Sonic Science 2.0: How audio affects listeners physically

Marion Boeri

Biometric research by Spotify into the impact of digital audio on listeners’ bodies and minds.

Audio provokes intense feelings. We know this from personal experience as we tune into the same podcast every week, get excited about our favourite band’s new album, or get through a breakup by binging the same song for two weeks straight.

Last year, we launched our first volume of Sonic Science, which focused on understanding your brain on sound. We looked at how Spotify’s deep levels of personalisation and interactivity make it a highly engaging, emotionally provoking and memorable medium — more so than TV, digital video and social media.

We found that listening to audio activates key parts of...

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