What topic comes to your mind if you are tasked to write an essay on anything? Most likely, it is something you enjoy. Maybe your hobby comes to mind, be it cross-stitching, video games, or photography. But we recommend you write about something everyone loves, including you. This something is music.
Our article features 300+ music topics to write about almost for all essay types. Some discuss controversial ideas, such as using auto-tune in music production. Others would suit a descriptive essay. And, of course, there are many music history paper topics. You will surely find something to your taste here!
Table of Contents
🔝 Top 15 Music Topics to Write About
- Is music piracy unstoppable?
- Rap lyrics are poetry.
- Why is rock music still controversial?
- Explore the theories of music therapy.
- Theatre cannot exist without music. Or can it?
- Are electronic musical instruments easier to play?
- Why do plants react to music if they have no ears?
- Why are so many people enjoying low-quality music?
- Music genres that are as universal as they should be.
- We can only enjoy the music that matches our emotional state.
- Baroque music started all the music trends we know today.
- More kids should receive music education.
- How can teaching music to high-school students improve their cognition abilities?
- AI music production: should it be as good as Mozart’s?
- How can music cause such strong emotions?
đź“ť Writing about Music: Topics & Genres
How does music enrich your life? Hundreds of books can be written on this topic, and it still wouldn’t be enough. Music is indeed hard to write about because it communicates without words. So, what should you do? Start by reading our tips below!
In many ways, writing about music resembles any other writing genre. First, you need a convincing thesis statement, exciting ideas, a clear explanation, and a well-structured organization. But you also need to listen, put your emotions into words, and combine your observations into a text that communicates your perception of music.
To help you get inspired, we described what papers on topics of different music genres can be about. Check it out below:
🎻 Music History Paper Topics
- Analyze the role of music in the formation of language.
- Explore the connection between the origins of music and language.
- Discuss the function of music in prehistoric cultures.
- The uniqueness of ancient Chinese music.
- Write about the history of music in ancient Greece.
- Ancient India and its music.
- Describe the role and history of music in ancient Egypt.
- The importance of religion in ancient music.
- How did music develop throughout human history?
- Examine the earliest musical instruments in history.
- Musical instruments in ancient Japan.
- What was the function of musical instruments in ancient Greece?
- Write about ancient Egyptian music and musical instruments.
- Unique musical instruments of ancient India.
- Analyze the symbolic meaning of music in the Persian Empire.
- Study the role of music in ancient Greek theatre.
- What characterized the music of ancient Mesopotamia?
- Music in the Americas before colonization.
- The meaning of music in African cultures.
- Explain the process of music development in imperial Japan.
- Main genres of gagaku music of imperial Japan.
- How popular was music in medieval Europe?
- The impetus for the development of music in medieval Europe.
- Discuss the role of music in the religious rituals of medieval Christianity.
- Describe the major music schools of medieval Europe.
- Secular music of the early Renaissance period.
- Examine the forms of sacred music in medieval Europe.
- The Ars Nova style in early Renaissance music.
- Write about the Geisslerlieder music of medieval Europe.
- Explore the specifics of music composition in the Byzantine Empire.
- Sacred music of the Byzantine Empire.
- Explain the importance of Classicism in music.
- Differences in musical styles of the Renaissance.
- Compare the significant composers of the Renaissance and their works.
- Romanticism in German music.
- Discuss the role of Baroque music in the Western canon.
- The sonata form in classical music.
- Describe the beginning of jazz music’s history.
- Write about the appearance of rock music.
- How did pop music gain its appeal?
- Primary music forms of the 19th century.
- Analyze the tendencies in 1960s music charts.
- Popular composers of the early 20th century and their success.
- Composers who shaped the music of the 2000s.
- Specification of classical music of the 20th century.
- Did classical music lose its popularity in the 21st century?
- Dwell on the role of classical music in the modern world.
- Examine the value of music in Polynesian cultures.
- How does modern Asian culture build a relationship with music?
- The success of K-pop.
🎶 Research Topics in Music Psychology
- Psychology’s contribution to music theory.
- Explore the theoretical framework of music psychology.
- Discuss the perception of music in psychology.
- Write about the influence of music on mood regulation.
- The sources of creativity in music composition.
- What is the connection between music theory and music psychology?
- Examine the perception of music by the human brain.
- Study the role of awareness in music psychology.
- Describe the psychological aspect of musical talent.
- How does the human brain respond to rhythm?
- Understanding of music perception in cognitive psychology.
- Analyze the role of music in brain development.
- Discover the relationship between sensitivity to sound and human intelligence.
- Explain the role of music in enhancing performance and productivity.
- What mental processes occur during musical comprehension?
- Emotional responses to music from the cognitive aspects.
- Explore the dopamine level dynamics in response to music.
- The role of vocals in the perception of music.
- Cognitive effects of early musical training.
- Examine the perception of various sound frequencies.
- Absolute pitch as a cognitive mechanism.
- Write about neural mechanisms of musical training.
- The concept of psychoacoustics in the perception of music.
- Discuss the impact of musical psychology on songwriting.
- The role of music in emotion regulation in clinical settings.
- Study the effects of cultural differences on music perception.
- The psychology of musical rituals in ancient cultures.
- Investigate the role of music in shaping personal and social identities.
- Do one’s personality traits affect one’s music preferences?
- Analyze the adaptive functions of music in human evolution.
- Psychological effects of workout music.
- Discuss the psychological aspects of using music in advertising.
- How do jingles affect consumer behavior?
- Write about the role of music in group cohesion and social interactions.
- Describe the specific skills involved in piano playing.
- Compare individual versus group learning of a musical instrument.
- Study the empowering effects of music on self-perception.
- Explain musical aptitude as a psychological concept.
- What cognitive processes are involved in music reading?
- Musical improvisation from the psychological point of view.
- Explore the interpersonal psychology of group musical performance.
- Effects of music on mental health.
- Cognitive processes involved in anticipating musical events.
- Can music influence brain functioning negatively?
- How does singing help in human development?
- Can songwriting be a stress-reduction technique?
- Singing as a stress reduction method.
- Is it possible to cope with depression by listening to music?
- The impact of lyrics on emotional processing.
🎧 Music Therapy Research Topics
- Write about music therapy in pediatric health care.
- Neurologic music therapy in neurorehabilitation.
- Discuss the efficacy of music therapy in pain management.
- Analyze the effect of combining music therapy and art therapy.
- Music therapy in the context of cultural diversity.
- Describe the effects of music therapy on neurological patients.
- How does music therapy facilitate neuroplasticity?
- Alzheimer’s disease and music therapy: cognitive, psychological, and behavioral effects.
- Explore the history of music therapy.
- Evidence-based practice in music therapy.
- Discuss the therapeutic approaches and theoretical views in music therapy use with families.
- Write about the effectiveness of music therapy in patients with dementia.
- Examine the impact of music therapy on psychological outcomes in cancer patients.
- Music therapy in treating older adults with depression.
- Music therapy for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Analyze the music therapy effectiveness for sleep improvement.
- Therapeutic benefits of music therapy for the critically ill.
- How can music therapy affect anxiety reduction in cancer patients?
- Explore the role of music therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
- Discuss the effectiveness of music therapy techniques in palliative care.
- Study the impact of music therapy on preterm infants.
- Effectiveness of music therapy in postnatal care.
- Write about music therapy as a supplemental type of therapy for mental disorders.
- Describe the specifics of music therapy for children with behavioral problems.
- Music therapy for adolescents with emotional disorders.
- Discuss music therapy perspectives on Parkinson’s disease.
- Music therapy interventions in patients diagnosed with psychosis.
- Music therapy for comatose patients.
- Explore the neuroscience foundation of music therapy.
- Does music therapy reduce anxiety and despair in Alzheimer’s patients?
- Examine the sources that prove the effectiveness of music therapy in recovery from substance abuse.
- The role of music in trauma recovery and resilience building.
- Can music therapy be helpful for end-of-life care?
- Analyze the role of music therapy in stroke rehabilitation.
- Music therapy for patients with schizophrenia.
- Can music therapy relieve behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia?
- Music therapy for children with an autism spectrum disorder.
- Research the impact of music therapy on cancer patient’s pain and anxiety levels.
- Describe an active music therapy method for stroke patients in post-acute rehabilitation.
- Study the music therapy impact on cognitive performance in elderly persons.
- Music therapy in improving social skills of children with autism.
- Can music therapy positively affect the blood pressure of individuals with hypertension?
- Explore the neurologic music therapy’s influence on executive function.
- Music therapy’s impact on emotional adjustment in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
- Music therapy in promoting wellness.
- Write about managing stress through music therapy intervention.
- Music therapy’s effect on emotional expression and body image improvement in patients with eating disorders.
- Active music therapy effectiveness in group cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Discuss the role of music therapy techniques in general treatment.
- Analyze the use of improvisational music in psychodynamic music therapy.
- Music therapy approaches in counseling.
🎼 Music Education Research Topics
- Early childhood music education approaches.
- Music education of elementary school music teachers.
- How to prepare secondary school teachers through music education.
- Music education: music conservatory ensemble directors.
- Describe the research approaches to teaching and learning music.
- Write about the psychomotor skills involved in music education.
- Do one’s critical thinking skills improve thanks to music education?
- Affective area in the context of music education.
- Explore the gender differences in music schools.
- Music perception and sensitivity in learning an instrument.
- Examine the use of mathematical skills in music education curricula.
- Fluid usage and understanding of a secondary language in music education.
- Write about studying music as a fundamental component of culture and behavior.
- Describe the latest approaches to music education.
- Study the influence of history and politics on approaches to music education.
- Importance of teaching music from other cultures to help children perceive unfamiliar sounds.
- Research the relationship of musical preferences with the language spoken by the listener.
- Discuss the characteristics of the Dalcroze method for teaching music.
- Concepts of rhythm, structure, and musical expression in eurhythmics.
- Physical learning and response to music in the Kodály method.
- Analyze Orff Schulwerk’s approach to music education.
- Features of the environment for studying music in the framework of the Suzuki method.
- Explore Gordon’s theory of musical learning.
- The value of listening in learning to play musical instruments.
- Study the meaning of using props in the Carabo-Cone method.
- Write about self-learning in popular music pedagogy.
- Describe the activities that can help improve a child’s breath control.
- Features of teaching music in primary schools in European countries.
- How to choose the optimal strategy for teaching music.
- Fundamental concepts in Dalcroze’s method of musical education.
- The use of solfeggio in music education.
- Improvisation as one of the crucial methods in music education.
- Analyze the use of eurythmy in the Dalcroze method of teaching music.
- Physical awareness and experience of music through learning.
- Kinesthetic feelings in Dalcroze’s method of musical education.
- Examine the importance of studying music in out-of-school education.
- Write about music as the primary language of the human brain in the Dalcroze method.
- Music as an educational tool for social change in the Kodaly method.
- Auditory, intuitive, physical, and visual-sensory perception in the Kodaly method.
- Discuss the key learning tools in the Kodai method.
- Explore the use of hand gestures or solfa in the Kodai method.
- The importance of the student’s innate abilities in the Orff Schulwerk method of music education.
- Analyze the role of self-knowledge of students in music training.
- Research the value of high-quality examples, praise, and repetition in music education.
- Teaching recognition in the Gordon method of teaching music.
- Describe the music education theories for newborns and young children.
- Deep and persistent listening to archival resources as a teaching strategy.
- The impact of music education on spatial reasoning and math skills.
- Discuss the self-determination approach to motivation in music education.
🎹 Music Industry Topics
- Examine the structural elements of the music industry.
- Key roles of organizations and individuals in the music business.
- Write about the history of the music industry from the 1960s to modernity.
- How is the Internet changing music distribution and sales?
- The basics of artist management for the music business.
- Local music development within the global industry.
- Analyze the changes in marketing strategies within the music industry.
- The music industry in the digital era: legal issues.
- Explore the national music sales in the international context.
- Describe the e-commerce business models used by recording labels.
- Discuss gender and diversity issues in the music industry.
- Gender imbalances among rock songwriters.
- Study the supply chains involved in creating vinyl records.
- Korean music industry: challenges, prospects, and possibilities.
- Mental health and gender issues in K-pop.
- Modern music industry perspectives and consumer needs.
- Music industry: the production cycle.
- Ethical issues in the music industry: copyright and piracy.
- The early history of the European music industry: the invention of printed music.
- Artist management: work features and challenges.
- Write about the difficulties and features of live music concerts organization.
- Performance rights organization in artist’s legal protection.
- How does media influence the music industry?
- Women composers of movie soundtracks.
- Explore the development of music broadcasting in the 1920s.
- From audio broadcasting to video streaming: digitalization impact.
- Discuss the Sherman Act and its influence on radio broadcasting.
- How music on the radio influenced the record industry.
- Study the commercial music radio’s impact on racial identity in the USA.
- Smart radio: looking for new business models in broadcasting.
- Crowdfunding as the answer to many modern challenges in the music industry.
- Can agility be used in music artist management?
- Describe the identity and self-perception issues of artist managers.
- Brand management in the music industry.
- Analyze the social media influence on the music industry development.
- Artist management and marketing on social media.
- Study the HR management strategies in the music industry.
- Write about talent agents in the modern music industry.
- How to create a successful career in music in the digital era.
- Role of nonprofits and associations in the music industry.
- Explain the branding importance for music production.
- Transparency issues: creating music in the digital era.
- Streaming: a new way of making money.
- Spotify: the history of a new business model.
- Do global music sales depend on a genre?
- The impact of technological progress on recording studios.
- Production of digital audio: social interactions and talent management.
- Explore the importance of subculture identity in alternative music culture.
- Feminist influence on the alternative music community.
- Manufactured music versus alternative music industry.
🎤 Controversial Music Topics
- Discuss the use of cultural appropriation in the music industry.
- Queer lyrics and their influence on modern culture.
- Discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the music industry.
- Demi Lovato: the case of queer stigmatization on the Internet.
- Write about sexual misconduct in the music industry.
- Queer stigmatization in the media: Michael Jackson’s sex scandal.
- Discuss the facts and myths about Michael Jackson’s pedophilia accusations.
- The music industry’s dark side: child sexual abuse and grooming.
- Problems around young artists: drug use and abuse.
- Sexual abuse in the music industry: the case of R. Kelly.
- Music artists in politics: Kanye advocating for Trump.
- Should music performers influence political issues, and why?
- Explore the copyright and legal controversies between Kanye and Taylor Swift.
- The Beatles versus Jesus: the rise of the music industry.
- Britney Spears: infantilization and sexualization in the music industry.
- Miley Cyrus: a celebrity growing in the public eye.
- Hollywood murder: Marvin Gaye’s story.
- Celebrity’s psychological issues: Michael Jackson public breakdowns.
- Rap music controversies: the deaths of Tupac and The Notorious BIG.
- Treatment of Korean pop stars and their contracts.
- Discuss the harmful diet culture on the K-pop scene.
- Study the black metal controversies and anti-Christian sentiment.
- Write about crimes committed by black metal musicians.
- The dominance of Western music and its implications.
- Madonna’s challenging of the cultural norms.
- Drug usage in the music industry: the case of Amy Winehouse.
- Examine the lip-singing controversies in the pop industry and the public reaction to them.
- Stars go unpunished: Rihanna and Chris Brown.
- Analyze the tragic story of Woodstock ’99.
- Music festivals and use of narcotic substances.
- Diet culture: the controversy around Adele losing weight.
- MeToo movement in the music industry: Ryan Adams case.
- Study the sex scandals in the K-pop music industry.
- LGBTQ+ on the TV: Madonna and Britney kiss.
- Analyze the controversial rap lyrics and their influence on younger generations.
- Freedom of expression versus censorship in music.
- When can sampling be regarded as copyright infringement?
- Explore the effects of offensive imagery in song lyrics.
- Does auto-tune mess with authenticity in music?
- Write about music censorship in the case of Ebony and Ivory.
- South Korean censorship: banning K-pop on television.
- The parents’ music resource center: parental control over the music.
- The role of heavy metal in creating the controversial counterculture of the 2000s.
- Glam metal: breaking gender stereotypes.
- Research the government agenda in the music industry.
- The controversy between Christians and Madonna around the Like a Prayer video.
- Discuss the ethics of using pre-recorded vocals in live performances.
- Kurt Cobain’s suicide and its effect on his lasting popularity.
- Cardi B crime confessions and celebrities’ impunity.
- Study the South Korean cultural policies in the music industry.
âť“ Music Topics FAQ
How to Think of Music Topics?
The easiest way is to think of the music genre you enjoy and research controversial issues related to it. In a descriptive essay, you can write about the effect your favorite music produces on you. Ensure picking a topic that will be interesting for your audience.
What Are Topics in Music Psychology?
- How does rock music make one drive more aggressive?
- Why does our favorite music reflect our habitual emotional condition?
- Which famous composers had mental health problems, and how did it affect their art?
- Will a better insight into human psychology allow us to create better music?
What Topics Are Good for a Speech About Music?
Think of your listeners first. Do they expect you to deliver an emotional and creative speech? Or are you supposed to provide arguments and facts? Select a historical or controversial music topic if your speech is creative. If you prefer the second option, choose research and science-based topic.
What Are Good Research Topics About Music and Brain?
The therapeutic nature of music is underexplored and requires clarification. Research-intense topics explore the brain segments that music activates, neural activity while listening to various types of music, and the influence of melodies on an unborn child’s brain. Less complicated topics refer to psychology rather than neuroscience.