Did You Know Your Playlist Might Be Seasoning Your Meal?

We’ve all had a meal where the setting seemed to make the food taste better—maybe it was the flicker of candlelight, the scent of fresh flowers on the table, or the company you kept. But here’s a twist you might not have considered: the music playing in the background could have been changing how your food actually tasted.

It’s called sonic seasoning, and it’s a fascinating branch of sensory science that explores how sound influences flavor perception. Studies suggest that high-pitched, delicate music—think tinkling piano keys or a bright flute—can make foods taste sweeter. Deep, low-pitched music, with resonant bass notes or rumbling drums, can make flavors seem more bitter, savory, or rich.

The idea first caught scientific attention when researchers noticed that people often described certain flavors using musical metaphors—like “sharp” cheese, “sweet” notes in wine, or a “bright” flavor in citrus. Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford, became one of the leading voices in the field, conducting experiments that showed how background music could shift the way participants described and rated their food.

One such study paired chocolate with two very different soundtracks: one featuring high-pitched, soft, bell-like tones, and another using deep, brassy sounds. The same chocolate was rated as noticeably sweeter when paired with the lighter music and more bitter when paired with the lower tones. The chocolate didn’t change at all—only the listener’s perception did.

Restaurants and food brands quickly took notice. Some high-end dining experiences now incorporate carefully curated playlists to enhance specific courses. An upscale seafood restaurant might pair a delicate scallop dish with soft, flowing string music to amplify the natural sweetness, while a steakhouse could lean on deep, slow jazz to bring out the richness of a charred ribeye. Even airlines have experimented with sonic seasoning, using certain music to make in-flight meals more palatable at high altitudes, where taste buds are less sensitive.

The science behind this phenomenon comes down to crossmodal perception—the way our senses influence and interact with one another. Your brain isn’t processing taste, sound, smell, and sight in separate silos. Instead, it’s combining all of those inputs into one cohesive experience. Sound can prime your brain to expect certain flavors, and your perception adjusts to match.

There’s also an emotional component. Music has the power to alter your mood, and mood can change how you perceive taste. Happy, uplifting music might make a tart dessert feel more playful and enjoyable. Melancholic, slow music might make a rich dish feel more indulgent and serious.

It’s worth experimenting with this at home. Try eating a piece of dark chocolate while listening to a deep, rumbling movie soundtrack, then switch to a light, high-pitched song. You might be surprised at how much the bitterness or sweetness shifts, even though the chocolate is exactly the same.

Some chefs are taking the concept further, designing entire multi-course meals where each dish is paired not only with wine but with its own soundtrack. A citrus salad might come with lively acoustic guitar. A decadent dessert might be served with lush, cinematic strings. The goal isn’t to distract from the food, but to elevate it—much like how a wine pairing can bring out hidden notes in a dish.

It also works in reverse. Just as music can make food taste different, food can change how you hear music. In experiments, participants sometimes reported that music sounded “brighter” or “warmer” after eating certain foods. This sensory back-and-forth is still being studied, but it’s a reminder of how interconnected our senses really are.

The next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to notice the soundtrack. Whether you’re at a café with soft indie folk in the background, a fine dining restaurant with gentle piano, or a backyard barbecue with bass-heavy rock, the music might be shaping your experience more than you realize.

And if you’re cooking at home, you can use sonic seasoning to your advantage. Want to make that lemon tart pop with brightness? Try a playlist full of high-pitched, happy tunes. Want to lean into the richness of your slow-cooked stew? Go for deep, mellow, low-pitched music that wraps around the flavors like a blanket.

It’s one more reminder that taste isn’t just about what’s on the plate—it’s about everything around it. Your senses are always in conversation with one another, painting the full picture of every bite. Sometimes, the secret ingredient isn’t in the recipe at all—it’s in the music.