Your Playlist Might Be Feeding You

Did you know that the music you listen to while eating might change how your food tastes or even what kind of food you crave?

Recent studies have found that different music genres can influence not only food preferences but also how we emotionally experience meals. Musical features like tempo, modality, and rhythm vary across genres, and these differences can evoke different emotional responses, ultimately shaping our perception of flavor.

Researchers typically focus on four music genres when studying this association: classical, jazz, rock/metal, and hip-hop. The factors impacting the classification of genres tend to vary, though researchers often categorize them by common stylistic elements.

Here's what multiple studies have found so far:

• Classical music is linked to a stronger preference for sweet foods.
  
  

• Rock/metal music is associated with a preference for salty foods.
  
  

• Jazz, classical, or hip-hop nudge people toward healthier, savory food choices compared to rock/metal.
  
  

• Classical music leads to a preference for both healthy and indulgent foods.

Different musical genres have also been shown to alter the perception of food currently on one's plate. Researchers have found that different elements in music could be perceived as sour, sweet, bitter, or salty, and exposure to these elements via song could affect listeners' cravings for similar taste characteristics as well as their perceptions of flavors. For example, listening to "sweet" musical elements could lead to foods tasting sweeter. This is true even for cucumbers, which have a lower sugar content than other foods. In a particular study in which participants were given different kinds of chocolate gelato to enjoy while listening to music, exposure to preferred music choices increased the pleasantness ratings of the gelato. 

Why does this happen?

This phenomenon is a result of crossmodal correspondences. These are associations between different sensory modalities, such as sound and taste. Researchers speculate that the emotional contrast evoked by the different music genre seems to play an important role in shaping our taste experience as well. In general, calm and positive emotions triggered by music, especially with jazz and classical music, were associated with more mindful and positive food choices. Among all genres, rock/metal music created the least calming experience. This perception of more intense or aggressive music may create higher arousal levels, steering listeners toward saltier or more stimulating foods. 

It turns out what’s on your playlist might be just as important as what’s on your plate.

References

Fiegel, A., Meullenent, J.F., Harrington, R.J., Humble, R., & Seo, H.S. (2014). Background music genre can modulate flavor pleasantness and overall 

impression of food stimuli. Appetite, 76, 144-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.079 

Guedes, D., Prada, M., Lamy, E., & Garrido, M. V. (2023). Sweet music influences sensory and hedonic perception of food products with varying sugar levels. Food 

Quality and Preference, 104, 104752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104752 

Jing, Y., Xu, Z., Pang, Y., Liu, X., Zhao, J., & Liu, Y. (2024). The neural correlates of food preference among music kinds. Foods, 13(7), 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071127   

Kantono, K., Hamid, N., Shepherd, D., Yoo, M.J.Y., Carr, B.T., & Grazioli, G. (2016). The effect of background music on food pleasantness ratings. 

Psychology of Music, 44(5), 1111-1125.  

Konukoski, M., Luomala, H., Mesz, B., Sigman, M., Trevisan, M., Rotola-Pukkila, M., & Hopia, A. I. (2015). Sweet and sour: music and taste association. Nutrition and Food Science, 45(3), 357-376. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/NFS-01-2015-0005 

Mesz, B., Trevisan, M. A., & Sigman, M. (2011). The taste of music. Perception, 40(2), 209-219.

Motoki, K., Takahashi, N., Velasco, C., & Spence, C. (2022). Is classical music sweeter than jazz? Crossmodal influences of background music and 

taste/flavour on healthy and indulgent food preferences. Food Quality and Preference, 96, 104380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104380 

Oxford University Press (2008). The Oxford new essential dictionary. New York, NY: The Berkley Publishing. 

Edited August 2025