Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody. It uses textural layers of sound that can reward both passive and active listening and encourage a sense of calm or contemplation. The genre is said to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual", or "unobtrusive" quality. Nature soundscapes may be included, and the sounds of acoustic instruments such as the piano, strings and flute may be emulated through a synthesizer.
Minimoog Voyager XL, owned by Brian Eno
Sounds of natural habitats are common in YouTube uploads, with their thumbnails typically having images of natural landscapes to attract listeners.
Furniture music, or in French musique d’ameublement, is background music originally played by live performers. The term was coined by Erik Satie in 1917.
Furniture music: «Tapisserie en Fer forgé», 1924
Furniture music: «Carrelage Phonique», 1917