These music therapy figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Music Therapy Statistics
The main findings are:
- A Cochrane review found clinician-rated depressive symptoms favored music therapy plus treatment as usual over treatment as usual alone (SMD −0.98; 95% CI −1.69 to −0.27) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
- Across 51 studies and 93 effect sizes, music therapy had an overall anxiety effect of g=0.357 (95% CI 0.201–0.514) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
- A 9-RCT meta-analysis found music therapy reduced chronic pain versus control (SMD −0.51; 95% CI −0.72 to −0.30; P<0.00001) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
- Protocol music therapy reduced agitation immediately in care homes, with standardized effect sizes from −0.8 to −0.5 (During/immediately after intervention; Older adults with dementia in care homes).
- The AMTA survey’s reported 2019 client total averaged 275 clients per service provider (United States survey respondents).
- A home-hospice study reported total costs of $10,659 for music-therapy patients versus $13,643 for standard-care patients (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
- Patient-reported depressive symptoms favored music therapy plus treatment as usual (SMD −0.85; 95% CI −1.37 to −0.34) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
- Self-reported anxiety outcomes had g=0.410 (95% CI 0.236–0.585) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
- The same review found a depression benefit in chronic-pain patients (SMD −0.83; 95% CI −1.44 to −0.22; P=0.0001) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
- The AMTA workforce survey recorded 408,573 clients served in 2019 by 1,484 respondents (United States survey respondents).
- As of August 10, 2020, the Certification Board for Music Therapists reported 8,932 board-certified music therapists (2020-08-10).
- The home-hospice study reported $2,984 in total cost savings for the music-therapy group relative to standard care (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
- Music therapy plus usual care showed no statistically significant quality-of-life advantage versus usual care (SMD 0.32; 95% CI −0.17 to 0.80; P=0.20) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
- Physiological anxiety outcomes had a small, non-significant effect (g=0.153; 95% CI −0.153–0.400) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
- For anxiety in chronic-pain patients, the pooled estimate was not statistically significant (MD −3.31; 95% CI −8.21 to 1.58; P=0.18) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
Contents
- Key Music Therapy Statistics
- Music therapy statistics: depression outcomes and treatment effects
- Music therapy anxiety statistics across clinical populations
- Music therapy chronic pain and quality-of-life statistics
- Music therapy statistics for dementia agitation and cognition
- Music therapy workforce, clients and facility coverage statistics
- Music therapy cost and economic evaluation statistics
Music therapy statistics: depression outcomes and treatment effects
- A Cochrane review found clinician-rated depressive symptoms favored music therapy plus treatment as usual over treatment as usual alone (SMD −0.98; 95% CI −1.69 to −0.27) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Patient-reported depressive symptoms favored music therapy plus treatment as usual (SMD −0.85; 95% CI −1.37 to −0.34) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Music therapy plus usual care showed no statistically significant quality-of-life advantage versus usual care (SMD 0.32; 95% CI −0.17 to 0.80; P=0.20) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Dropout odds were not significantly different between music therapy plus usual care and usual care (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.14–1.70; P=0.26) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Against psychological therapies, clinician-rated depression favored music therapy but was not statistically conclusive (SMD −0.78; 95% CI −2.36 to 0.81) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Against psychological therapies, patient-reported depression favored music therapy but remained highly uncertain (SMD −1.28; 95% CI −3.75 to 1.02) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* Against psychological therapies, quality of life was uncertain and the interval crossed no effect (SMD −1.31; 95% CI −0.36 to 2.99) (Evidence available through August 2017; People with depression).
(Music therapy for…)
* A 55-RCT meta-analysis reported a larger depression effect for recreative music therapy (SMD −1.41; 95% CI −2.63 to −0.20) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* The same meta-analysis reported guided imagery and music at SMD −1.08 (95% CI −1.72 to −0.43) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* Music-assisted relaxation was associated with SMD −0.81 for depression (95% CI −1.24 to −0.38) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* Improvisational music therapy was associated with SMD −0.27 for depression (95% CI −0.49 to −0.05) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* Music-and-imagery interventions had SMD −0.38, with a confidence interval crossing no effect (95% CI −0.81 to 0.06; P=0.312) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* Music-and-discussion interventions had SMD −0.26, with a wide interval crossing no effect (95% CI −1.12 to 0.60; P=0.225) (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
(Effects of music…)
* The 55-RCT meta-analysis found stronger depression effects in studies using sessions longer than 60 minutes than in shorter-session subgroups (Studies included through 2020 publication search; Mixed clinical and mental-health populations).
Short-term evidence; pooled 3 RCTs and 1 controlled clinical trial; comparator and delivery varied.
Short-term evidence; pooled 3 RCTs and 1 controlled clinical trial.
Low-quality evidence; n=67 for this outcome.
Pooled 5 RCTs and 1 controlled clinical trial; this is attrition, not clinical benefit.
Very low-quality evidence from 1 RCT with 11 participants.
Low-quality evidence from 4 RCTs and 131 participants.
Very low-quality evidence; one small RCT contributed this outcome.
Subgroup estimate; heterogeneity and different intervention definitions limit direct comparison.
Subgroup estimate; not a head-to-head randomized comparison of therapy formats.
Subgroup estimate with varying populations and controls.
Subgroup estimate; effect magnitude is not a percentage reduction.
Subgroup estimate; not statistically significant.
Moderator finding; the source does not establish a causal dose threshold.
Music therapy anxiety statistics across clinical populations
- Across 51 studies and 93 effect sizes, music therapy had an overall anxiety effect of g=0.357 (95% CI 0.201–0.514) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
(Music therapy for…)
* Self-reported anxiety outcomes had g=0.410 (95% CI 0.236–0.585) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
(Music therapy for…)
* Physiological anxiety outcomes had a small, non-significant effect (g=0.153; 95% CI −0.153–0.400) (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
(Music therapy for…)
* The anxiety review included 3,276 participants, including 1,664 in music-therapy groups and 1,363 in comparison groups (Studies included in the review; Mixed clinical populations).
(Music therapy for…)
* The review screened 6,147 records from 10,210 identified records before including 51 articles (Review search period; Literature on music therapy and anxiety).
Multilevel meta-analysis; outcomes and clinical contexts varied.
Subjective outcomes; pooled across 50 trials and 61 effect sizes.
Physiological measures were pooled from 13 trials and 32 effect sizes; interval crosses no effect.
The remainder reflects reporting/analysis differences; this is context, not an outcome effect.
Search-flow counts describe the review process, not prevalence or treatment success.
Music therapy chronic pain and quality-of-life statistics
- A 9-RCT meta-analysis found music therapy reduced chronic pain versus control (SMD −0.51; 95% CI −0.72 to −0.30; P<0.00001) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
(The effect of…)
* The same review found a depression benefit in chronic-pain patients (SMD −0.83; 95% CI −1.44 to −0.22; P=0.0001) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
(The effect of…)
* For anxiety in chronic-pain patients, the pooled estimate was not statistically significant (MD −3.31; 95% CI −8.21 to 1.58; P=0.18) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
(The effect of…)
* For quality of life in chronic-pain patients, the pooled estimate was not statistically significant (MD 2.59; 95% CI −0.47 to 5.65; P=0.10) (RCTs included in the review; Patients with chronic pain).
(The effect of…)
* In the chronic-pain review, 3 trials used 20-minute sessions, 4 used 30-minute sessions and 3 used 60-minute sessions (Intervention protocols in included RCTs; Patients with chronic pain).
(The effect of…)
* Music therapists led 3 of the chronic-pain studies; trained nurses led 3, nurses led 1, a researcher led 1 and 1 did not report qualifications (Intervention protocols in included RCTs; Patients with chronic pain).
Pooled heterogeneity was I²=62%; interventions ranged from 20 to 60 minutes and varied by study.
Only 4 RCTs contributed; heterogeneity was I²=83%.
Only 2 RCTs; scales and clinical contexts may differ; interval crosses no effect.
Only 2 RCTs; pooled heterogeneity was I²=77%.
Protocol counts describe study designs and do not prove that duration caused different outcomes.
Provider categories were reported by the review and do not establish equivalence of training.
Music therapy statistics for dementia agitation and cognition
- Protocol music therapy reduced agitation immediately in care homes, with standardized effect sizes from −0.8 to −0.5 (During/immediately after intervention; Older adults with dementia in care homes).
(A systematic review…)
* The AMTA workforce survey recorded 408,573 clients served in 2019 by 1,484 respondents (United States survey respondents).
Evidence was for immediate effects; it did not support a long-term effect.
Non-census professional survey; counts include short- and long-term care and may not generalize to all therapists.
Music therapy workforce, clients and facility coverage statistics
- The AMTA survey’s reported 2019 client total averaged 275 clients per service provider (United States survey respondents).
(Profile of the…)
* As of August 10, 2020, the Certification Board for Music Therapists reported 8,932 board-certified music therapists (2020-08-10).
(Profile of the…)
* In the AMTA survey, 79% of respondents who supplied a job title reported a mainly clinical job title (2019 survey; United States survey respondents).
(Profile of the…)
* AMTA extrapolated an estimated 1,940,400 US recipients of music therapy services in 2019 from certified-therapist and survey averages.
(Profile of the…)
* The AMTA facility survey recorded 8,792 facilities served by 1,518 respondents in 2019 (United States survey respondents).
(Profile of the…)
* The reported facility count averaged 6 facilities per service provider (2019; United States survey respondents).
(Profile of the…)
* AMTA extrapolated an estimated 42,336 US facilities offering some form of music therapy in 2019.
(Profile of the…)
* Survey respondents reported 46,938 clients in California in 2019 (California, United States).
(Profile of the…)
* Survey respondents reported 45,584 clients in New York in 2019 (New York, United States).
(Profile of the…)
* Survey respondents reported 25,861 clients in Minnesota in 2019 (Minnesota, United States).
(Profile of the…)
* Survey respondents reported 25,300 clients in Florida in 2019 (Florida, United States).
(Profile of the…)
* Survey respondents reported 19,171 clients in Ohio in 2019 (Ohio, United States).
Average varies by care model and is based on respondent estimates.
Certification count is not the same as active employment or service utilization.
Excludes several administrative, faculty and program roles; denominator is respondents who supplied a title.
Derived extrapolation using 79% of 8,932 therapists times 275 clients; not a direct national count.
Respondent estimates include therapists working in multiple facilities.
Average varies by employment and contracting model.
Derived from 79% of 8,932 therapists times 6 facilities; not a registry count.
State figure is respondent-reported and not a population prevalence estimate.
Music therapy cost and economic evaluation statistics
- A home-hospice study reported total costs of $10,659 for music-therapy patients versus $13,643 for standard-care patients (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
(A cost-benefit analysis…)
* The home-hospice study reported $2,984 in total cost savings for the music-therapy group relative to standard care (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
(A cost-benefit analysis…)
* The music therapy program cost $3,615 in the home-hospice study (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
(A cost-benefit analysis…)
* The home-hospice study reported a cost-benefit ratio of 0.83 for the music therapy program (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
(A cost-benefit analysis…)
* Using cost per patient day, the same hospice study reported a cost-benefit ratio of 0.95 (Study published 2007; hospice records analyzed; Home hospice, San Francisco, United States).
(A cost-benefit analysis…)
* A 2025 scoping review screened 1,041 records and included 26 references on economic evaluations of music therapy and other music-based interventions (Literature searched January 2023; International literature, mainly United States).
(Economic Evaluations of…)
* Of the 26 references in the economic-evaluation scoping review, 19 were completed evaluations and 7 were planned evaluations (Literature searched January 2023; International literature, mainly United States).
Small retrospective case-control study; costs are not a general price or current reimbursement rate.
Study-reported difference; small non-randomized economic comparison.
Historical program cost from one hospice; not inflation-adjusted or broadly transferable.
Ratio definition and perspective are study-specific; small retrospective study.
Alternative denominator within one study; not a standardized national economic metric.
Search-flow counts describe the evidence base, not cost-effectiveness prevalence.
Review classification; planned studies do not provide observed economic outcomes.