10 Benefits of Listening to Music

Almost everyone out there loves music in some way, shape or form. Some people live for classical pieces where others have a playlist full of 50s rock music. No matter what type of music that you like, there are always ways of listening to it. We live for live music because live music is a whole other way of appreciating the music that we love so much. We go to concerts because we like to see the other singers upfront. We go to the Opera because we love to appreciate instruments. Enjoyment goes far beyond the present moment, and the music we listen to directly influences the outcome of our cognitive function and hormones.

There are so many benefits listening to music, and whether you put your music from YT to MP3, or you prefer the scratchy original tone of a record player, there are plenty of benefits of listening in and paying attention to the music. Below, we have 10 benefits of listening to music. 

1. You will feel much happier. It’s the obvious reason to listen to music – you just like it! The chemical reasoning is actually quite incredible though, so if you’re ever in need of an emotional boost, all you need to do is listen to 15 minutes of music to get yourself a natural high. As the brain releases dopamine, you have increased feelings of happiness. Music gives you those feelings and it’s a wonderful thing to realize.
2. Listening to music helps you to perform better. Whether you are studying or exercising, you are able to perform much better day to day simply because you’re listening to the right music. Did you know that scientists have found that runners who listen to fast or slow motivational music have more stamina than runners who don’t listen to music at all? The key to enhance your running performance lies in your music choices. You could also choose to listen to a zombie sound with the volume up while you run but that sounds more terrifying than anything else!
3. You are going to decrease your stress levels when you listen to music. Music has a direct effect on your hormones and that’s a fact backed by science. If you are listening to music that you enjoy, you’ll decrease your cortisol levels and counteract the effects of stress. With stress being the cause of 60% of all diseases, low stress levels mean higher chances of overall well-being. Whether it’s natural instruments or listening to your favorite house music, you’re going to lower your stress and do much better for your health as a result.
4. You’re going to improve your sleep. It may sound counter-productive to listen to music to help you get off to sleep at night, but the soothing music helps to elevate your brain and make you feel more relaxed which helps you to go to sleep faster. Given that over 30% of Americans suffer from insomnia, anything that could help you get back to sleep at night works. If music is going to be the answer then why not switch it on? An audiobook, meditation music, even a little Beethoven can help you before bed when you are in need of a good night’s sleep.
5. You’re going to reduce your depression. As you know, music has a direct effect on your hormones. It can’t even be considered a natural antidepressant due to the fact that some tunes can release serotonin and dopamine together. These are neurotransmitters in the brain that are going to lead to increased feelings of happiness and overall well-being. It could also release norepinephrine and that’s a hormone that invokes feelings of euphoria. Given the difficulties of depression around the world, if music can help, why not give it a try?

6. You’re going to eat less. If you’re struggling with your weight or you’re looking to get fitter, music can actually help you to eat less food and enjoy the food you are eating. Whatever the music is doing to the brain helps you to slow down and appreciate every muscle. Maybe that’s why they play music in restaurants?
7. You’ll be less stressed when you drive. If music is a natural stress reliever, and driving makes you feel stressed, it stands to reason that you’ll feel less stressed when you have music playing while you drive. There’s nothing wrong with blasting some fun music while you’re driving and having your very own highway concert, but make sure that you’re being safe while you drive at the same time.
8. You can strengthen your learning. There are some people out there that can only study in total silence, but there are others who studied really well and passed exams while they listen to music at the same time. Of course, it’s unlikely that they will be listening to hard-core rap while they study. There are plenty of playlists that you can find online that incorporate study music which is more soothing tones and melodies. Musicians can actually learn better with neutral music but there are some others that prefer to listen to positive music.
9. You can increase your verbal intelligence. Did you know that children between the ages of four and six have increased verbal intelligence if they just take a month of music lessons? Music teaches voice, melody, pitch and rhythm, and music training can have a transfer effect that increases your child’s ability to comprehend words. Musical trained adult women and children often outperform others with my music training on verbal memory tests.
10. Music office improved academic performance. There has been plenty of research to suggest that taking music lessons can predetermine high academic performance and IQ scores in children. Even adults who take music lessons are often able to recall information much more easily, which is also very helpful during times of exam. Music could be the reason that people do well in their classes, even in college.

There are endless benefits to listening to music – these are just 10!