Apple Music is diving deeper into the intersection of sound and well-being, launching a new feature called Sound Therapy in an exclusive collaboration with Universal Music Group. This isn’t just another curated playlist; it’s a calculated move aiming to leverage the familiar power of popular music and fuse it with precise audio science, promising listeners new avenues for focus, relaxation, and improved sleep.
The core idea here is taking songs people already know and embedding them with specific sound waves designed to subtly influence brain states without losing the original artistic essence.
Developed in partnership with UMG’s music-wellness venture, Sollos, Sound Therapy leans on the principles of psychoacoustics and cognitive science. This initiative by Sollos, based in London, has transformed well-known tracks from UMG’s extensive roster into extended, instrumental versions.
Producers, scientists, and audio engineers at Sollos have painstakingly crafted these new renditions, integrating special sound waves like auditory beats or colored noise, which are essentially sound waves varying in intensity across different frequencies. These aren’t random additions; they are specifically chosen to encourage desired mental responses.
The collection is segmented into three categories: Focus, Relax, and Sleep, each tailored with distinct audio enhancements. For those needing to concentrate, the Focus category incorporates gamma auditory beats combined with white noise, that familiar whoosh encompassing all sound frequencies.
Shifting towards winding down, the Relax group utilizes theta auditory beats. And for listeners seeking deeper rest, the Sleep category blends delta waves with pink noise, a gentler, rain-like variation of white noise, designed to aid the transition into sleep. This targeted approach provides a sonic toolset for managing daily mental states.
Sound Therapy features reimagined versions of popular songs from artists such as Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, Kacey Musgraves, Ludovico Einaudi, AURORA, Jhené Aiko, Chelsea Cutler, and Jeremy Zucker. Imagine a dreamy, instrumental take on Katy Perry’s “Double Rainbow” specifically engineered to help you drift off, or an Imagine Dragons track reworked to boost concentration.
The goal, according to Apple and UMG, is to support overall well-being and enhance daily routines through sound, though they are careful to note it is not intended as a medical treatment.
