Apple Music and Universal Music Group (UMG) have launched Sound Therapy, a new audio series focused on wellness, offering listeners music designed to enhance focus, relaxation, and sleep. The collection is part of UMG’s Sollos initiative, a science-based project exploring the therapeutic potential of sound.
The Sound Therapy collection features reimagined versions of popular songs by artists including Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Ludovico Einaudi, Jhené Aiko, AURORA, Chelsea Cutler, and Jeremy Zucker. Tracks have been modified using auditory elements such as binaural beats, coloured noise, and wave frequencies—techniques drawn from psychoacoustics and cognitive science. These adjustments aim to support specific states of mind, such as improved concentration or rest.
The collection is split into three categories: Focus, Relax, and Sleep.
- Focus tracks incorporate gamma waves and white noise, which may aid concentration by reducing distractions.
- Relax uses theta wave patterns, often associated with meditative or calm states.
- Sleep features delta waves and pink noise, with natural sound textures like rainfall or wind, designed to encourage deeper rest.
According to Michael Nash, UMG’s EVP and Chief Digital Officer, music’s potential role in wellbeing has been an ongoing area of interest for the company. “The launch of Sound Therapy represents an important step in applying scientific approaches to the way music can support health and wellness,” he said.
Rachel Newman, co-head of Apple Music, noted the platform’s recent focus on mood-based playlists and programming like the new Apple Music Chill radio station. “Sound Therapy builds on that direction with a more intentional focus on wellbeing,” she said.
The project was developed in collaboration with producers, scientists, and audio engineers at Sollos, which operates out of UMG’s London offices. The aim is to continue refining the intersection of sound design and therapeutic application, while maintaining the creative integrity of the original recordings.
Apple and UMG have also indicated plans to expand research into the effectiveness of audio content for wellness outcomes, and explore accessible ways to share these benefits with a wider audience.
Sound Therapy is now available exclusively to Apple Music subscribers.
