Warner Music Group has partnered with British health tech startup MediMusic to explore the potential of music as a therapeutic tool.
The collaboration, which marks the record label’s first music therapy deal, aims to harness the power of music to ease pain, anxiety and stress through clinical trials of personalized playlists, according to a press release last week (December 13).
The partnership builds on the growing intersection of the music and health sectors. While music’s emotional impact has been long recognized, MediMusic utilizes AI and machine learning to create evidence-based playlists tailored to individual patient needs.
Their algorithms analyze music’s ‘digital DNA,’ creating a healthcare-specific fingerprint, to curate 20-minute personalized tracks, delivered through the MediBeat streaming device and a pair of headphones.
The running order of playlists curated by MediBeat is designed to reduce heart rate and stress hormones, such as cortisol, while promoting relaxation through the release of hormones like dopamine and oxytocin. MediMusic monitors physiological responses in real-time via a wrist heart rate monitor.
If a song does not evoke the desired effect, MediBeat’s ‘Digital Drip’ technology swaps out tracks using AI to ensure optimal relaxation. Additionally, MediMusic provides healthcare professionals with key performance indicators (KPIs) showing the service’s benefits and potential cost savings by reducing medication reliance.
Through its collaboration with Warner Music, MediMusic will carry out research testing in closed randomized controlled trials across the US and UK. The trials involve delivering curated playlists from WMG’s music catalog to diverse patient and sample groups, closely monitoring real-time responses.
“Together with MediMusic, we’re thrilled to explore the transformative healing power of music in their ‘music as medicine’ trials — we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible.”
Michael Baines, Warner Music Group
Commencing in the first quarter of 2024, the partnership aims to expand its trials to hospitals and care homes.
Early trials have shown promising results. In UK National Health Service trials with dementia patients, MediMusic reduced heart rate by 25%.
MediMusic says it is applicable in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, care homes, and dental surgeries. MediMusic has already been tested in UK care homes, including at Orchard Court Care Home in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, benefiting its 29 residents.
WMG sees the partnership with MediMusic as a natural progression, building on existing deals with fitness giants like Equinox, Peloton and Apple Fitness+. In October, WMG unit Spinnin’ Records partnered with Berlin-headquartered Endel Sound, an AI sound developer known for its wellness music app, Endel, to create 50 AI-generated wellness albums.
“At WMG, we are focused on finding new ways for our artists and music to be used for good, to benefit society, and to empower an ecosystem of partners with similar goals,” said Michael Baines, VP, Digital Strategy and Business Development, WMG.
“Together with MediMusic, we’re thrilled to explore the transformative healing power of music in their ‘music as medicine’ trials — we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible.”
“Together with WMG’s catalog of music, we can gather more data to improve our technology so that music can be used as medicine to help people around the world.”
Gary Jones, MediMusic
MediMusic Co-Founder and CEO Gary Jones said, “This partnership with WMG is hugely important in helping us on our global mission to prescribe music and medicine to ease anxiety, pain and stress.”
“We’ve always known music is good for our soul. But there are thousands of medical papers and studies that prove music can also improve our health. Together with WMG’s catalog of music, we can gather more data to improve our technology so that music can be used as medicine to help people around the world.”
WMG rival Universal Music Group has already been making strides in the healthcare and wellness sector. In 2020, UMG’s Australian unit partnered with Australia-born licensed AI music therapy startup Muru Music Health, which claims to be the first music streaming service for o people over the age of 60.
Last year, UMG was named as the exclusive launch partner for Vera, an AI-driven music app developed and launched by Music Health for the care of people with dementia. In May, it also teamed up with Endel to create AI-powered, artist-driven functional music.
In September of this year, the company launched a music-centric wellness app called Sollos in partnership with Thrive Global, a wellness firm founded by media veteran Arianna Huffington. Most recently in November, Universal Music hosted an event in the UK for two initiatives to support people living with dementia through music.
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