The Best Music for Massage Therapy

The best massage is when all five of your senses are enjoying good stuff. We have already explored what you can do in advance of your therapist arriving to best prepare for exactly that. What you hear going on around you is an important one of those five senses to satisfy. 

We believe music is an important factor that contributes to a great massage experience. Our therapists will always bring a selection of appropriate music with them to be played via a portable MP3 player. The music they bring will usually be something they have chosen themselves. This is because it is important that your therapist is also comfortable with the music that will play during the treatment. The more comfortable your masseuse, the better they will perform. Moreover, if your therapist has already performed many treatments to that music, she is more likely to perform her massage in a harmonious manner.

Music is of course a very personal choice. You are therefore very welcome to choose and play your own favourite music during your massage at home if you prefer. In the past, customers have chosen a wide variety of music, including various customers who wanted to play loud rock or trance music.

It is of course completely up to you. Below are some suggestions regarding music based on our experience and many discussions with therapists over the years, as to what they feel can help make the overall massage better. Feel free to follow all, some or none of our music for massage tips.

Tips for choosing the best music for your massage

Consider which treatment style you are booking and choose music which matches. For example, if you are after a relaxing Swedish massage to help you fall asleep, then soft romantic piano music can work wonders. Or if you have booked a Thai massage, then maybe download some relaxing Thai music to match. Lomi Lomi massage has its own specific Hawaiian music which you can easily stream online. 

Play your music (or hook up your therapist’s music) through the best sound system you have access to. A powerful music system allows the music to sound more natural, relaxed and unstrained.

Set the volume quite low, bearing in mind that once you have closed windows, stopped chatting and got into the rhythm of the treatment, your room will be very quiet. What often sounds like the right volume whilst you are setting up, can later sound too loud once you are in the midst of a relaxed massage.

Set up a playlist of your favourite music in advance of your therapist arriving. Ensure the playlist is at least as long as the duration of massage you have selected and even if it is not, then ensure you click the ‘repeat’ option. We recommend at least an hour’s worth of varied music, rather than the same 4-minute track on repeat!

Music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are great for immediate and easy access to a wide range of style. They also offer pre-selected mood music, so you can simply click through to their ‘Relaxing’ playlists and choose one that suits. Bear in mind that if you choose one of the free versions of a streaming service, your playlist is likely to be interrupted by advertisements, which may disturb your massage.

Be adventurous, rather than opting for the ubiquitous ‘massage music’ often played in beauty spas. Synthesised waterfall music is great if you like that sort of thing but we would heartily recommend that you open your mind and consider music from around the world that you may not normally listen to. Popular choices include things like sitar music from India, with Ravi Shankar being a particularly successful and internationally acclaimed artist.

Match the music to the style of massage you have booked. Ayurvedic massage goes great with sitar music, Lomi Lomi massage has it’s own special music which you can find online, Thai massage with Thai music has many fans … and so on.

When we first opened our business in 2009, we found that many customers loved to play various tracks from the popular Buddha Bar compilation albums, and this is still a very popular choice today with many options, including a handful of ‘Best Of’ albums, for you to choose from.

Do ask your therapist if they will be comfortable with your choice of music. A therapist who is enjoying the music is much more likely to express a better energy through her massage to you!