Music paired with beats may cut stress hormone more than twice as much as pink noise

A new randomized clinical trial from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) found that listening to just 24 minutes of personalized music paired with auditory beat stimulation (ABS) lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol more than twice as much as pink noise, a popular sound used for relaxation. Yet participants reported feeling equally calm after both.

The findings show that subjective and physiological measures can reveal different aspects of the response to an auditory intervention, highlighting the value of assessing both.

The paper, “Differing subjective and psychophysiological response patterns to a music-based auditory intervention for anxiety,” is published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology.

The research offers new insights into the potential of music-based technologies, from streamlining playlists to personalized audio, as accessible, nondrug approaches to managing anxiety and supporting emotional regulation.

Anxiety is particularly common among young adults and university students, many of whom face barriers to treatment, including cost, stigma and time commitments. As sounds like pink and brown noise become increasingly popular for relaxation, sleep and concentration, TMU researchers are looking beyond how people say they feel to better understand the body’s biological response to stress.

TMU psychology professor Frank A. Russo and his research team conducted the study with 83 undergraduate students who reported at least one recent symptom of generalized anxiety. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two listening conditions:

• Personalized music with ABS (24 minutes): Music tailored to each participant’s starting mood and gradually adjusted to encourage a calmer, more positive emotional state, paired with rhythmic auditory stimulation.
• Pink noise (24 minutes; control): A steady sound commonly used for relaxation, matched to the music for volume.

Researchers measured cortisol levels, brain activity, heart rate variability and self-reported anxiety and mood before and after listening.

Music and pink noise produced different stress responses

Results showed that while both listening conditions reduced self-reported anxiety and improved mood, researchers observed differences in how participants’ bodies responded.

• Cortisol levels fell in both groups, but the reduction was more than twice as large among participants who listened to personalized music, based on measurements taken 15 minutes after listening.
• Brain activity linked to emotional regulation moved in opposite directions, increasing slightly after music, but decreasing after pink noise.
• Self-reported anxiety, mood and heart rate variability improved similarly in both groups.

The results highlight the importance of measuring biological responses alongside self-reported experiences when evaluating sound-based approaches to stress management.

Researchers caution that the biological findings are preliminary, as differences in cortisol and brain activity were sensitive to how statistical outliers were handled. Further research is also needed to determine the individual contributions of personalized music and ABS.

Who’s behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries.

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Robert Egan

Bachelor’s in mathematical biology, Master’s in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language.

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