By Con Raso, managing director at Tuned Global
AI and biometric data are turning music into a measurable clinical intervention, attracting major label interest and creating new licensing challenges
Music therapy has gained recognition as a valuable tool in healthcare, offering tangible benefits for mental, emotional and physical well-being.
AI is now adding a clinical dimension to that potential, turning music from a general wellness aid into a targeted, measurable intervention.
According to a survey by British Startup MediMusic, 42 per cent of Brits are self-medicating with music for anxiety reduction, 70 per cent listen to music to boost their mood, 60 per cent would use a music service if prescribed by the NHS to improve mental health and reduce anxiety, and nearly one-in-six use music to take their mind off physical pain.
Interestingly, 60 per cent surveyed say they’d consider paying for a service using music if scientific or academic studies show that it improves mental health and reduces anxiety, and 39 per cent would use the music service to replace medication.
In response to people using music as a means to improve their wellbeing, a growing number of companies are applying AI and biometric data to music in clinical settings.
The sector sits at the intersection of neuroscience, music licensing and health technology, and has attracted attention from major labels, streaming infrastructure providers and healthcare systems.
Among the companies looking to make a difference are Endel, which creates personalised soundscapes for stress reduction and sleep, Biomedical Music Solutions, whose medical-grade sound therapy for gait improvement is now used in over 22 countries, Matchplus.ai, a sensor-based AI solution that detects early signs of agitation and delivers personalised music interventions for people with dementia and other cognitive conditions, and MediMusic, the aforementioned startup that curates music via an AI system that dynamically builds playlists based on physiological response.
MediMusic has worked with Tuned Global, a data-driven music cloud platform, since 2022, which has supported the medtech startup with its music streaming technology expertise.
MediMusic partnered with Warner Music Group to explore music as a therapeutic tool in care homes and hospitals in the U.K. and U.S., with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group also signing on with the startup and its “music as medicine” concept.
The involvement of all three major labels signals growing industry interest in therapeutic applications of music, and a recognition that clinical environments represent a new monetisation surface beyond traditional DSPs.
Medtech is one of several emerging verticals where licensed music is being embedded into environments beyond traditional streaming.
Gaming, children’s platforms and niche cultural ecosystems are developing along similar lines, each creating new monetisation surfaces where music becomes part of a broader experience rather than a standalone destination.
Practical applications are already generating results.
Biomedical Music Solutions has achieved measurable success in enhancing patient mobility across 22 countries by fine-tuning sounds to specific rhythms and tones.
Meanwhile, Endel’s adaptive soundscapes have shown results in stress, anxiety and sleep disorder management.
Different parts of the brain handle various musical elements: rhythm impacts movement, tone influences emotional processing, and tempo helps with spatial awareness.
Music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other stimulus, engaging the amygdala, the hippocampus and auditory cortex, areas responsible for memory, emotion and sensory processing.
Using this knowledge, music therapists are developing soundscapes designed to specifically target these brain functions, effectively shaping mood and behaviour in targeted ways.
This foundation underpins the efficacy of music in helping patients manage pain, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and even improve mobility, as shown in recent breakthroughs in dementia and gait therapy.
How dispensing ‘music as medicine’ works in the age of AI
Different parts of the brain handle various musical elements. Rhythm affects movement, tone influences emotional processing, and tempo helps with spatial awareness.
Music stimulates more areas of the brain than any other stimulus, engaging the amygdala, hippocampus and auditory cortex, regions responsible for memory, emotion and sensory processing.
This understanding underpins the clinical work now underway in dementia care, gait therapy, pain management and anxiety reduction.
Several companies are taking different approaches to the same underlying science.
Endel’s position is that conventional “focus” or “sleep” playlists on streaming services have minimal science behind them.
Its AI-driven soundscapes adapt to each user’s environment and physiology, working with the body’s natural sleep phases rather than relying on static track lists.
The platform’s approach has been validated by peer-reviewed studies following a collaboration with psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Biomedical Music Solutions takes a different path, using proprietary sound compositions rather than commercial music.
The company says this approach avoids inadvertently triggering traumatic memories or overstimulation.
MatchPlus.ai, founded by Professor Felicity Baker at the University of Melbourne, uses wearables to develop algorithms that predict behavioural episodes in dementia patients, including wandering, falls risk and agitation, before they occur.
Baker says the system can give carers five to 15 minutes of advance warning.
“We’re using wearables to actually develop algorithms that can predict when someone is going to start wandering or is going to get up and have a fall or hit another resident in the nursing home,” she said.
Baker said using AI to preempt when to use music was one challenge, but sequencing, selecting the right type of music and accounting for the specific symptoms of individual dementia patients created further layers of complexity the team continues to work through.
MediMusic’s approach uses commercial music rather than custom compositions. It uses fingerprinting algorithms to mimic the brain’s response to individual music tracks.
A personalised playlist is then generated to produce a positive physiological and emotional response.
Gary Jones, CEO and co-founder of MediMusic, has said the system goes beyond passive listening.
“We’re dispensing music in a way that changes heart rate variability, reduces cortisol and encourages the release of dopamine, all measurable biomarkers,” he said.
An optional heart rate monitor takes the experience further. An AI-driven “Digital Drip” analyses the patient’s physiological response to the music tracks.
The system identifies the ideal response and swaps out tracks to return the patient’s heart rate to its optimal pace.
Digital Drip then uses the data for future sessions via machine learning to refine its playlist creation.
The companies discussed here represent a fraction of a growing field, with others approaching the same underlying science from different angles and for different care settings.
For example, MedRhythms, founded out of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, develops prescription digital therapeutics using rhythmic auditory stimulation for stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
LUCID, based in Toronto, uses Emotion AI and facial mapping to personalise music for older adults facing anxiety, depression and agitation, with a clinical pipeline targeting Alzheimer’s disease.
Coro Health has served hospitals and senior living communities since 2009, and a UC Davis randomised controlled trial found its MusicFirst platform reduced depression and agitation in dementia patients by up to 54 per cent.
Spiritune sits closer to the consumer end, delivering personalised soundscapes for stress, anxiety, focus and sleep, and was found four times more effective at reducing negative emotional states than a standard deep focus playlist in a study with NYU’s Music and Auditory Research Lab.
Con Raso, CEO of Tuned Global, has worked with medtech companies on music backend and streaming infrastructure since 2022. He views clinical music delivery as an infrastructure challenge as much as a scientific one.
“For music to function like a drug, it needs precision in how it’s selected, delivered and measured. That’s where technology plays a critical role,” he said.
Raso sees broader implications for how care is delivered.
“When we talk about using music to ease pain, improve sleep or reduce stress, we’re talking about interventions that can be integrated into people’s lives without friction.
“And if we can build the systems around that, to deliver it securely, personally and ethically, then music becomes part of how we live better and feel better,” he said.
“It also matters for the music industry and the artists who are working hard to make a living. This gives them other pathways than just having their music played on DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music,” he said.
The oft-overlooked licensing layer
For medtech companies building music-based therapies, clinical validation is only part of the challenge.
The music industry operates under its own regulatory framework, covering rights management, royalty reporting, content delivery and territorial licensing.
Most medtech founders have limited experience with any of it, and the two industries have almost no natural overlap.
If an AI-driven therapy platform delivers an unlicensed track in a clinical setting, it risks lawsuits and can undermine the entire programme.
Music licensing involves both master rights, held by record labels, and publishing rights, which protect songwriters and composers.
Each requires separate agreements, often with different entities.
For platforms like these to function at scale, the backend infrastructure is as important as the clinical science.
Rights clearance, fingerprinting technologies and accurate metadata systems are all required for music to operate reliably across health devices and clinical environments.
Companies that succeed in this space tend to engage licensing specialists early in development rather than treating music as a final integration step.
Building the licensing and compliance infrastructure takes as much time as building the medical device or the science behind it. Starting those conversations late can cost months of significant budget.
Platforms like Tuned Global help bridge this gap by providing backend technology, catalogue access across more than 190 million tracks with metadata such as BPM, genre and release date, and established label relationships that give startups credibility when approaching rights holders.
MediMusic faced the high costs associated with clinical trials, a challenge common to startups in the space.
These experiences reflect a broader pattern where regulatory barriers and licensing complexity slow adoption, even as interest from tech companies, research institutes and healthcare providers grows.
Catalogue selection is another practical consideration in therapy.
“While a back catalogue might be suitable for dementia patients, it could be problematic for those with PTSD,” Raso said.
“Catalogue filtering is key. Biofeedback and real-time data loops can also be employed to identify the impact of music on patients and adjust it accordingly.”
As more companies investigate therapeutic applications of sound,
This is enabling music to be personalised around therapeutic goals rather than listener preferences alone.
About Tuned Global
Tuned Global is the data-driven music cloud platform that empowers businesses to integrate commercial music into their apps and launch complete streaming experiences using advanced APIs, real-time analytics, licensing solutions, rights management systems, Ai-enabled music discovery, and customisable white-label streaming apps.
Our turnkey solutions for music, audio, and video — coupled with advanced AI capabilities and a broad ecosystem of third-party music tech integrations — make us the most comprehensive platform for powering any digital music project.
We streamline complexities in licensing, rights management, and content delivery, enabling rapid innovation and bringing new ideas to life.
Since 2011, we’ve supported 40+ companies in 70+ countries — across telecom, gaming, fitness, health, media, aviation, and more — to deliver innovative music experiences faster and more cost-effectively.
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