It’s official. There is now a playlist for literally everything. Spotify recently released a Pet Playlist generator that takes into account your pet’s personality and your music tastes to create a personalized playlist.
Studies show that music can help humans study better, sleep more soundly, cope with stress, and more. There’s even research on the connection between your music tastes with your personality traits.
But just because music is beneficial to humans, does that automatically mean the same for our pets?
Does your doggo have refined musical tastes?
The science behind pet playlists
Music affects the brain, both for humans and pets. Studies show that specific types of music can have certain effects on animals. For example, in a study performed by Dr. Kogan from Colorado State College of Veterinary Medicine, classical music was proven to calm shelter dogs while metal music agitated dogs (I knew I was a dog person for a reason).
Generally speaking, songs with 50-60 BMP (beats per minute) is considered a relaxing tempo for dogs. Musical genres that typically have songs in this range include reggae, soft rock, and classical music. But there are songs across almost every musical genre that fall within this range.
🎧 Need some playlist inspiration? Try these:
- Boom Clap by Charli XCX
- Just Give Me a Reason by P!nk (ft. Nate Ruess)
- I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys
Of course, dogs aren’t going to be affected by the emotional lyrics of your favorite power ballad, but the tempo can definitely impact your dog’s mood.
How did this happen?
To create their Pet Playlist Generator, Spotify consulted with musicologist David Teie, a cellist with America’s National Symphony Orchestra, who pioneered species-specific music and composed two albums of Music for Cats.
Getting started with Spotify's playlist generator
Though Spotify’s FAQ page does admit that “music for pets isn’t an exact science,” Teie did help the Spotify team create a pet-specific algorithm. It takes the general likes and dislikes of certain types of animals into account when crafting a playlist of music that fits your musical tastes.
Will a pet playlist keep my pet calm while I’m gone?
More than one study completed over the past decade has established a definite link between music and the behavior of animals. If you are nervous about leaving your dog alone during the day, a pet playlist may help keep them calm and stimulated while you’re away.
Just make sure that you are mindful of the beats per minute for the songs in your playlist. Unfortunately, your pup may not find Lizzo’s Truth Hurts to be as much of a bop as you do since it’s at 88 beats per minute, which can be agitating to dogs.
👉Test out this pet playlist fad yourself at Spotify.com/pets.
