Dopamine is your brain’s way of telling you when it enjoys something. You’ve probably heard about dopamine in the media, but what exactly is dopamine, and how does music affect it?

First off, what even is Dopamine? Dopamine is a chemical messenger in your brain that helps control feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward. When something makes you feel good, like eating your favorite food, winning a game, or listening to music, your brain releases dopamine.

Music can create feelings of euphoria (intense happiness) and cravings similar to other rewards that involve your brain’s dopamine system, especially in a part called the striatum. Scientists in this study (link here!) used a special brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET) along with measures of nervous system activity to study this. They found that when people experience strong emotions listening to music, dopamine is released in the striatum, which means music triggers intense pleasure in the brain.

Even just anticipating listening to music can also cause dopamine release, but in a different part of the brain. So even before the music starts, your brain can be getting ready to feel pleasure, making you want to listen to it even more. 

Humans naturally seek out complex and enjoyable experiences because they cause dopamine release. One study(link here! ) tested this by directly changing dopamine levels in people while they listened to music. In this experiment, participants were given either:

• Levodopa (a drug that increases dopamine),
  
• Risperidone (which blocks dopamine),
  
• Or a placebo (a harmless pill with no effect).
  

When participants took levodopa, their enjoyment of the music and motivation to keep listening increased. When they took risperidone, their pleasure and motivation decreased. This shows that dopamine plays a clear role in how much we enjoy music and want to listen to more.

Listening to music means your brain is following a series of sounds over time. Humans are great at recognizing patterns, so your brain predicts what note or rhythm might come next. This sense of anticipation is linked to dopamine release.

Several brain areas work together during music listening. This study(link here!) shows how music listening works in your brain, and why it releases dopamine. The midbrain dopamine neurons signal possible rewards (like the next note), and the superior temporal cortex (including the primary and secondary auditory areas) processes sounds such as pitch and rhythm. Because of this, your brain can get into a cycle where it anticipates and enjoys each note, leading to repeated dopamine release and making you want to keep listening.

Now you know why listening to music feels so good. Dopamine release in your brain is a key part of that happiness, and music helps stimulate it. So next time you get chills or feel energized from your favorite song, just remember, it’s your brain’s reward system at work!