Listening to Favorite Music Activates the Brain’s Opioid System, Study Shows

A new neuroimaging study from the Turku PET Centre in Finland has found that listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system. The findings offer direct evidence that music stimulates the same brain mechanisms involved in other pleasurable experiences, such as eating or sexual activity.

Brain’s Pleasure Response Triggered by Music

Researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the release of endogenous opioids—naturally occurring chemicals that contribute to feelings of pleasure—as participants listened to music they personally found enjoyable. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was also used to assess how the density of opioid receptors affected patterns of brain activation during music listening.

The study found that music triggered the release of opioids in several brain regions linked to the experience of pleasure. Participants who reported experiencing “chills”—a strong emotional or physical reaction to music—also showed higher levels of opioid activity. Additionally, individuals with a greater number of opioid receptors showed stronger brain responses during music listening.

Potential Implications for Pain and Mental Health

According to the research team, this is the first study to demonstrate directly that music can activate the brain’s opioid system. While music is not a reward necessary for survival, such as food or reproduction, it appears to engage the same chemical pathways, which may explain its powerful emotional effects.

The findings may also shed light on music’s previously observed ability to relieve pain. Since the opioid system plays a known role in pain regulation, researchers suggest that music-induced opioid activity could underlie some of these effects.

The study adds to current knowledge about how the brain processes pleasure and could inform future music-based interventions in areas such as pain management or the treatment of mental health disorders.

The research was funded by the Research Council of Finland and was published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine on April 4, 2025.