With scientific breakthroughs happening all the time, music is certainly not left out. Studies about music and its effects have been conducted for a long time, and we’re constantly learning new things. Here are just a few studies that have made interesting musical discoveries.
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Is Our Enjoyment Genetic?
A study from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, published in April 2025, posited that there could be a potential link between genetics and our enjoyment of music. Researchers studied both identical and fraternal twins to test their theories.
Essentially, the research found that the ability to derive pleasure from music can be inherited, at least in part. There is apparently a distinct music reward sensitivity distinct from general reward sensitivity, which is influenced by genetics. Additionally, different elements of enjoyment were influenced by different genetic pathways.
Essentially, enjoyment partially comes from our genes. The goal of the study was “to understand whether genetic differences between individuals can result in differences in the pleasure that people derive from music and what these differences can tell us about human musicality in general.”
Rats Will Bop Their Heads in Time to Music
For a long time, scientists thought nodding your head along to music was strictly a human behavior. However, a study done at the University of Tokyo in 2022 found that rats exhibit the same behavior.
“Rats displayed innate—that is, without any training or prior exposure to music—beat synchronization most distinctly within 120-140 bpm, to which humans also exhibit the clearest beat synchronization,” the paper stated.
The research team had two theories. Either beat synchronization was tied to the time constant in the body. Or, it was tied to the time constant in the brain. The time constant is the measure of the time that it takes a system to respond to changes. In this case, the time constant in the body differs across species; it is much faster in rats than it is in humans.
However, the time constant in the brain is relatively the same across species. This led to the discovery that beat synchronization is dependent on the brain’s time constant. As the first study of innate beat synchronization in animals, the research reveals interesting insights into how music affects the brain and body.
How Music Affects Retail Employees
Music is often played in stores for the benefit of the atmosphere and customers. But have you ever thought about how it affects the people working in those stores? Often, popular music will play in larger stores where the employees have no control over the playlist. Imagine being forced to listen to Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran all day for weeks.
According to a study done at Ohio State University in April 2025, music can affect work attitudes. “Music that doesn’t fit what an employee needs to feel energized, manage emotions, and focus on tasks can have a real negative impact,” the study posits.
The study asked two groups of employees to rate their need for four aspects of music: volume, speed, complexity, and emotional intensity. They were then given two playlists to listen to while they did a creative task. One playlist was upbeat and loud, while the other was slower and quieter.
People who listened to music that was outside of what they needed to focus on found themselves with decreased energy, cognitive function, and overall pleasant feelings. Essentially, the right music can be important for productivity, mood, and efficacy at work.
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