Colored light changes how music makes us feel

Colored indoor lighting can change how music feels, according to a recent study. Warm white light made upbeat songs feel pleasant, while blue light suited sad tracks.

The work was led by Dongwoo (Jason) Yeom, an associate professor of architecture at Clemson University (CU). 

His research centers on how architectural lighting in everyday spaces shapes mood, comfort, and people’s sense of wellbeing.

Can color change how music feels?

Professor Yeom worked with specialists in music cognition and lighting design at two other large public universities to plan the experiments.

Together, they designed a study that tested whether colored indoor light could change how pop music feels to listeners.

The project responds to a gap in music research, where most work measured emotions and seldom considered the listening room.

Building a music and light lab

The researchers converted a university room into a sealed listening lab with 12 adjustable LED smart fixtures and tight temperature control.

Each test session used one lighting condition – either warm white, cool white, red, or blue, filling the room evenly.

The participants spent 15 minutes adapting to the assigned light, then rated music clips and their match with the lighting.

For each one-minute song, they judged how positive it felt on a ten scale and whether the lighting fit.

Hearing happy songs

When the team played happy music, listeners reported stronger feelings under warm white light and weaker feelings under red.

Statistical tests showed that warm white produced higher scores than blue or red light, while cool white landed between them.

Participants found cool white acceptable, yet many rated it as a poor emotional match for upbeat tracks, suggesting a disconnect.

“Many venues use color-changing LEDs, but they lack evidence about which colors shape emotion. Our study offers clearer guidance for more intentional, emotionally supportive lighting,” said Jae Yong Suk.

Suk is a design professor who directs a major California lighting research center and studies how indoor lighting influences stress, emotion, and human experience.

Best light for sad songs

Sad music received lowest ratings under red light, while listeners’ feelings changed slightly among blue, warm white, and cool white.

When the participants rated lighting fit, blue light was best for sad tracks, with red, warm white, and cool white behind.

Those patterns align with broader research showing that red environments raise tension and anxiety, while cooler hues feel calmer.

The work suggests that designers who want music to feel soothing should be cautious with red lighting around sensitive content.

Color and brightness sway emotion

The researchers use the term “music emotion regulation,” which refers to how music can change feelings, because listeners choose songs that match their moods.

A broad review of 47 studies found that research on this topic focuses on listening rather than playing music.

One everyday study found that listeners in moods preferred pieces whose tone matched the situation they were in.

If the room’s color and brightness push against the music, listeners receive mixed cues about how they should feel.

Design clues for venues

Many venues use LEDs above stages, yet this research suggests that color choices can nudge emotions in predictable ways.

For upbeat sets, the results point toward warm white light or amber palettes when safety and visibility are important considerations.

Designers may want to avoid bathing happy encores in blue, because participants associated that light more with calm material.

The findings suggest that planners should think about color, brightness, and mood together rather than treating lighting as an afterthought.

Using lighting to shape listening

Outside auditoriums, the same principles could help people fine-tune living rooms, headphone corners, or gaming spaces for different playlists.

Someone planning a gathering might choose warmer table lamps at lower brightness while playing energetic music, supporting comfort and connection.

By contrast, slower or introspective albums might feel richer under cooler, dimmer light that encourages quiet focus on the sound.

Because preferences vary, the authors emphasize that recommendations should be treated as starting points that listeners adjust for their spaces.

Potential benefits in care

The lead team highlights long-term care facilities as settings, since residents there rely on recorded music for comfort.

In hospitals, studies suggest that daylight can influence recovery, sleep, and length of stay for patients.

Pairing music programs with tuned lighting in these spaces could help staff encourage relaxation or support alertness during activities.

The authors caution that nurses, therapists, and patients should set preferences so mismatched songs and lighting never feel overwhelming.

Limitations of the research

The study was focused on 22 adults, so the findings cannot guarantee how children or older adults would respond.

The team focused on two musical emotion categories and four lighting types, which means that other genres and color mixes need testing.

Future work could combine ratings with biometric data, measures of heart rate or skin conductance, to see how reports align.

Researchers suspect that culture, musical taste, impairments, and fatigue can change these patterns.

Colored light in the music experience

Taken together, these results show that lighting is not just decoration for music, but part of the emotional experience.

As homes and venues adopt LEDs, it becomes easier to turn evidence into presets that match playlists or genres.

Aligning light and sound thoughtfully could support entertainment and well-being – reinforcing routines for waking, relaxing, connecting, and winding down.

The takeaway is to think about lighting and music together, instead of choosing colors without considering how the playlist feels.

The study is published in Lighting Design + Application.

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