling speakers (6 W) |
10 × 6 W = 60 W with 30% headroom. Three zones: dining room, terrace and kitchen with independent volume. |
| Multi-floor venue up to 6 zones |
1× VPA-MK 120Z6 (120 W, 6 zones) ceiling and wall speakers per zone |
Each floor or department gets its own volume control on the amplifier front panel. |
These are starting points: the exact speaker count depends on ceiling height and ambient noise. The VPA calculator works it out from your floor plan in a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make announcements without stopping the music?
Yes — that is what the mixer amplifier's priority microphone input is for: the music ducks automatically while you speak and resumes afterwards. With a zone paging microphone the announcement can be sent only to the floor or department you choose.
How many ceiling speakers do I need per square metre?
A quick rule: one 3–6 W ceiling speaker per 10–15 m² (110–160 sq ft) with 2.7–3.5 m ceilings. For an exact count based on your plan, ceiling height and noise level, use the free VPA online calculator.
Will a home or car amplifier work?
No: low-impedance (4–8 Ω) gear cannot drive dozens of speakers over long cable runs. Commercial venues use a 100V line with a transformer in every speaker — simpler to install and built for continuous all-day operation.
100V or 70V — which do I need?
Both are constant-voltage standards: 100V is common in Europe and Asia, 70V in the Americas. VPA loudspeakers have 70/100V transformer taps, so the same models work on either line.