Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What’s the worst song that’s ever lived rent-free in your head? 🎶🧠
You know the feeling… you’re brushing your teeth, minding your business, and suddenly your brain starts blasting a random tune on loop. Welcome to the world of earworms!
But they’re more than just annoying. Researchers at the Royal Northern College of Music have been exploring how our brains respond to music - and it turns out live music hits differently.
When people watched a live orchestra, their brains showed more activity linked to attention and sensory processing than when listening to recordings: suggesting we feel music more deeply when it’s live.
That same connection between music, memory, and emotion is helping people living with dementia.
Projects like Music in Mind, a collaboration between Manchester Camerata and The University of Manchester are training care home staff to use music as therapy.
The impact?
💚More social connection
💚Reduced anxiety
💚Improved wellbeing
Because music doesn’t just get stuck in our heads… it helps people reconnect, express themselves, and find moments of joy again.
Now tell us - what song is your ultimate earworm? 👇
#Eurovision #UnitedByMusic #Music #Earworm #Research
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We are UK Research and Innovation, the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation. If you're a UK tax payer, your contributions help fund the work we showcase on our channel. And if you liked this video, follow us on these channels:
Medium: medium.com/@UKRI
Instagram: instagram.com/weareukri
Facebook: facebook.com/weareUKRI
YouTube: youtube.com/c/UKResearchandInnovation
Or sign up for our weekly newsletter public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKRI/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKRI_newsletter
What’s the worst song that’s ever lived rent-free in your head? 🎶🧠
You know the feeling… you’re brushing your teeth, minding your business, and suddenly your brain starts blasting a random tune on loop. Welcome to the world of earworms!
But they’re more than just annoying. Researchers at the Royal Northern College of Music have been exploring how our brains respond to music - and it turns out live music hits differently.
When people watched a live orchestra, their brains showed more activity linked to attention and sensory processing than when listening to recordings: suggesting we feel music more deeply when it’s live.
That same connection between music, memory, and emotion is helping people living with dementia.
Projects like Music in Mind, a collaboration between Manchester Camerata and The University of Manchester are training care home staff to use music as therapy.
The impact?
💚More social connection
💚Reduced anxiety
💚Improved wellbeing
Because music doesn’t just get stuck in our heads… it helps people reconnect, express themselves, and find moments of joy again.
Now tell us - what song is your ultimate earworm? 👇
#Eurovision #UnitedByMusic #Music #Earworm #Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are UK Research and Innovation, the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation. If you're a UK tax payer, your contributions help fund the work we showcase on our channel. And if you liked this video, follow us on these channels:
Medium: medium.com/@UKRI
Instagram: instagram.com/weareukri
Facebook: facebook.com/weareUKRI
YouTube: youtube.com/c/UKResearchandInnovation
Or sign up for our weekly newsletter public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKRI/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKRI_newsletter
