Music affects mood by activating brain areas for emotion and reward, releasing dopamine, and triggering memories.
Brain effects
- Dopamine release in reward areas.
- Amygdala activation for emotion.
- Heart rate and breathing sync to tempo.
Tempo
Fast tempos energize, slow tempos calm.
Research
A study found that listening to music we love can release dopamine up to 9% more.
Therapy
Music reduces stress and anxiety.
Personal
Mood effects depend on tastes and memory.
Brain responses
Listening to music activates the auditory cortex, reward circuitry and emotion regions like the amygdala. A 2011 study by Valorie Salimpoor in Nature Neuroscience showed dopamine release in the striatum during peak emotional moments in music. Dopamine release was up to 9 percent higher in anticipation of favored passages.
- Fast tempos (over 120 bpm) tend to raise arousal and mood, and slow tempos of 60 to 80 bpm tend to calm.
- A 2013 review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience linked music to changes in heart rate, cortisol and immune markers.
- Music therapy reduced anxiety and pain in randomized trials of surgery patients, according to a Cochrane review in 2013.
Individual differences
Mood effects depend on personal taste, memory and context. Familiar songs linked to events evoke strong emotions. Sad music can comfort some listeners by helping process emotions. Background music can reduce performance in complex reading tasks for some people. Choosing music intentionally, such as upbeat tracks for workouts, produces the most reliable effect.
Brain responses
Music activates the auditory cortex, amygdala and reward circuits. A 2011 study in Nature Neuroscience by Salimpoor found that dopamine is released in the striatum during peak musical pleasure. Tempo and key influence mood: fast music in major keys tends to feel happy.
Individual differences
Reactions depend on memory and culture. Music therapy is used for depression, pain and dementia, and meta analyses report modest benefits. Choose music suited to the goal.
Neurochemistry and therapy
Listening to music can raise dopamine by up to 9 percent in the striatum during peak moments, as shown by Salimpoor and Zatorre’s 2011 PET and fMRI study. Music affects heart rate, cortisol and breathing. A Cochrane review of 26 trials found music therapy improved depression symptoms in some patients.
Everyday use
Fast tempos in the 120 to 140 beats per minute range increase workout performance. Slow music at 60 to 80 bpm helps relaxation and sleep. Familiar songs bring memory for people with dementia. Loud music over 85 decibels for long periods can damage hearing.
Based on data from Nature Neuroscience, the Cochrane Library and the American Music Therapy Association
