Is Musical Taste Genetic—Or Does It Form Over Time? Here’s What Science Says

Here at Spiritune, we’re constantly exploring how therapeutic music can impact the brain (by improving mood, enhancing focus, and more) and body (by deepening sleep, providing pain relief, etc.). But what exactly is ‘therapeutic’ music, and how is it any different than a pop song you’d hear on the radio? 

Here’s an expert-led guide to the attributes of therapeutic music, how it differs from other forms of music, and how you can benefit from listening to it daily. 

What Is Therapeutic Music?

Simply put, therapeutic music is any music that helps the listener reach a certain therapeutic goal—be it managing stress, enhancing memory, or easing pain. 

Some genres and musical attributes are considered more therapeutic for certain goals than others. Listening to classical music, for example, is generally thought to have a calming effect. Fast-tempo music tends to rev up emotional and cognitive activity, while slower beats often lower heart rate and promote relaxation.

However, therapeutic music does not need to sound one particular way. And in fact, it will sound different from person to person. 

As Daniel Bowling, Ph.D., Spiritune’s neuroscience advisor, explains, personal preference plays a significant role in shaping the outcomes of any musical experience. “It's all about what you enjoy,” he says. “That's really going to be what moves your nervous system the most.” 

While some sounds evoke reactions that are near-universal (you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t energized by Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, for example), there is no one way for a song to be considered “therapeutic,” since an individual’s tastes, memories, and culture affect how they respond to different pieces of music.

How Is Therapeutic Music Different Than Music on the Radio?

Here’s where it gets a little complicated: Pop, rock, country, or any other type of music you hear on Spotify or the radio can absolutely be therapeutic in certain contexts, for certain people.

Let’s say you are feeling tired and want to perk up, so you play an up-tempo Taylor Swift song and immediately have more pep in your step. Congratulations, you just used music therapeutically. If you’re feeling defeated after a long day and put on your favorite hopeful song from childhood—the one that you know every word to by heart—and perk right up, that totally counts, too. 

Bowling explains that music you love and have a history with can even pack an extra strong therapeutic punch due to the way it builds anticipation in the brain. “It’s a constant unfolding of expectation and reward,” he says. 

That said, there are plenty of ways to engage with popular, familiar music that are not therapeutic at all—and may actually make you feel worse. Listening to fast-tempo songs with complex lyrics while you’re trying to focus at work can be really annoying and distracting, for example. And if you’re in a bad mood, putting on a low-pitch song with sad lyrics that remind you of a low point in your life will likely make it worse. 

So, as a neuroscientist, Bowling doesn’t consider therapeutic music its own genre or category. “Whether it's therapeutic or not depends on the composer and on the listener,” he says.

What About Music Therapy? What Does That Entail?

Music therapy, as defined by the American Music Therapy Association, is the “clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” 

In other words, it involves listening to, engaging with, or creating music with a trained practitioner who can guide you towards your goals.

While you can definitely use music as a therapeutic tool on your own, as we covered in the last section, this wouldn’t be strictly considered music therapy. Using music as a therapeutic tool without the oversight of a practitioner is more often referred to as “music medicine.”

How Spiritune Makes Therapeutic Music More Accessible

Spiritune exists to democratize music medicine and bring the therapeutic power of music to the masses.

Each track is created with a specific goal in mind: be it to relax before bedtime, enhance focus, or adopt a more positive mindset. Professional composers will then use rhythm, tonality, harmonic progression, etc., to create tracks that fulfill this goal while being pleasing to the ear.

“Spiritune is music-forward,” says Bowling, adding that its tracks feature well-written compositions, versatile instruments, and smooth rhythms that are as universally appealing as possible. Most Spiritune tracks don’t have lyrics, which can be distracting, opting instead for instrumentals that make a wide variety of listeners feel good, he adds.

The app is designed to be easy and intuitive to use: Simply choose your current state (i.e., anxious or frustrated) and then your desired state (i.e., content or excited), and Spiritune will play tracks designed to get you there. 

You don’t need to consciously attune to the music; simply let it play in the background and wrap yourself in an “acoustic blanket.” Before you know it, you might find yourself feeling less restless, more positive, or more focused. Based on user surveys, 90% of listeners agree that Spiritune’s science-driven playlists help them reach their goals—often within just 10 minutes of listening.

While Spiritune isn’t designed to replace your favorite pop song (you’re safe, Taylor), it’s a helpful tool to add to your routine when you have a specific goal or outcome in mind and want a reliable, science-driven way to get there, fast. 

Like what you're reading? Sign up for Spiritune’s newsletter to get a monthly music therapy download straight to your inbox. Haven’t tried Spiritune yet? Download it today with a free trial!

Humans have been making music for at least 40,000 years. Millennia later, we’re still learning new things about the remarkable ways our bodies respond to sound. 

This year, scientists honed in on how music can help reduce the pain of a hospital stay, ease the trauma of war and displacement, enhance our ability to stay on task, and much more. There were over 700 music therapy studies published this year—and these five really had our team talking:

1. Using sound to ease the trauma of displacement.

Forced displacement from war and natural disaster is a growing threat to global health—one that a cross-cultural intervention like music may be uniquely well-suited to. 

Case in point: This year, displaced mothers and children from Ukraine reported significant mental health improvements after just eight weeks of a music therapy intervention. Caregivers showed fewer signs of PTSD, depression, and anxiety after the sessions, while children had improved communication and better socio-emotional functioning. According to their mothers, the kids were also able to “open up” more after playing instruments, singing Ukrainian songs, and engaging in musical rituals. 

2. Finding the right tune for focused work.

Music can help make monotonous tasks like computer work more enjoyable—but not just any song or playlist will do the trick. 

This spring, a randomized controlled study, Effects of Music Advertised to Support Focus on Mood and Processing Speed, found that Spiritune is significantly more effective at improving mood and performance during cognitive tests than other forms of music, such as Spotify’s “Deep Focus” playlist and popular songs from the Billboard Hot 100.

The study, which involved 196 healthy adults, concluded that Spiritune’s science-driven compositions were four times more effective than other music at reducing negative emotional states. An impressive 76% of participants were in a better mood after listening to them. Spiritune was also the only type of music to improve executive function and cognition.

It only took 7-10 minutes for these benefits to occur, demonstrating that listening to Spiritune is a fast and effective way to lock into work mode and improve productivity.

Get an inside look at the research here.

3. Demystifying the body’s response to sound.

New research suggests that listening to music is far from a passive process. When you press play on a song, your body and brain may actively synchronize with the rhythm and harmony of the track.

This year, a team of researchers led by Edward W. Large at the University of Connecticut reviewed existing literature to propose a new explanation for humans' musical response: the "neural resonance theory." This theory states that our brain waves actually synchronize to the rhythms of the music we listen to. Our urge to smile, dance, and groove with certain beats is the result of this physical embodiment. 

"This means that the human body is very much part of the music-making process. Neurons vibrate like a plucked guitar string. Seen on an EEG, brainwaves dance to drumbeats," reads a UConn recap of the study.

Concetta Tomaino, DA, the Executive Director of The Institute for Music & Neurologic Function and the Music Therapy Advisor at Spiritune, considers this one of the most important papers of the year because it takes fundamental principles of neuroscience and applies them in an exciting new way.

4. Investigating music’s potential for healthcare patients.

This year, experiments across the globe investigated how music can make hospitals and medical centers more comfortable for patients. 

In two general hospitals in Colombia, researchers found that both live music and pre-recorded music could reduce visitors’ anxiety and stress. Over in Ohio, a study across ten medical centers found that musical therapy sessions incorporating singing, playing instruments, and relaxation techniques tended to be the most effective at reducing pain in those with various diagnoses. 

5. Exploring music’s role in the operating room.

Music might be able to ease our stress even when we’re not consciously aware that it’s playing, a new study suggests. For this research, surgery patients were set up with noise-cancelling headphones before being put under anesthesia. Some of them listened to calming instrumental music during their procedures; the others didn’t listen to anything. 

Researchers monitored the amount of medication that both groups needed, and sure enough, patients who listened to music required lower doses of propofol (an anesthetic) and fentanyl (a painkiller) during their surgeries. This implies that music might help calm down the nervous system and stress response even when the brain is “offline.” 

“The unconscious mind still has areas that remain active. Even if the music isn't explicitly recalled, implicit awareness can lead to beneficial effects,” Farah Husain, a co-author on the study, tells BBC News. 

Furthermore, the music-listening patients had lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) once they woke up, leading researchers to believe that music therapy can be a helpful tool both during and after taxing events like surgeries. 

6. Reinforcing music’s role in neurodegenerative disease treatment.

Researchers have long suspected that music therapy might help those with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. This year, two sweeping scientific reviews reinforced music’s potential to combat cognitive decline. 

First, a review of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research concluded that music can “act as a guardian of memory in AD,” combating memory loss by enhancing activity in certain brain regions. The paper also points out that music can open up non-verbal communication pathways, allowing patients to engage with their caregivers in new ways.

Then, a comprehensive analysis of Parkinson’s research found that a type of music therapy known as rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) can improve certain symptoms of the disease, like balance issues and gait abnormalities, by up to 20 percent. 

Study authors support music therapy as a low-cost, minimally invasive option for neurodegenerative disease patients, and predict that it will only become more widespread in the years ahead. 

Like what you're reading? Sign up for Spiritune’s newsletter to get a monthly music therapy download straight to your inbox. Haven’t tried Spiritune yet? Download it today with a free trial!

As we get older, our relationship with stress tends to change. While everyone’s different, research shows that, on average, younger people tend to feel stress more regularly and intensely than older adults. A recent Stress in America™ survey from the APA found that new technologies and lingering after-effects of the pandemic are putting even more strain on teens’ mental health, leading some of today’s Gen Z adults and younger millennials to report feeling “completely overwhelmed” by stress.

Universities around the country have an opportunity to equip young adults with tools to manage this stress in college and beyond. A unique program at Yale University is showing how students can improve their mental health with holistic stress management tools - including, we’re proud to say, Spiritune.

The Good Life Approach

The Good Life Center at Yale is an organization that equips students with evidence-based skills for fostering mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being. They host events that help students unwind with practices like yoga and art, as well as carve out physical spaces for health and relaxation (think: a green room filled with plants and natural materials). 

The Center also provides students with tools they can use to combat stress in the moment. When the pressures of maintaining healthy relationships, getting good grades, and planning for the future start to add up, these science-backed techniques can help them get back to baseline.

“By offering accessible, evidence-based opportunities to build healthy habits, we help students build a more balanced and fulfilling college experience,” Bethel Asomaning, The Good Life Center’s 2025-2026 Director of Programming, tells Spiritune.

A Flexible Tool for Students

Starting this academic year, The Good Life Center is offering students a free subscription to Spiritune’s music library. This new offering comes on the heels of scientific research showing that music can be uniquely therapeutic for adolescents—providing an avenue to manage emotions, ease anxiety, and build self-confidence.

“By giving students a simple yet effective way to regulate their mood and enhance focus, this partnership advances our mission of making well-being a more frequent practice,” says Asomaning.

Here’s how it works: Using a customized link, students can sign up for a free Spiritune subscription with their school email address. Once enrolled, they receive full access to Spiritune’s music library and all customization features, allowing them to tailor the experience to their current needs and wellness goals. So far, over 100 students have downloaded the app and put it to use to sharpen focus before study sessions, calm the mind before sleep, and more.

Only a few months into the school year, early student feedback has been encouraging. “Many have shared that Spiritune has noticeably improved their ability to concentrate and manage stress while studying,” Asomaning says. 

Students appreciate the app’s flexibility and accessibility, too. Since its tracks can be played to meet the demands of any time of day—morning, afternoon, or evening—it’s a helpful companion from the dorm room to the library. Its customized music arrangements can also guide students through a number of emotions—from sadness to stress to boredom—quickly and effectively.  

“Spiritune’s scientific foundation, combined with its accessibility and usability, makes it a helpful tool for students as they integrate wellness into their rest, work, and daily rhythms of life,” Asomaning says.  

Music Medicine for a New Generation

We’re thrilled to see how our partnership with Yale is equipping young adults to more effectively manage their mental health. 

“Spiritune leverages a tool that young adults are already engaging with daily: music! The early results from Yale show how the app can help students in a low-stigma, intuitive way,” says Jamie Pabst, Spiritune Founder and CEO. “For us, this partnership reinforces a core mission: to make evidence-based musical support easy to use, widely accessible, and part of how the next generation takes care of their mental health.”

Like what you're reading? Sign up for Spiritune’s newsletter to get a monthly music therapy download straight to your inbox.