Listening to and creating music can have positive effects on your mood, mind, social experience, and physical body.
Although we can’t be sure exactly when human beings began listening to music, scientists do know something about why we do.
Listening to music benefits us individually and collectively. Potential benefits of listening to music include social connection, improved mood, and even physical benefits, such as reduced pain perception.
Here’s what research tells us about the power of music to improve our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Music has always been a powerful way of communicating and uniting people:
- national anthems connect crowds at sporting events
- protest songs stir a sense of shared purpose during marches
- hymns build group identity in houses of worship
- love songs help prospective partners bond during courtship
Some research suggests that music is one of the earliest ways people communicate in their lives, as caregivers and infants sing together.
In community settings, music can help foster social connections to prevent loneliness and may lead to social bonding faster than other activities.
Even in specific groups, music can help us forge stronger bonds. For example, a 2023 study found that music therapy benefits social engagement and emotions in people with moderate dementia.
However, music can also benefit us on an individual level.
Below are some ways music can affect your mind.
It can lead to better learning
Music can induce changes in your brain, reshaping neural networks and fostering neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to form and reorganize connections, which can occur in response to learning.
Training in music may help improve skills related to learning, including:
- perception
- fluency
- creativity
- IQ scores
- spatial skills
However, some research suggests that not all music is equal. While people may perceive instrumental music as beneficial for learning, music with lyrics may hinder some types of learning.
It can improve memory
Music may also have a positive effect on your ability to memorize. In fact, many people use music to memorize information, such as through mnemonics or to tell stories.
A 2020 review suggests that musicians tend to outperform non-musicians on various memory tests and may have a greater capacity for working memory.
Musical memory may also be less affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Associating memories with certain musical pieces may help people with Alzheimer’s disease recall certain memories with greater detail.
It can help treat mental illness
Music literally changes the brain. Listening to music may trigger the release of several neurochemicals that play a role in brain function and mental health, including dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure and “reward” center, and stress hormones like cortisol.
Although more research is necessary to understand precisely how music can benefit mental illness, music interventions and music therapy may help improve mental health in people with conditions such as:
One of the most common uses of music? It may have the power to change moods and help people process their feelings.
It can help lower anxiety
There’s lots of evidence that listening to music can help calm you in situations where you might feel anxious.
A 2026 study found that music with auditory beat stimulation helped reduce anxiety, suggesting that this could be a new addition to current anxiety treatments.
A 2025 review suggests that classical and self-selected pieces of music may help to reduce the following stress markers:
Various factors, including personal preference and cultural context, may influence these outcomes.
It helps with symptoms of depression
Music may offer benefits for managing feelings of sadness or depression. A 2025 study suggests music has the potential to relieve sadness, whether or not someone has depression.
The best way to improve mood may be to start with music that matches your mood and slowly shift to music with a more positive tone.
A 2025 review and meta-analysis suggests that music therapy can significantly improve depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life, regardless of the type of music therapy.
Musical genre matters for depression
One important note:
Below are some of the ways music may offer physical benefits.
It can help your heart health
Music can make you want to move — and the benefits of dancing are well-documented.
Scientists also know that listening to music can alter your heart rate and blood pressure, depending on the music’s intensity and tempo.
It decreases fatigue
A 2025 review suggests that exciting music, relaxing music, and a person’s personal preference of music can counteract mental fatigue during mentally fatiguing tasks and recovery from them.
The researchers suggest exciting music may be more beneficial than relaxing music for reducing mental fatigue. However, more research is necessary to understand whether there’s an ideal tempo, genre, and intensity.
A 2022 study also found that listening to fast music may help reduce perceived fatigue when exercising.
It boosts exercise performance
The aforementioned 2022 study suggests that fast music may improve runners’ mental and physical performance during exercise.
A 2020 research review confirms that working out with music improves your mood, helps your body exercise more efficiently, and reduces your awareness of exertion.
It can help manage pain
A 2025 review concludes that music therapy can effectively reduce chronic pain, though its effectiveness may vary depending on a person’s condition and type of chronic pain.
A 2025 study found that 86.5% of people prefer listening to music as a method of pain relief. Among those, 73.1% of people would gravitate toward their personal preference of music, though some believe classical music is best for pain relief.
Listening to music and creating music can have a wide range of benefits for our communities and us. These are just two elements of music therapy, which healthcare professionals can use as part of treatment for various conditions.
Although anyone can use music to try and boost their well-being, only qualified professionals can carry out music therapy.
To learn more about whether music therapy can help you, it’s a great idea to speak with a healthcare professional.
Music exerts a powerful influence on human beings. It can boost memory, build task endurance, lighten your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, stave off fatigue, improve your response to pain, and help you work out more effectively.
Working with a music therapist is one effective way to take advantage of the many benefits music can have on your body, mind, and overall health.