Universal Music Group and Apple Music Unveil Sound Therapy: A Revolution in Audio Wellness
In a groundbreaking partnership, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Apple Music have announced the launch of Sound Therapy, an innovative audio wellness collection aimed at enhancing listeners’ focus, relaxation, and sleep quality. This collaboration fuses the expertise of UMG’s global music superstars with cognitive science principles, creating a unique auditory experience that blends beloved tracks with subtle sound enhancements.
A Strategic Initiative for Wellbeing
For UMG, elevating music’s influence in promoting health and wellbeing has been a strategic focus. Michael Nash, UMG’s Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, emphasized the potential of music as a commercial opportunity and a passion project for the company’s leadership. "Apple’s leadership at the intersection of health and technology makes Sound Therapy a significant validation of our Sollos initiative," Nash stated. Sollos, a pioneering venture within UMG, seeks to explore the use of music as a tool for wellness.
Rachel Newman, co-head of Apple Music, echoed the excitement, highlighting the strong engagement Apple Music receives daily through mood playlists and the Apple Music Chill radio station. "Sound Therapy represents a new frontier in listening experiences, combining artistry and innovation to support wellness," Newman remarked.
The Science Behind Sound Therapy
Available exclusively on Apple Music, Sound Therapy integrates familiar songs with special sound waves to enhance daily routines while preserving the artists’ original artistic vision. This initiative is backed by scientific research and powered by UMG’s proprietary audio technologies, drawing on principles of psychoacoustics and cognitive science to help listeners relax, focus, or sleep better.
The collection was developed by a team of producers, scientists, and audio engineers at Sollos, based in UMG’s London offices. It features extended, instrumental, and reimagined versions of popular tracks by artists such as Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Ludovico Einaudi, AURORA, Jhené Aiko, Chelsea Cutler, and Jeremy Zucker, offering a premium listening experience.
Categories of Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy is divided into three main categories: Focus, Relax, and Sleep. Each category employs specific auditory techniques to elicit desired mental and physical responses.
- Focus: This category is designed to boost cognitive performance and concentration. It utilizes gamma auditory beats and white noise, a sound that incorporates every frequency, to help mask distractions and maintain focus.
- Relax: To help listeners unwind, the Relax category uses theta auditory beats. These beats are known to encourage relaxation by slowing down brainwave activity, providing a sense of calm and tranquility.
- Sleep: The Sleep category aims to promote deeper sleep with delta auditory beats and pink noise, which resembles natural sounds like rain or wind. These sounds are gentle and soothing, helping listeners drift into restful sleep.
Complementing Existing Apple Music Offerings
The introduction of Sound Therapy coincides with the launch of the Apple Music Chill radio station, a soothing sanctuary offering a continuous flow of relaxing music and mindful moments. This station is designed to provide listeners with a space to find calm throughout their day, with curated programming from renowned tastemakers like Brian Eno, Stephan Moccio, and Zane Lowe.
Apple’s Commitment to Health and Wellness
Apple’s dedication to health and wellness is evident through its various offerings, including the Apple Watch, HealthKit, and Apple Fitness+. This commitment extends to Sound Therapy, as Apple collaborates with Sollos and UMG to establish scientific evidence supporting the use of music and audio for wellbeing, making these benefits accessible to a global audience.
The Impact of Sound Therapy
The potential impact of Sound Therapy is vast, offering listeners a tool to enhance their mental and physical wellbeing through music. With scientific backing and artistic excellence, this collection represents a new way to experience music, beyond mere entertainment.
About Apple Music
Apple Music revolutionized how people experience music with innovations like the iPod and iTunes. Today, it boasts a catalog of over 100 million songs, expertly curated playlists, and original content from artists worldwide. Apple Music offers an unparalleled listening experience with features like Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, lossless audio, and time-synced lyrics. It is available in over 167 countries on various devices, providing ad-free access to a vast music library.
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group leads the world in music-based entertainment, with a diverse portfolio that includes recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content. UMG is committed to shaping culture through artistry, innovation, and entrepreneurship, fostering new services and platforms to broaden opportunities for artists and fans alike.
For more information on Sound Therapy and to experience its benefits, visit Apple Music’s website. For insights into Universal Music Group, visit universalmusic.com.
By transforming the way we interact with music, Sound Therapy represents a significant advancement in audio wellness, promising to enrich the lives of listeners worldwide. As music continues to evolve, initiatives like this highlight its potential to support mental and physical health, paving the way for a more harmonious future.
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