Light-Music Interaction: Modulating the Perception of Emotional Music Through Ambient Lighting

¹ Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture, Clemson University, SC, USA
² Department of Design, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
³ California Lighting Technology Center, CA, USA
⁴ Music Theory and Psychology, Arizona State University, AZ, USA

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study investigates how indoor lighting conditions influence music perception and emotional responses during music listening. Using a within-subject experiment, participants experienced eight lighting conditions varying in color, correlated color temperature (CCT), and intensity while listening to happy and sad music excerpts. Music perception was assessed through perceived lighting-music fit and positivity ratings, while emotional responses were captured using self-reported affective measures. Results showed that lighting effects on music perception were context-dependent. Perceived lighting-music fit was relatively stable during happy music but was strongly modulated during sad music, with blue and low-intensity lighting producing higher perceived fit. Positivity ratings during happy music were significantly enhanced under warm white lighting compared to blue and red lighting, whereas lighting had minimal influence during sad music. Emotional responses, extracted through principal component analysis, revealed valence and arousal as dominant dimensions shaping music perception. Higher valence predicted stronger lighting-music fit under happy music, while lower arousal supported better fit under sad music. These findings demonstrate systematic patterns in how indoor lighting conditions shape music perception through interactions with musical emotion, underscoring the importance of integrating lighting design with auditory context in music-listening environments.