Apple Music launches Sound Therapy, a new ‘audio wellness’ feature

Apple has announced a new Apple Music offering in partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG): Sound Therapy is a unique new feature designed to “help listeners attain clearer focus, deeper relaxation, and better sleep.”

Sound Therapy remixes familiar songs in Apple Music to boost focus, relaxation, and sleep

Here’s how Apple describes its new Sound Therapy feature:

Available exclusively on Apple Music, Sound Therapy blends songs subscribers already know and love with special sound waves designed to enhance users’ daily routines, while retaining the artist’s original vision. Backed by scientific research and powered by UMG’s proprietary audio technologies, Sound Therapy harnesses the power of sound waves, psychoacoustics, and cognitive science to help listeners relax or focus the mind.

You can access three different Sound Therapy playlists inside the Music app:

• Sound Therapy: Focus
• Sound Therapy: Relax
• Sound Therapy: Sleep

Sound Therapy songs may be “enhanced with auditory beats or colored noise to help encourage specific brain responses.”

Apple shares a couple examples:

• “Gamma waves and white noise—a whoosh-like combination of every sound frequency—may help with focusing”
• “Theta waves could aid in relaxation; and delta waves and pink noise—a deeper, gentler variation akin to rain or wind—might assist in achieving better sleep”

This new feature follows the debut last week of a new Viral playlist that uses global Shazam data to help you stay aware of trending songs every day.

Sound Therapy requires an active Apple Music subscription, which starts at $5.99 for students and $10.99 for individuals.

Best iPhone accessories

• AirPods Pro 2 (now only $199, down from $249)
• MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
• HomeKit smart plug 4-pack
• 10-year AirTag battery case 2-pack
• 100W USB-C power adapter for fast charging