What to know about commercial audio in Glendale
Music heard past 125 feet can be unlawful
Glendale makes it unlawful to run radios or sound systems loud enough to be heard more than 125 feet from the premises when it disturbs a reasonable person. The test is hearing distance and annoyance. We found no decibel limit in the code.
Quiet hours start at 10 p.m.
From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., it is unlawful to run sound equipment so that excessive or offensive noise is heard off the premises. Separately, sound that is excessive or offensive and heard off the premises for more than 2.5 hours needs a 30-minute break.
Bar patios sit 200 feet from residential zoning
A Glendale bar or cocktail lounge must be at least 100 feet from single-family-zoned property, and its outdoor seating and patio at least 200 feet from residentially zoned property. Check your parcel's zoning and any planned area development before you build out.
Permitted events have their own rules
Events running under a city-issued special event or event permit are exempt from the 25-66 sound rules if they follow the permit's conditions. That helps a one-off event. It does not cover your normal nightly patio music.
How we plan sound to the 125-foot test
Glendale judges by what a neighbor can hear, so we plan where the sound lands, not just how loud the amplifier runs. Speakers go low and aimed at seating, with the back of each facing away from the property line. Many small speakers at a low level send less sound past your fence than a few loud ones.
Zones: who hears what
Most restaurants want a dining room zone, a bar zone and a patio zone. Restrooms and entries often get their own. Each zone has its own volume and can play its own source, so the bar can run game audio while the dining room stays on background music.
Staff control zones from a wall panel or an app. We set a maximum level on each zone in the amplifier, so a loud Friday does not end with the patio turned all the way up.
Speakers that suit the room
In-ceiling speakers keep a dining room clean. Surface-mount speakers work where there is no ceiling space, and pendants suit open ceilings and warehouse-style rooms. Bars with a crowd usually need a subwoofer so the music stays full without pushing the main speakers.
- Long runs with many speakers often use a 70-volt system, which keeps wiring simple.
- Outdoor speakers need to be rated for sun, heat and dust.
- Wall controls should be locked or limited so a guest cannot change a zone.
Patios, quiet hours and a limiter
A Glendale patio plan has three limits to design around: the 125-foot hearing test, quiet hours starting at 10 p.m., and the break rule after 2.5 hours of audible sound. The system can drop the patio level at 10 p.m. and shut the zone off at a set time. If a neighbor calls, the city sends them to the police non-emergency line, 623-930-3000, and a patrol officer checks while it is happening.
Amplifiers, the rack and the install
Behind the speakers sits a multi-channel amplifier with built-in processing, so each zone can be tuned to its room. Everything lands in a labeled rack to keep the next service call short. We work with your existing equipment when it still works.
A job starts with a walkthrough of the rooms, ceilings and cable paths, then a plan with zones and speaker positions. We install after hours or on a slow day, tune each zone and show your staff how to run it.
Audio next to TVs and control
In bars, audio goes in with TV and video distribution. Staff can run music and TVs from one panel with AV control systems, and venues that book bands add event audio and video. The rest of our Glendale work is on the Glendale page. Call (602) 769-7992 to set up a walkthrough.
