Music interventions in exercise performance, recovery and sleep: a scoping review

Music has been investigated as a potential influence on exercise performance, perceived exertion, recovery, and sleep. However, studies vary in their interventions, populations, exercise contexts, and measured outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map experimental evidence on music interventions in resistance, isometric and handgrip, aerobic exercise, acute recovery, and sleep, and to identify evidence gaps. PubMed/MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 1980 and October 2026. Eligible studies involved human participants, compared a music intervention with a control or alternative condition, and reported exercise performance, perceived exertion, psychological responses, physiological recovery, or sleep outcomes. Screening was conducted using Rayyan. Findings were synthesised descriptively across four domains. Thirty studies involving 1,183 participants were included. Studies were published between 1981 and 2021 and examined resistance exercise (n=11), isometric and handgrip exercise (n=8), aerobic exercise and acute recovery (n=7) and sleep (n=4). The evidence maps a broad range of music interventions and outcomes, with variable findings across exercise and sleep contexts. Research gaps include limited participant diversity and insufficient investigation of sleep and recovery in athletic populations. Further studies are needed to clarify how music characteristics, individual preferences, and task demands relate to outcomes.