<p>According to the article <a href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/Addiction-to-Music-Has-Biochemical-Basis-179952.shtml" rel="noreferrer">&quot;Addiction to Music Has Biochemical Basis&quot; on Softpedia News</a> by Tudor Vieru, which reports on findings by Robert Zatorre and Valorie Salimpoor (<a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f818/f3a9db17e3defb250a0c00ff64b4c4631376.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Salimpoor &amp; Zatorre, 2013</a>), who both hold appointments as neuroscientists at the McGill University:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>&quot;listening to music you like also triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in underlying pleasurable reactions caused by food, drugs and arousal before intercourse&quot;</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;The chemical has been linked in a variety of studies with mechanisms underlying addiction in humans, and it would appear that it also plays a role in the way people feel when listening to their favorite tunes.&quot;</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;Dopamine is important because it makes us want to repeat behaviors. It’s the reason why addictions exist, whether positive or negative,”</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;the euphoric ‘highs’ from music are neurochemically reinforced by our brain so we keep coming back to them. It’s like drugs. It works on the same system as cocaine,&quot;</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;It’s working on the same systems of addiction, which explain why we’re willing to spend so much time and money trying to achieve musical experiences,&quot;</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h2>References</h2>
<p>Salimpoor, V. N., &amp; Zatorre, R. J. (2013). Neural interactions that give rise to musical pleasure. <em>Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 7</em>(1), 62–75. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031819" rel="noreferrer">10.1037/a0031819</a> Free PDF available at: <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f818/f3a9db17e3defb250a0c00ff64b4c4631376.pdf" rel="noreferrer">https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f818/f3a9db17e3defb250a0c00ff64b4c4631376.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-02-26T08:58:53.910Z
2019-12-18T16:03:46.437Z
2020-06-17T09:55:31.633Z
Yvonne Liew
<p>As playing games for a prolonged period, tend to develop a addictive behavior in humans, Is there any possibility for addiction to music?</p>

<p><em>I.e.</em>, when a person listens to certain list of songs and gets addicted to it, without which the person finds the day boring (or emotionally disturbed)?</p>

<cognitive-psychology><cognitive-neuroscience><music><addiction>
Can music be addictive?
Snazzy Sanoj
# Can music be addictive?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-02-18)

As playing games for a prolonged period, tend to develop a addictive behavior in humans, Is there any possibility for addiction to music?

*I.e.*, when a person listens to certain list of songs and gets addicted to it, without which the person finds the day boring (or emotionally disturbed)?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, cognitive-neuroscience, music, addiction


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-02-26. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

According to the article ["Addiction to Music Has Biochemical Basis" on Softpedia News](http://news.softpedia.com/news/Addiction-to-Music-Has-Biochemical-Basis-179952.shtml) by Tudor Vieru, which reports on findings by Robert Zatorre and Valorie Salimpoor ([Salimpoor & Zatorre, 2013](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f818/f3a9db17e3defb250a0c00ff64b4c4631376.pdf)), who both hold appointments as neuroscientists at the McGill University:

1. "listening to music you like also triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in underlying pleasurable reactions caused by food, drugs and arousal before intercourse"
2. "The chemical has been linked in a variety of studies with mechanisms underlying addiction in humans, and it would appear that it also plays a role in the way people feel when listening to their favorite tunes."
3. "Dopamine is important because it makes us want to repeat behaviors. It’s the reason why addictions exist, whether positive or negative,”
4. "the euphoric ‘highs’ from music are neurochemically reinforced by our brain so we keep coming back to them. It’s like drugs. It works on the same system as cocaine,"
5. "It’s working on the same systems of addiction, which explain why we’re willing to spend so much time and money trying to achieve musical experiences,"

## References

Salimpoor, V. N., & Zatorre, R. J. (2013). Neural interactions that give rise to musical pleasure. *Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 7*(1), 62–75. [10.1037/a0031819](https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031819) Free PDF available at: <https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f818/f3a9db17e3defb250a0c00ff64b4c4631376.pdf>


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