Why do certain sounds give us goose bumps?

Picture this: you’re lost in thought, your favourite song playing, and suddenly, you feel a wave of well-being that gives you goosebumps. Music doesn’t just touch our hearts; it has a tangible impact on our bodies. Certain musical passages can send shivers down our spines by releasing dopamine, the so-called pleasure molecule. In 2020, a french study found that listening to music causes variations in low-frequency electrical signals in our brains. How do we know this? What exactly causes these shivers? What about those goosebumps we get from unpleasant sounds? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠Is it a good idea to fall asleep to music?⁠ ⁠Am I listening to music too loud?⁠ ⁠Does sex help us to sleep better?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast: 16/5/2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices