Does listening to music enhance cognitive performance?

Who benefits most from listening to music?

People with cognitive impairments or neurological conditions show the clearest gains. In a 2024 randomized trial, stroke patients with cognitive impairment who listened to personalized music for three months improved their Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores significantly more than a control group listening to white noise—especially in delayed recall (memory) and orientation [2]. A 2025 study in children with epilepsy found that six months of daily listening to Mozart or Bach improved memory, attention, processing speed, verbal fluency, and abstract thinking, with no change in perceptual reasoning or executive function [3]. For older adults with subjective cognitive decline (a risk factor for Alzheimer's), a 2018 pilot study found that 12 minutes per day of either meditation or music listening for three months led to marked improvements in both subjective memory and objective cognitive performance (e.g., Trail-Making Test, Digit-Symbol Substitution), with gains maintained at six months [5]. A 2021 follow-up confirmed that a simple 12-week music listening program improved subjective memory functioning compared to an enhanced usual care group [11].

Even in healthy older adults without dementia, active music therapy (singing, rhythmic instruments, movement) for ten weeks reduced depressive symptoms and improved sleep and daily-life competence, though cognitive performance remained stable [8]. For healthy young adults, the evidence is weaker: a 2019 study found no effect of 15 minutes of self-selected music on verbal creativity (fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration) compared to walking or sitting quietly [10]. However, a 2022 study in musicians showed that reading music scores temporarily improved Stroop test performance (a measure of cognitive control) and increased blood flow in the middle cerebral artery [4].

How much can music improve cognitive performance?

The size of the benefit varies, but some studies report medium to large effects. In the 2024 stroke trial, the music group's MoCA scores were significantly higher than controls (p=0.027), with specific gains in delayed recall (p=0.019) and orientation (p=0.023) [2]. In the 2018 meditation and music study for subjective cognitive decline, effect sizes ranged from medium (Digit-Symbol Substitution Test in the music group) to large (Trail-Making Test and Memory Functioning Questionnaire in both groups) [5]. A 2023 study in schizophrenia patients found that adding music therapy (6-8 sessions of 45 minutes) to standard medication significantly improved cognitive function (MoCA) at four weeks, especially in visuospatial skills, attention, and abstraction, compared to medication alone [7].

For sleep—which indirectly affects cognition—a 2022 Cochrane review of 13 studies (1,007 participants) found moderate-certainty evidence that listening to music daily for 25-60 minutes improved subjective sleep quality on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index by about 2.8 points (on a 0-21 scale), which is roughly a one-standard-deviation improvement [6]. Better sleep is linked to better daytime cognitive function, though the review found no clear effect on insomnia severity or objective sleep measures [6].

What kind of music works best, and when does it not help?

The type of music matters a lot. A 2025 study on sheep—a surprising but rigorous test of spatial cognition—found that one piece ("Annie's Wonderland" at 55 dB) improved spatial reversal learning and reduced stress (lower cortisol), while another piece ("Days of Youth Waltz" at the same volume) made sheep more restless and impaired their performance [1]. This suggests that music's effect is not just about 'music in general' but about specific acoustic features. In humans, personalized music (chosen by the listener based on cultural background and preferences) seems especially effective for stroke recovery [2]. Classical music by Mozart and Bach has shown benefits in epilepsy [3] and in combination with brain stimulation (tDCS) for situation awareness [12]. Active music-making (singing, playing instruments) may offer additional cognitive benefits over passive listening: a 2023 study in older adults found that piano training for 8-12 weeks improved inhibition (a key executive function) more than music listening instruction alone, likely due to the higher cognitive load of bimanual coordination [9].

However, music does not always help. A 2019 study found no effect of self-selected music on creative thinking in young adults [10]. A 2025 study in older adults without dementia found that active music therapy improved mood and sleep but did not change cognitive test scores [8]. And for people with insomnia, while music improved subjective sleep quality, it did not improve objective sleep measures (e.g., actigraphy) [6]. So the benefit is real but context-dependent: it works best for specific cognitive domains (memory, attention, processing speed) in people with existing cognitive challenges, and the right music choice is critical.

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