Emerging evidenceGuidemusic therapy

What Is Music Therapy? How It Works and What the Research Shows

Music therapy is the clinical use of music with a trained therapist to support mood, stress, rehabilitation and coping. Here is how it works and what studies show.

AuthorGyfts Editorial Team

PublishedApril 19, 2025

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Reviewed by Gyfts Editorial Team · Editorial Health Review

March 13, 2026

Quick answer

Music therapy is the clinical use of music, within a relationship with a trained music therapist, to work toward goals such as easing stress, supporting mood or aiding rehabilitation. It can be active (making music) or receptive (listening). Reviews of randomized trials lean positive, especially for stress and anxiety, though certainty varies. It complements medical care and does not replace it.

Key Takeaways

•Music therapy is led by a trained music therapist and works toward goals you set together, which sets it apart from simply listening to music.
•Sessions can be active, such as singing or playing instruments, or receptive, such as listening and reflecting, and no musical skill is required.
•Reviews of randomized trials lean positive for stress and anxiety, though the certainty of the evidence varies and some findings are rated low.

Music therapy is the clinical use of music, within a relationship with a trained music therapist, to support emotional, physical and social wellbeing. It is for anyone curious about a structured, music-based way to work with stress, mood, rehabilitation or coping with illness, and no musical skill is needed. This guide explains what music therapy involves, where it comes from, what research has found and how to find a qualified practitioner.

What music therapy is and how it works

Music therapy is the planned use of music experiences to work toward goals that you and a therapist set together. Those goals might be easing stress, expressing feelings that are hard to put into words, practicing movement or speech after a stroke, or finding connection when conversation is difficult. The music is the medium, and the relationship with the therapist is part of the method.

Sessions usually draw on two broad approaches. In active work, you make music: singing, playing simple percussion or other instruments, improvising, or writing songs. In receptive work, you listen, often to music chosen for the session, and then relax, reflect or talk about what comes up. Your therapist assesses your needs, adapts the activities and watches how you respond.

Researchers separate music therapy from what they call music medicine, which mostly means listening to music offered by a healthcare professional. Music therapy is personally tailored and led by a trained and qualified music therapist. Proposed explanations for its effects include rhythm supporting movement timing, familiar music stirring memory and emotion, and slow, calm music helping the body settle. These are ideas researchers are still testing, not settled mechanisms.

Where music therapy comes from

People have used music for ritual, comfort and healing across many cultures for as long as records exist. Much of that is tradition and lore rather than documented clinical practice, and it is better understood as the cultural background of the field than as its evidence.

The modern profession is usually traced to the twentieth century, when musicians began playing for hospitalized veterans after the Second World War and clinicians noticed how people responded. University training programs followed, and music therapy developed into a recognized profession with its own education standards. In many countries today, music therapists complete a degree or equivalent training, and in the United States the board certification is called MT-BC.

What people use music therapy for

People explore music therapy for many reasons. Common ones include managing everyday stress and anxiety, supporting low mood, and finding a calmer way through medical settings such as procedures, hospital stays, labor and cancer care. Others come for rehabilitation, where rhythm and melody are used to practice walking, arm movement, speech or coordination after a stroke or other neurological injury.

Some people come because words are not enough. Children, people with communication difficulties and people working through grief or difficult experiences sometimes find sound and rhythm an easier way in than conversation. Music therapists also work in schools, care settings and community programs, so what is offered depends on where you live.

These are reasons people explore the practice, not promises of any outcome. You can browse the conditions people explore and symptoms hubs to see how music therapy sits alongside other approaches for the same concerns.

What the research says

Music therapy has a sizable research base, and the findings lean positive, but the certainty of the evidence varies a lot depending on what is being studied. A 2020 multilevel meta-analysis in Health Psychology Review pooled 47 studies with 2,747 participants and found a medium-to-large effect on stress-related outcomes. Effects were larger in non-randomized trials and waiting-list comparisons, so weaker designs may flatter the average.

A 2023 meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials with 1,803 people found lower pain and anxiety scores the day after surgery in groups given music, but no difference in satisfaction or nausea. A 2020 review of music therapy in labor reported lower pain and anxiety scores and rated its own evidence as low. A 2026 meta-analysis of 21 trials in stroke rehabilitation described music-based interventions as an add-on to conventional rehabilitation, with improvements in arm function, gait speed, balance and daily activities, and called for larger trials.

Overall, music therapy is better supported for stress and anxiety than for many other uses. Many trials are small, participants cannot easily be blinded, and listening interventions are sometimes pooled with therapist-led therapy, so the results are encouraging rather than conclusive.

Safety and who should check first

Music therapy is generally considered low risk when a trained therapist leads it. A 2024 meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials in intensive care units noted that no adverse events were reported in the included studies. The same review found that sessions longer than 45 minutes did not show a benefit, which is one reason session length is usually adapted to the person.

Music is powerful, and that cuts both ways. Songs can bring up strong emotions or memories, and loud sound can be uncomfortable for people with hearing difficulties or sound sensitivity. Tell your therapist about any hearing concerns, trauma history or sounds that distress you, so the session can be paced and adapted.

Check with your doctor first if you are managing a serious or worsening condition, are pregnant or are recovering from surgery.

Fitting it alongside everyday and conventional care

Music therapy is best understood as complementary. In the studies described above, music was typically offered alongside usual care, such as standard stroke rehabilitation or hospital care, and not instead of it. That is how most seekers use it too: as extra support for stress, mood or recovery while their regular care continues.

If you are already seeing a doctor or therapist, tell them you are trying music therapy. Many music therapists work as part of care teams in hospitals and rehabilitation centers and are used to coordinating. Music you enjoy on your own, such as a calming playlist, can complement therapy between sessions, though it is not the same thing as therapist-led work.

Finding a music therapy practitioner

Look for a practitioner with recognized training and credentials in your region, such as board certification in the United States, and ask about their experience with goals like yours. You can browse music therapy practitioners in the Gyfts directory, read the music therapy modality page, or explore related approaches. Cost varies by region and practitioner, so ask about fees and session length up front.

Evidence Context

Moderate

Music therapy has a sizable research base, and reviews of randomized trials lean positive, particularly for stress, anxiety and some rehabilitation outcomes. The certainty of that evidence varies: some reviews rate it low, trials are often small, and larger effects appear in less rigorous study designs. Studies of music listening and studies of therapist-led music therapy are not always separated, so results should be read with care.

Safety & Considerations

Music therapy is generally considered low risk when led by a trained music therapist, but music can bring up strong emotions or memories, and loud sound can be a problem for people with hearing or sound sensitivity. Tell your therapist about hearing difficulties, trauma history or anything that makes certain sounds distressing. Music therapy is complementary and does not replace medical or mental health care. If you are managing a serious or worsening condition, talk with your doctor before starting, and keep your usual care in place.

Who May Benefit

People looking for a creative, structured way to work with stress, worry or low mood
People in rehabilitation who want movement, speech or coordination practice built around music
People facing medical procedures or hospital stays who want a non-drug way to feel calmer
Anyone who finds it easier to express feelings through sound than through conversation

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need musical ability for music therapy?

No. Music therapy does not require musical skill or experience. Sessions are built around your goals, not your performance, and can involve listening, simple rhythm, voice or talking about music that matters to you. A trained music therapist adapts activities to what you can do and what you want to explore, so people who describe themselves as unmusical take part fully. What matters is your engagement with the music and the relationship with your therapist.

Is music therapy the same as listening to a playlist?

No. Listening to music you enjoy can be helpful, but music therapy involves a trained therapist who assesses your needs, chooses or adapts music experiences for your goals and responds to how you react. Researchers draw this line themselves, separating therapist-led music therapy from music medicine, which mostly means listening interventions offered by a healthcare professional. The two overlap, and some studies mix them, so it helps to check which one a study tested.

Is music therapy backed by research?

There is a sizable body of research, and it leans positive, but the certainty varies. A 2020 meta-analysis of 47 studies found a medium-to-large effect on stress-related outcomes, while a review of music therapy in labor rated its evidence as low. Benefits for stroke rehabilitation have been reported when music-based work is added to usual care. Larger, higher-quality trials are still needed, and results should not be read as a promise for any one person.

Can music therapy replace my medical care?

No. Music therapy is a complementary approach, meaning it is used alongside conventional care rather than instead of it. In the studies described here, music was typically added to usual care such as standard rehabilitation or hospital care. If you are managing a medical or mental health condition, keep your regular appointments and treatments, tell your clinicians you are trying music therapy, and ask your music therapist how they work with your care team.

About the author

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Gyfts Editorial Team, Edited by the Gyfts editorial team

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