This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Musical preferences generally develop throughout childhood and solidify in adolescence. Numerous factors contribute to musical preferences, including characteristics of the music itself, metainformation about the music and its creators, and the context in which the listener is exposed to it. Overall, music preference is largely a matter of chance, depending on the events, era, and environment of one’s life.

People have differing preferences regarding rhythm, and complex rhythms (as in Latin dance music) often are a strong deterrent or have a particular appeal. Some people have an antipathy to extremely high or low pitches and are thus unlikely to enjoy music featuring pitch extremes. Someone who uses music to regulate mood is unlikely to prefer pieces that feature a wide dynamic range. Timbre is an increasingly significant factor in music preference due to technological advances in music production and listening equipment, and if a listener associates a song, artist, or genre of music with negative experiences, emotions, or prejudices, they are unlikely to enjoy it. Listeners are more likely to enjoy music when the artist stands for something they believe in.