Effects of preferred music listening on physical and psychological parameters in sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression

TL;DR

Listening to preferred music during exercise improves motivation, reduces perceived effort, and enhances physical performance in athletes.

Contribution

This study provides a comprehensive meta-analysis and meta-regression on the effects of preferred music listening in sports performance.

Findings

Preferred music listening significantly reduces perceived exertion and increases motivation and positive affect.

Preferred music listening improves strength endurance, maximal strength, and power output.

Non-preferred music listening shows slight benefits over no music for some parameters but not for speed or aerobic endurance.

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined the effects of preferred music listening (PML) versus non-preferred music listening (NPML) and no music listening (NML) on psychological and physical performance outcomes in adolescent and adult athletes.

A systematic literature search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, and MEDLINE. After screening 3146 records and applying predefined eligibility criteria, 41 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Data were synthesized for psychological parameters (perceived exertion, motivation, affective response) and physical parameters (strength endurance, power output, maximal strength, aerobic endurance, speed). Meta-regression analyses were performed to identify potential moderating effects of age, sex, music choice, and timing.

Statistically significant overall effects favoring PML were found for psychological outcomes, including a reduction in perceived exertion (SMD = − 0.36, 95% CI [− 0.65, − 0.08]), an increase in motivation (SMD = 0.85, 95% CI [0.60, 1.10]), and a more positive affective response (SMD = 1.16, 95% CI [0.13, 2.20]). For physical outcomes, significant between-condition differences were observed for strength endurance (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI [0.42, 1.01]), maximal strength (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI [0.20, 0.85]), and power output (SMD = 0.47, 95% CI [0.12, 0.81]), however subgroup comparisons with NPML were less consistent due to high heterogeneity. NPML showed slightly higher values than NML in some psychological and physical parameters, while no advantage was observed for speed or aerobic endurance.

PML was associated with higher motivation, more positive affective responses, lower perceived exertion, and superior strength- and power-related performance compared to non-preferred and no music conditions. These findings reflect between-condition comparisons and emphasize the importance of individual preference in optimizing exercise experiences.

PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251083551.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13102-025-01470-2.

• PML is associated with higher motivation, more positive affective responses, and lower perceived exertion compared to NML.

• PML improves strength endurance, maximal strength, and power output, showing clear benefits for physical performance.

• NPML is superior to NML for motivation, but shows no advantage for speed.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13102-025-01470-2.

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