Music is part of the everyday lives of people of all ages all around the world. Listening to music, singing, or playing musical instruments are very common activities. While we have always known that music is enjoyable, research has also been demonstrating that it produces improved wellbeing and better health.
The healing potential of music was initially investigated involving the field of music therapy where trained therapists provided guidance in the use of music as a tool for rehabilitation, and it showed improvement in both mental health impairments and physical illness. Recently, however, research studies of the health benefits of music have expanded to include the impact of passively listening to background music and intentionally selecting music that is particularly pleasant. As was found with music therapy, the results have shown improvements in feelings of wellbeing, better mental health and improved physical functioning.
As I have been reviewing the extensive and rapidly growing research literature for the use of music in improving health and wellbeing, I have been pleasantly surprised at the power of the effects. Quality of life often improves with less pain, better sleep and less fatigue. Mental health problems like anxiety and depression show both immediate benefits and a carryover of the beneficial effects over time. Medical problems like hypertension, diabetes and muscular weakness also tend to improve. It is particularly notable that people suffering from diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and stroke usually see improvements in their gait, balance, and endurance with the ongoing use of music interventions.
After reading the research reports and putting everything together, I can confidently provide a summary of recommendations for using music to improve your health and wellbeing. First, the evidence is good that passively listening to music in the background is more beneficial than no music at all. Second, music that you have personally chosen is even more beneficial than listening to music that someone else has selected for you. Setting aside time for actively listening to music that you know you will enjoy should improve your life. While these strategies should feel good as you are using them, the real benefit should come from using them on a regular basis over at least several months. This extended involvement should clearly benefit your feelings of wellbeing as well as your physical health.
While within all this research there is a lot of information indicating that singing, playing musical instruments, and dancing are also very beneficial, but I have emphasized listening since it is so easy to do. You should feel confident, though, that these ways of engaging with your music interests are also very beneficial to your health and wellbeing.
If you are still uncertain as to the value of using music to improve your health, you can find some of the most important research citations immediately below.
References
A good place to start is this article, published in 2021, that summarizes and reviews several decades of research into the mental and physical health benefits of music:
Dingle GA, Sharman LS, et al, How do Music Activities Affect Health and Well-Being? A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Psychosocial Mechanisms. Front Psychol 2021; 12:1-31
Here is a review published in 2017 concluding that music therapy can decrease chronic pain, irrespective of the cause:
Garza-Villareal EA, Pando V, et al, Music-Induced Analgesia in Chronic Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pain Physician 2017; 20:597-610
Here is a review of research testing the use of music to help with mild cognitive impairment published in 2017:
Dorris JL, Neely S, et al, Effects of Music Participation for Mild Chronic Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 9:2659-2667
This review evaluates the use of music therapy added to the usual treatments for depression, compared to the usual treatments alone:
Aalbers S, Fusar-Poli L, et al, Music Therapy for Depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 11:1-87
This 2021 review is remarkable in that it shows well-documented improvement in the physical status and functioning of people with multiple sclerosis when music was added to their treatment:
Lopes J, Keppers II, Music-based therapy in rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review of clinical trials. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2021; 79:527-535
Here is a 2015 review of 6 controlled trials showing that music-based therapies can improve sleep quality:
Keperson KV, Koenig J, et al, Music for insomnia in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 13:1-43
Here is a 2020 review of 104 controlled studies showing that music-based interventions tend to lower blood pressure, decrease the levels of stress hormones, and decrease anxiety:
DeWitte M, Spruit A, et al, Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses. Health Psychol Rev 2020; 14:294-324
For those interested in the brain areas stimulated by musical activities as well as the brain structural changes that result, here is a review article that examines brain imaging research involving music. The review concludes that music engages many brain areas, especially those that consolidate memories and those that activate the brain’s reward systems:
Toader C, Tataru CP, et al, Creative Crescendo: How Music Shape’s the Brain’s Structure and Function. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1-23
Science and Spirit 