Britons turn to albums to boost their mental well-being according to a study commissioned by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) as part of National Album Day on 12th October 2019. The results, reported on the BPI website showed that ‘millions of stressed Britons are turning to their music collections to help them de-stress.’
The key results indicate a strong link between listening to albums and mental well-being with respondents overwhelmingly agreeing that album listening is a source of comfort. The results were announced ahead of World Mental Health Day (10th October) and join a number of initiatives such as the publication of a mental health guide by The Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) to support and improve mental well-being by the music industry.
Key findings from the report show that music fans are ‘self-medicating’ with their favourite albums and that listening to an album is more effective than taking exercise or watching TV when it comes to improving mood and mental well-being.
The research supports this year’s #DontSkip theme to National Album Day, which encourages fans to listen to albums in full and also serves to highlight the well-being and mental health benefits of album listening as a form of musical mindfulness.
| Mental Benefits of listening to albums | |||
| Agree | Disagree | Net positive | |
| Listening to albums helps me relax | 82.9% | 2.7% | 80.2% |
| Listening to albums can make me feel better if I’m feeling a bit down | 76.4% | 3.5% | 72.9% |
| Listening to my favourite albums is a source of comfort | 74.3% | 5.3% | 69.0% |
| I often listen to my favourite albums when I feel as though I am in need of a bit of a lift | 64.7% | 9.1% | 55.6% |
Source: Entertainment Retailers Association. Based on a survey of 2019 adults conducted by Fly Research in August 2019
Author & Academic Dr Julia Jones (aka Dr Rock) said: “We’ve been aware of the scientific evidence regarding the positive effects of music on the brain and body for decades. We also know that taking “time out” of our hectic schedules is essential to maintain our well-being. So the album offers a perfect recipe for delivering the cocktail of neurochemical and physiological benefits, while also ensuring we enjoy an extended break. It’s an experience with a built-in stopwatch so there’s no need for clock watching. We can just sit back and enjoy the effects. The album is a particularly effective intervention at night when we’re approaching bedtime. Sleep has been identified as an absolutely critical factor in wellbeing and listening to a low tempo relaxing album can help get us into ‘sleep mode’ and increase the likelihood of a solid 8 hours of rest and recovery. For that reason alone we should all be switching off the TV and listening to an album before bed every night.”
Listening to an album right through is more likely to improve your mood than gardening, taking exercise, having a nap or watching TV, suggests the report. Album listening comes just behind comfort-eating and is neck-and-neck with reading as a source of wellbeing, it says.
| Which of the following helps improve your mood and mental well-being? | |
| Activity | Helps a lot |
| Eating your favourite food | 37.1% |
| Reading a book, magazine or newspaper | 34.8% |
| Listening to an album | 34.4% |
| Doing some exercise | 33.4% |
| Watching a film | 29.6% |
| Watching TV | 28.0% |
| Gardening | 23.7% |
| Taking a nap | 25.5% |
Source: ERA. As above
Other findings from the report
- Nearly 60% of people agree that listening to albums is “to listen to the artist’s music in the way that they intended”;
- Nearly half of people agree that listening to albums is the best way to connect with an artist and their music;
- Listening to music in album-form is narrowly agreed to be more satisfying than listening to a mixture of music on a playlist;
- Three times more people agree than disagree that listening to albums is more satisfying than listening to the radio.
| Album listening is more satisfying than listening to radio | |||
| Agree | Disagree | Net positive | |
| I find listening to albums more satisfying than listening to the radio | 47.6% | 15.2% | 32.4% |
| I find listening to albums more satisfying than listening to a mixture of music on a playlist | 31.1% | 28.6% | 2.5% |
| Listening to albums is the best way to connect with an artist and their music | 49.3% | 12.3% | 37.0% |
| Listening to albums is to listen to the artist’s music in the way that they intended | 59.7% | 7.2% | 52.5% |
Source: ERA. As above
ERA CEO Kim Bayley, “National Album Day is fundamentally a celebration of the cultural impact of the album. What is striking about this research is it’s a potent reminder that album listening can also have psychological benefits too. We tend to regard listening to music purely as entertainment, but at a time when there are real concerns about stress levels and mental health, this research indicates that British music fans are effectively self-medicating with their favourite albums.”
