Today, we are exposed to more music than we ever have been, thanks to the likes of Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, and other streaming platforms. We are bombarded with music in advertisements, films, and TV shows too.
In our cost of being a music superfan research, we discovered that a massive 90 percent of the world’s population listens to music!
Music has the power to influence the way we feel, think, and behave. It stirs our emotions. It can even help people with specific needs, for example, music can help dementia patients to tap into memories that words alone cannot reach.
The power of music is really quite astonishing, and in this post, we are going to explore why it means so much to so many people.
We never feel alone when listening to music
One of the great things about listening to music is that you never feel alone. There is a song for every sort of emotion you are feeling or situation you are experiencing.
Whether you are going through a breakup, at a crossroads regarding work, or you are in need of a confidence boost, there is a song that can give you the comfort you are looking for. Empowering feel-good tracks can get you ready to take on anything in life!
With music, you always have someone that understands you. If you feel like you do not have anyone to talk to about a certain subject, music can give you the help you are looking for.
The same can be said when going to music concerts and festivals. You are surrounded by people who love the same music as you. You enjoy special moments that live with you for the rest of your life, and that is something that really is quite incredible.
You can express yourself using music
A lot of people struggle to express themselves using the spoken word. In this case, music can provide an excellent outlet. Music is a great way for people to express their values and identity to others.
You can use music to show others that you belong to a specific social group, for example. It is part of who we are as people.
For example, if you are someone who enjoys listening to innovative music that is not often found on the popular charts, it can serve to communicate the belief that you are unconventional and creative.
Music activates areas of the reward system
Whether you are listening to your favourite album, watching a film on TV, or playing a slot game at Betway, music always adds to the experience.
The key reason why we all enjoy listening to music so much lies in your brain’s reward centre. Listening to pleasurable music activates various parts of the reward system. This is the same brain-chemical system that gives you feelings of pleasure from food and sex!
When a pattern is interrupted in some way, musical pleasure arises. Listeners encounter strong emotions when something happens that they were not expecting.
Nevertheless, not every person experiences an intense emotional response to music. Studies show that around two per cent of the general population do not experience chills. The term “musical anhedonia” is used to describe someone who is not capable of deriving pleasure specifically from music. However, this is clearly only a very small part of the population.
Music evokes feelings of nostalgia
In addition to the points that we have mentioned so far, another reason why music means so much to people is that it is one of the strongest ways to evoke feelings of nostalgia.
A deeply nostalgic emotional experience can be triggered when we listen to music that was played frequently during a significant life event.
The feeling does not come from the music itself. It comes from what the song reminds us of. For example, we can associate songs with feelings of sadness and pain because we link them to the loss of a loved one.
You can improve your physical performance with music
A lot of people use music to encourage themselves to work harder when working out. Research continually proves that music synced with repeated exercise movements enables you to train more efficiently and work out for a longer time period.
For instance, in one study, participants who cycled in time to music needed seven per cent less oxygen in comparison to those who cycled asynchronously.
In basic terms, music provides the temporal cues that have the ability to make more efficient use of physical energy within your body. With less oxygen needed, stamina is increased.
Music can help to regulate your emotions
A final reason why music means so much to a lot of people is that it regulates your emotions effectively. If you need to calm down and relax, you can listen to calming music that helps you to slow down your heart rate and release those feelings of anxiety.
If you feel like you need a push to do something in your life, there are songs that can help you to achieve that get-up-and-go that you are looking for.
Music is an excellent mood regulator. It is something that people rely on heavily. Therapists often recommend music therapy for many different situations, from patients with dementia to children who are experiencing learning difficulties.
Music means the world to so many people
So there you have it; some of the different reasons why music means so much to people all around the world.
Not only can music help you in terms of regulating your mood but it can help you to feel connected to others. You never feel alone. Whether music wraps its arms around you and gives you comfort or it empowers you to do something great, it is there for you when you need it the most, and that is why it means so much to all of us.
