Key takeaways

  • Research suggests music can have positive effects on mood, including reducing stress and anxiety, boosting motivation, and evoking feelings of pleasure.
  • Listening to music can engage pleasure pathways in the brain, triggering the release of dopamine. It may also help foster environments for social engagement and belonging.
  • The best music to improve your mood may depend on personal preferences. People who are interested in music therapy can speak with a healthcare professional to learn more.

From the drumbeats of our ancient ancestors to today’s unlimited streaming services, music is an integral part of the human experience.

This article explores how music can affect your mood, including the best type of music to listen to and other roles of music in music therapy.

According to a 2023 review, music may affect a person’s mood in various ways, including:

  • improving mood and well-being during pregnancy
  • early music experiences improving emotional development
  • distracting from pain
  • evoking pleasure or euphoria
  • boosting motivation

A 2021 review also highlights music’s potential to relieve symptoms of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Does music always improve mood?

Although music can have positive effects on mood, including making people feel better when they feel anxious or angry, music can have the opposite effect in some instances.

Some research suggests that some types of music may lead to more intense depressive episodes when a person already feels depressed, potentially validating their feelings.

One explanation for this could be that music is less likely to alter the thought patterns involved in a depressed mood, particularly if the music echoes those thoughts.

People with depression and low emotional awareness may be more likely to choose sad or nostalgic music.

Another reason could be that people may feel less inclined to use music to change their mood state when feeling depressed.

Music engages various parts of your brain, including areas that manage sensory experiences, your ability to think, and your emotional responses.

Listening to music you prefer can engage pleasure pathways in your brain, sending blood flow through regions involved in your body’s reward system. This can trigger a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter also known as the “feel-good” chemical.

Music’s ability to improve mental health symptoms may be due to its ability to create an environment for social interaction and emotional expression.

Greater freedom in the creative process of making music may also have a positive effect on a person’s emotions.

The best type of music to improve your mood may depend on things like personal preferences. However, the tone and message of the music may also play a role.

A 2022 study on the effects of classical music on stress suggests that both fast and slow tempos can positively affect mood. People may perceive fast music as uplifting and slow music as calming.

The emotions you’re feeling may also matter. For example, if you’re feeling sad, listening to music that echoes that feeling may actually intensify your feelings rather than improving your mood.

Choosing a song or playlist that matches your mood at the beginning and gradually shifts to more positive music may be one way of improving your mood when you’re feeling down.

Music therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention that healthcare professionals may use to help manage conditions such as mental health conditions, nervous system diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Only qualified healthcare professionals can administer music therapy. Music therapy may involve different features depending on what suits the individual, including:

  • listening to music
  • making music
  • improvisation

Anyone who is interested in seeing if music therapy is suitable for them can speak with a healthcare professional to learn more.

Music can have significant effects on your mood, helping you feel better when you’re stressed, angry, or anxious. Music can also improve a depressed mood, although some types of music may cause an intensification of your feelings.

The best music to improve your mood may depend on your personal preferences and how you’re feeling. Starting with songs that match your mood and gradually transitioning to more positive music can help.

Listening to music is one part of music therapy, a non-pharmacological treatment for certain health conditions. A healthcare professional can help you decide if music therapy is suitable for you.