Sounds Good! #29 // Universal Music Group, James Cook University, Spiritune, MedRhythms, Music for Pets
A weekly email on music, health and technology
Hello friends!
Welcome to issue #29 of Sounds Good! - a weekly roundup on the intersection of music, health and technology:
Billboard ran a comprehensive review of investment in future music technology ventures, and highlighted Universal Music Group’s backing of startups in the health and wellness sector including Endel and Music Health.
New research by the James Cook University in Australia found that people who focus deeply on music (as opposed to passive listening accompanying other activities) can elicit strong emotional reactions - which could have therapeutic benefits. The paper can be found here.
Jamie Pabst, founder of music wellness app Spiritune, is profiled in this article - covering the history of the company and some plans for the future. “Realizing the potential for music therapy and music streaming to combine in a way that allows people to access music-based mental health support anytime, anywhere, I turned to some of the leading academics, such as Dr. Oliver Sacks, whose work had inspired me, to form a clinical knowledge base that could underpin a digital therapeutic music intervention”.
MedRhythms (another startup which has partnered with Universal Music) released its ‘InTandem’ product last week and is available on prescription for at-home use in the US. InTandem uses music to help stroke patients improve walking and movement.
Manchester-based Music for Pets is included in this roundup of companies who are tackling dog anxiety. The article references a 2015 study by the University of Glasgow which found playing classical music in rehoming centres helped dogs relax.
Until next week!
Rob