A recent study has found that the color and type of indoor lighting can significantly affect how people experience music. The research, conducted by a team from three universities, suggests that concert venues, health-care facilities, and homeowners may want to rethink their lighting choices to enhance musical enjoyment.
“Some performance halls and auditoriums are already using color-changing LED systems during their programs, but most don’t really know which colors are most effective for shaping different emotional responses as there is no scientific evidence,” said Jae Yong Suk, associate professor in the Department of Design and director of the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis. “Our study helps give them a clearer direction, so lighting choices can be more intentional and emotionally supportive rather than just aesthetic.” Suk has previously led research on how lighting affects stress and anxiety.
The lead author of the study, Dongwoo (Jason) Yeom from Clemson University, noted that these findings could also benefit well-being and mood regulation in long-term care settings. The study was published in November in Lighting Design & Application.
Researchers examined how different lighting conditions influenced listeners’ perceptions when exposed to happy or sad music. Participants listened to popular music pieces under blue, cool white, red, and warm white lights. Happy music received the highest positive ratings with warm white lights and the lowest with blue lights. In contrast, sad music was rated lowest under red light but highest under blue light—a result that surprised researchers given previous studies linking blue light to stimulation and alertness.
Cool-white lighting was generally considered visually acceptable but was seen as least fitting for happy music. The results suggest that neutral or cooler-toned lighting may not emotionally match upbeat music.
The authors believe these insights could help create environments where lighting enhances emotional experiences during musical activities. Co-authors include Kristina Knowles from Arizona State University’s School of Music and Seonghyuk Son, a Ph.D. candidate at Clemson University.
