Listening to 24 minutes of the right music has been found to significantly reduce anxiety.
As a result, music therapy is being touted as part of a treatment plan for people seeking immediate stress relief.
The Toronto Metropolitan University study used auditory beat stimulation (ABS) to explore special sound patterns that helped the brain to relax.
“For people that don’t have the access to traditional therapy and medications, this is a nice alternative,” researcher Danielle Mullen said.
“Some medications can take weeks to start having a positive effect. Music is an affordable option that can be used as part of a treatment plan when individuals are looking for immediate relief.”
Study participants listened to different-length playlists.
The music was designed to match how the listener felt at the beginning of the session, then gradually shift them toward feeling calm.
The results cleared showed that music with ABS “reliably reduced both mental and physical signs of anxiety”.
“What we’re seeing is a dose–response pattern where about 24 minutes of music with ABS seems to be the sweet spot,” TMU psychology professor Frank Russo said.
“It’s long enough to meaningfully shift anxiety levels, but not so long that listeners need to carve out a large block of time.”
Investigating the dose-response relationship between music and anxiety reduction: A randomized clinical trial was published in PLOS Mental Health on January 21, 2026.
The full study report is here.
