The Power of Music as Medicine for Wellness, Health, and Performance

As humans, we intuitively acknowledge the power of music to influence our wellbeing—we choose certain music to energize us, to calm us down, or to cheer us up. New research provides evidence for the healing power of music as medicine, including music for relaxation and sleep, music for pain relief, and music for focus.

Behind every favorite artist, song, or lyric, is a story you've never heard. Music is highly personal, and our experiences with it shape our memories, thoughts, and desires. So much goes into every note and lyric behind the scenes, which is why we’re bringing you Voices Behind the Music to share untold music business tales. Our guests range from artists, producers, and managers to tech creators and more, each sharing their unique past experiences, current projects, and visions for the future. Voices Behind The Music is presented by Feed Media Group, the leading B2B music licensing platform.

We believe deeply in the power of music to impact our lives in a variety of meaningful ways. So much so, in fact, that it’s the foundation of  Feed Media Group (FMG) and everything we’re building. While we intuitively know that music matters in exercise, as curators of exercise soundtracks for some of the world’s leading fitness brands, we are always working to better understand WHY. 

At 95 years old, the American jazz legend Tony Bennett - known for swinging hits like "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" and "The Best Is Yet To Come" - has been charming generations of listeners and audiences for close to seven whole decades, having recently shattered a Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person to release an album of new material. 

Today is #kidsmusicday, a day dedicated to keeping music education alive. The opportunity for children to learn about music doesn't just happen in schools, and unfortunately it is increasingly common that budget cuts limit or even eliminate music programs altogether. Every day is an opportunity to share the power of music with kids, both in formal and informal settings. 

Fitness and fitness tech experienced accelerated change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feed.fm, the platform powering music for workouts at home and in the gym, is providing fitness brands intel to help weather the storm. 

We're motivated by the power of music to impact experiences in ways big and small.  No surprise, we've written a lot on the subject and have always gravitated to the concept that "Music is Performance-Enhancing." While the claim may seem hyperbolic, it's no empty boast. Many groundbreaking research studies and neuroscientists have demonstrated the positive effect of music on one's mood, the impact of pairing music and fitness, and its power to impact neurological and physical recovery. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We know how it is: you WANTED to keep your 2021 fitness goals...but this year feels an AWFUL LOT like 2020 so far...and you’re having trouble motivating for that run, bike ride, yoga class, etc. (Yes, we ARE still talking about our New Year’s Resolutions, even in March.)

Music can bring about intense, measurable physiological changes. At Feed.fm, we talk a lot about music’s ability to get you through the tough parts of a workout through psychological and physiological stimulation. Because we are often focused on music’s impact on exercise, we tend to gravitate to its profound impact on endurance (music increases by 15%!) and perceived exertion (music decreases by 12%!). But we know that music also has the power to decrease arousal and bring heart rate, blood pressure and even body temperature down. For this post, I’ll be exploring the ability of music to down-regulate key body measurements and how it can help heal.

Well, friends, it looks like it’s going to be a long winter. Case counts in my county are up 120% in the last two weeks and we’re back to purple status. As we prepare to hunker down for the next few months, I have realized it will take all the tools in the toolbox to stay sane and maintain some peace of mind this winter. With a demanding job and a demanding (awesome!) 3 year old, it takes more presence and proactive measures to stay balanced than it ever has. I know my colleagues and others around the country are in the same stressful boat.