Lift your spirits by listening to music today; pioneering report shows how music alters our emotional responses

• 58% of people across Europe report feeling lower than ever before during the pandemic, with 72% of people recognising that music has helped them through a difficult time
• The report uncovers the relationship between Emotion vs. Music: led by Dr David Lewis of Mindlab International and reveals the power of sound, with music acting as a mood regulation tool that can aid wellbeing
• The findings have been brought to life in two beautifully compelling videos; experiment for yourself to see how you feel after watching them. Watch as the body reacts to music – powered by Sony’s MHC-V83D High Power Audio Speaker – with the science of Cymatics demonstrating how omni-directional soundwaves influence paint, sand and liquid to the beat in an erratic but mesmerising way
• With 85% of people across Europe having seen their mood affected by music (from instilling happiness and excitement to feelings of nostalgia and sadness), to test this out the second video shows the powerful influence and effect lower tempo music can have

A ground-breaking report has uncovered the astounding ways in which music impacts our everyday lives, as well as the ways it affects us physically and psychologically more than we know.

Scientific studies have proven that music can be a mood regulation tool, with tempo significantly altering our emotional response. Major and minor tones can take something from uplifting to melancholy.

Dr David Lewis at Mindlab International, said: “Sad music can help us through tough times. The most intense emotional responses, whether of happiness or sadness, were found to occur when one tune contrasts emotionally with that heard immediately before it. The next time you want to be uplifted and re-energised by music, create a musical sandwich. Play a song that saddens you right before one that makes you cheerful, positive and optimistic. That way the power of the uplifting track will prove even more impactful”.

Music is also a powerful cue that can restore, often vividly, long-forgotten emotional experiences, with 88% of those polled across Europe admitting they have a memory where music has played a significant role.

It can affect how our mind works but equally the ways in which we behave and respond to those around us.

On average, we listen to over 285 hours of music a year (12 full days), giving it a unique power to brighten our lives during these difficult times. With 80% of people saying they want to listen to more music, knowing it has benefits to both our physical and mental wellbeing.

Informed by research from Dr David Lewis, Sony has created two new visual representations of how powerful music can impact us physically and emotionally. Powered by Sony’s new High-Power Audio speakers, the MHC-V83D and MHC-V73D the videos portray the ways in which high and low tempo music, coupled with the speakers omnidirectional sound and lighting features, effects our bodies and the objects around us.

Experiment for yourself; put the power of music to the test to see what emotions it evokes for you…

• Watch the video with a slower tempo music track first, which should evoke more melancholic feelings with Tails by Jack Chown, The Music Lab
• Then re-energise with a song that has a faster tempo that should evoke happiness; brought to life by Gutenmorgen from Jack Chown, The Music Lab

Top 10 effects music has on us

Dr David Lewis looked at the effect music has on our bodies, minds and emotions^[1], from increasing our memory function, heartbeat and pupil dilation to triggering teardrops, inducing sleep and instilling happiness.

1.Tears

2.Increase memory function

3.Happiness

4.Slow down, relax or speed up heart rate

5.Affect our actions

6.Create friendships and relationships, and even shape one’s identity

7.Create a ‘curing’ effect

8.Help induce sleep

9.Cause your spine to tingle and make hair stand on end

10.Pupil dilation and trigger ‘fight or flight’

Angela de Klein, Senior Product Planning & Marketing Manager at Sony Video & Sound Europe said: “We can all think back to a moment in our lives where music has played an integral role; it evokes feelings and memories, taking us on a journey.”

“2020 has been a tough year for us all, we wanted to create this report and video to demonstrate how powerful music is, inspiring more people to use it as a tool for positivity in their lives. Our range of High Power Audio speakers bring the power of sound out loud and clear, perfect for those wanting to enjoy listening to music together.”

Sony’s two exciting new models in its High-Power Audio Systems range, the MHC-V83D and MHC-V73D, have been designed to expand choices for party lovers and families with omnidirectional sound and lighting, portable design and ultimate party entertainment.

Notes to editors

About the report

The report has combined the work of Dr David Lewis of Mindlab International, Warwick University with commentary from industry professions across Europe and market research company, One Poll, who conducted survey / data research across Europe. The statistics within the report are a collective of 3,000 respondents across three territories – UK, Germany and Hungary.

About the Power of Sound short film

This was brought to life by Greatcoat Films production company. Directed by Klaas Diersmann with Cinematography by JP Garcia and Executive Producer Sandra Spethmann.

About Sony HAS-V Series:

Sony has introduced two exciting new models to its High-Power Audio Systems range with the MHC-V83D and MHC-V73D, expanding choices for party lovers and families with omnidirectional sound and lighting, portable design and ultimate party entertainment.

The speakers feature Omnidirectional Sound, Omnidirectional Party Lights, Karaoke, Mic and Guitar input and can be controlled from the palm of your hand with the Fiestable app.

• The MHC-V83D model will be priced at approximately £700 / €770 and will be available from October 2020.
• The MHC-V73D model will be priced at approximately £590 / €650 and will be available from October 2020.

For further information on the HAS-V Series, please follow the link here

Top 10 Reactions to Music – for the mind, body, emotions

Music affects how our body and mind work but equally how we behave and respond to those around us. Here are ten most frequent reactions produced:

1. Tears– Music is a powerful cue that restores, often vividly, long forgotten emotional experiences into awareness. Filmgoers frequently comment on how it’s only when the music starts in an emotional film that tears start to flow.
2. Increasing memory function – Research has shown the emotions evoked by music can strongly affect our ability to pay attention, think efficiently, recall accurately, exercise sound judgement, solve problems and make decisions.
3. Happiness – Music provides a way to forget unwanted thoughts and disagreeable feelings and makes it easier to talk about those feelings. It can help create a warm and welcoming atmosphere and make people happier.
4. Heart rate; slowing it down to relax or speeding it up – Music can either help people relax and unwind or feel more energetic and action orientated. It has been shown to have a powerful effect on our heart rate, slowing it down for relaxation or speeding it up for action. It can also raise or lower blood-pressure, speed up or slow the rate of breathing and affect the skin’s ability to conduct electricity! A measure of stimulation or relaxation.
5. Music can affect our actions – Music greatly influences the way we evaluate what is happening around us in terms of its importance to our well-being and goal attainment. Charles Gulas and associate professor of marketing at Wright State University and Charles Schewe, Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan found that baby-boomers were more likely to buy things when classic rock was being played despite the fact that two thirds of them were unable to say what music had been playing while they were shopping.
6. It creates friendships and relationships; and an identity in some ways – Among the young in particular, listening to music in groups is one of the main way’s friendships are formed. Music also establishes a recursive relationship with society in terms of identity.
7. It can have a ‘curing’ effect – Recent research into the way music affects the brain has revealed a powerful effect over the nervous system. The fundamental acoustical characteristics of music are interpreted by regions in the base of the brain to signal potentially important and urgent events.
8. It can help us fall asleep – For example, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has been proven to be effective at helping restless infants fall asleep.
9. It can cause your spine to tingle and make hair stand on end – Known as ‘frissons’, the sensation arises when music stimulates the brain’s powerful but primitive reward system. A flood of the pleasure chemical dopamine is released, generating feelings of intense happiness and excitement. In this way, music has exactly the same effects as gambling, munching a sugary snack or having great sex. On the other hand, the amygdala in the brain is responsible for feelings of fear and responds uniquely to sombre music. When stimulated this can make hair stand on end.
10. It can make your pupils dilate and trigger ‘fight or flight’ – When music strikes all the right notes, it sends your entire body into overdrive. Heart rate increases, pupils dilate, and blood is redirected into the legs as a brain region known as the cerebellum is activated. This forms part of what is called the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. An instinctive response which has evolved to ready us for action, to start fighting or to runway. When we can do neither (both options are frowned upon in concert halls or at pop festivals), the intensity of feelings produced are interpreted as being caused by excitement and pleasure.

[1] Full list in Notes to Editors with descriptions of the Top 10

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is responsible for the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) business in the Sony Group. With the vision of “continuing to deliver Kando and Anshin* to people and society across the world through the pursuit of technology and new challenges,” Sony will create products and services in areas such as home entertainment & sound, imaging, and mobile communications.

For more information, visit: www.sony.net

* Both Japanese words, Kando means emotion and Anshin has various meanings such as peace of mind, reassurance, reliability and trust.

About Sony Europe B.V.

Sony Europe B.V. is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation and is headquartered in UK. We drive Sony’s leading Entertainment, Technology & Services business for consumer and professional markets, as well as Imaging & Sensing Solutions business across Europe. From R&D and engineering, design, to sales, marketing, distribution and customer service, we work to deliver Sony’s purpose to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.

For more information, visit: www.sony.eu/presscentre