Sad Royalty-Free Music

Doesn’t it happen that when you feel depressed by some event that you have lived, the only music you want to hear is sad music?  You can rest assured, because this is something that happens to most people.

This type of music usually has slow rhythms and a predominant use of minor chords, so it sounds more melancholic.  One of the reasons why we want to play in the headphones a playlist of emotional music in moments of low, is due to the feeling of peace and introspection that causes at the end; it is a way to find the solution to a conflict, to find balance in chaos.  It is curious that, in the place of greater discomfort or pain, we feel relief and tranquility.  In fact, there is a phenomenon called «mental wandering», which is a cognitive activity that occurs when human beings move by their own thoughts and consciousness, evaluating vital and transcendental issues.

However, not everyone thinks it is an emotional and inspiring musical genre; sometimes it is considered depressive and boring, according to the personality of the listener: those people in whom empathy stands out as a positive quality, this type of songs will make that, unconsciously, put on the role of the singer, coming to feel what is expressing with the lyrics.

Sad music and psychological studies

Numerous studies have shown the great influence music has on people’s feelings.  A great example can be the one led by neuropsychologist Valorie Sampoor at McGill University, which explains that, when listening to songs, there are areas, such as the nucleus of accumbens (related to rewards) in which neural activity occurs.  So, a study conducted by German scientists showed as a result that sad music generates patterns of activity and introspective thoughts in the brain, which could contribute, in turn, to empower skills such as problem-solving or creativity.

Similarly, a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) confirmed that it is necessary to accept any emotion we feel, especially the «negative ones», in order to be able to release them and obtain a positive result.

Uses and effects of sad music

A part of background music for a variety of multimedia projects, sad music has some other uses dating back to the time of Aristotle and Plato, who considered that music had a healing effect called “emotional catharsis”.  Also, during the 20th century, songs were used to help war veterans overcome problems, both physical and emotional.

Currently, there is a technique, called music therapy, used by many health professionals to help patients with certain diseases recover.  It consists of the use of different methods, the design and selection of certain songs, depending on the treatment to be given to the patient.  It is used with minors, people with functional diversity and older people.

Emotional background music for videos, movies and advertising

While we can find sad background music for videos and advertising, the most common is to hear it in movie scenes.  Since the beginning of cinema music has been an integral part: at first it was simply used to cushion the uncomfortable noise generated by the projector, then to keep the audience’s attention, to evolve into an almost indispensable part of all modern films.  It contributed significantly to the overall emotional quality of a film, making it memorable for many years, (as with Titanic); and helps to conceal weak, poorly represented or written cinematography.

As we have said, sad or emotional music is so used that listeners can feel identified with what is happening or what they are listening to.  So much so that this genre works both for scenes or videos of love as for tragedies or dramas.

At Legis Music, we offer you a wide variety of songs from which you can choose the best ones to suit your project.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We will be happy to help you.