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Nijmegen, Netherlands – A new international study has revealed that our enjoyment of music is partly influenced by our genes. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and their collaborators have discovered genetic factors that contribute to the degree of pleasure individuals derive from music, independent of general reward sensitivity or musical ability.
The study, published in Nature Communications, explored the biological basis of music enjoyment, a trait deeply intertwined with human emotion, social bonding, and cultural expression. The research team, led by Ph.D. candidate Giacomo Bignardi, aimed to understand if genetic differences between individuals could explain the variations in musical pleasure.
“The answer to this big question has the potential to open a window into more general aspects of the human mind, such as how experiences become pleasurable,” Bignardi explained. “We wanted to understand whether genetic differences between individuals can result in differences in the pleasure that people derive from music and what these differences can tell us about human musicality in general.”
To investigate this, the researchers employed a twin study design, comparing similarities between identical and fraternal twins. By analyzing data from over 9,000 twins, the team assessed self-reported music reward and general reward sensitivity, as well as the ability to perceive musical features.
The results demonstrated that the ability to experience pleasure from music is indeed partly heritable. The researchers estimated that 54% of the variability in music enjoyment within the Swedish sample could be attributed to genetic differences.
Furthermore, the study found that genetic influences on music reward sensitivity were partly distinct from general reward sensitivity and musical perception abilities. Different genetic pathways were shown to influence various facets of music enjoyment, including emotion regulation, dancing, and collaborative music-making.
“These findings suggest a complex picture in which partly distinct DNA differences contribute to different aspects of music enjoyment,” Bignardi concluded.
The researchers believe that future studies focusing on identifying specific genomic regions associated with music enjoyment could provide deeper insights into the human musical faculty, a topic that intrigued even Charles Darwin.
“Future research looking at which part of the genome contributes the most to the human ability to enjoy music has the potential to shed light on the human faculty that baffled Darwin the most, and which still baffles us today,” Bignardi stated.
Disclaimer: It is important to remember that while the study found a genetic link to music enjoyment, it does not mean that genes are the sole determinant. Environmental and cultural factors also play significant roles in shaping an individual’s musical preferences and experiences. This research opens up new avenues for understanding the complex interplay between genetics and human musicality, but further studies are needed to fully elucidate these connections.(
More information: Giacomo Bignardi et al, Twin modelling reveals partly distinct genetic pathways to music enjoyment, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58123-8
