Listening to music is good for your health is the conclusion of a study commissioned by Deezer which established a ‘Recommended Daily Allowance’ (RDA) for music. The study conducted by the British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) looked at how different music styles affect our mental and physical well-being and concluded that we should listen to music for at least 78 minutes a day.
The global study of over 7500 people looked at the relationship between music and our mental and physical well-being by studying various factors including styles, mood and genre. The conclusions were that whatever your preferred choice of music, in order to feel the emotional benefits of different music styles you need to listen, on average to:
- 14 minutes of uplifting music (user’s choice) to feel happy (18% of your musical RDA)
- 16 minutes of calming music (user’s choice) to feel relaxed (20.5% of your music RDA)
- 16 minutes of music (user’s choice) to overcome sadness (20.5% of your music RDA)
- 15 minutes of motivating music (user’s choice) to aid concentration (19% of your music RDA)
- 17 minutes of music (user’s choice) to help manage anger (22% of your music RDA)
The study analysed how people use music to process emotions. Relaxation was the most common emotional benefit (90%), followed by happiness (82%) as well as overcoming sadness (47%). A further third (32%) of participants used music to help them concentrate, while over a quarter (28%) deal with anger through their tunes.
The study found that on average, people should listen to music for 11 minutes to enjoy its therapeutic benefits. The only exception was happiness – participants reported feeling happier within just five minutes of listening to joyful tunes. Participants also reported feeling more satisfied with life (86%), having more energy (89%) and laughing more (65%) after listening to ‘feel-good’ songs.
The best musical genres to achieve maximum therapeutic benefits were also revealed. Pop music was highlighted as the most effective in inducing happiness (25%), with ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams revealed as the most popular song to listen to. Classical music created a state of relaxation (28%), with respondents saying Beethoven’s ‘Fifth Symphony’ is the best song choice for a calm state of mind. Interestingly, rock was also effective in bringing calm to participants, with 18% feeling relaxed after 16 minutes of listening to Rock music.
Participants reported feeling peaceful and contented (92%), having reduced muscle tension (79%) and sleeping better (82%) when listening to relaxing songs. According to experts from BAST, a slow tempo is the driving factor in aiding relaxation, due to how we process sound in the brain through the entrainment principle. The rhythm and patterns in music influence patterns within the biological system, regulating brainwaves, heart rate and neurochemistry.
A third of respondents (28%) reported that Rock music helps in processing feelings of anger, with ‘Highway to Hell’ by ACDC revealed as the top song choice to listen to. However, this was followed closely by classical music (17%), with Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’ also making the list of top ten songs to combat anger.
The study showed that while a third (31%) of us prefer music with a fast tempo when feeling angry, another third favour slow-tempo tunes. This difference comes down to our genetic make-up. Rousing music can increase heart rate, blood pressure and emotional response, which for some listeners can help them make process their angry emotions. However, for others, it can be a barrier to overcoming them.
Participants reported that listening to music to process anger helped the issue melt away (81%), feel less likely to get angry at new things that arise (88%) and feel more able to deal with life’s challenges (92%).
Deezer has created five bespoke playlists based on the results in order to help users get their musical RDA. The playlists feature the recommended breakdown of different music styles and genres, and is available to download on the Deezer’s ‘Your Daily Music Dose’ Channel Deezer here.
Deezer connects 14 million monthly active users around the world to 56 million tracks and is available in over 180 countries worldwide. Deezer is the only music streaming service with Flow, the unique mix of all your old favourites and new recommendations in one ever-changing stream. The streaming service has good device support including smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, home sound system, connected car or smart TV.
