At 2022 Global Wellness Summit, the winner of the Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness was rather surprising. Freddie Moross was bestowed the award for his unique concept of curating specific music for various wellness therapies dispensed at spas all around the world. He is the Managing Director of Myndstream, which creates and designs music for health and wellbeing. Myndstream has a large footprint across the ambient and mood sections of the major digital streaming platforms, achieving impressive commercial success in the consumer realm. In an interview with India Outbound, Moross explains the concept and his plans for making the concept global.

What is Myndstream and what lies behind its origins?

Myndstream originated from the concept that music can positively impact a human’s experience of treatments within well-being and healthcare, as suggested by scientific research. If these could be tested and validated within different environments, this positive impact of music could be made more accessible.

Myndstream therefore creates music designed for health and wellbeing. We uniquely sit at the intersection between art and science, working with a dedicated roster of leading wellness music artists, as well as an extensive network of experts within the world of health and wellbeing. We are part of Cutting Edge Group, a full-service provider of music for film, television, advertising and gaming.

Making our music accessible is core to our business. We build research-led music programmes for specific industries through our own platforms, to give easy access to our music. In addition we make our music available directly to consumers through the major streaming platforms.

How is music related to wellness? Does this vary by region/cultures or is it something more universal?

We see music as a complementary tool for wellbeing and healthcare environments, based on various studies which have identified the huge impact music has on the brain and the ability to influence a humans’ mood. The type of music for different environments and for different cultures and individuals will vary based on research conducted for different environments. It is a fascinating subject and we continue to build our network of experts globally to build a validated library of playlists, for every different environment or personal need.

What kind of research has been done and some key findings in a nutshell? 

We work with a range of experts who are looking into the effects of music on individuals. Recently we have worked with Professor Adam Ockleford, music psychologist and professor at London’s University of Roehampton. He has authored over 20 books and his research focuses on how the human brain makes sense of music, particularly in people with exceptional musical abilities and needs.

Initially as a student of the Royal Academy of Music, Adam went on to gain a PhD from Goldsmiths College, London in 1993. His “zygonic” theory of musical understanding has proven to be a valuable tool in music theory and analysis, in investigating musical development and exploring interactions in music therapy and education.

The power of music within education was tested through the pilot study at Junior Genius Academy in Ireland. This was recorded and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. The music itself was tested and found to have a positive effect on the children in a variety of contexts, improving both sleep outcomes and focus in classrooms. The study also identified the power of music for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children.

What is the subscription plan that you wish to launch next year?

We wanted to create a Spa Music Service that was easily accessible to all spa owners and therapists, whether they were part of a bigger hotel group or whether they were operating as an independent therapist.

Our service enables individual therapists to select music based on their treatment and give customers a choice of music to suit them, from a single annual subscription of USD 250. For this, any number of individual therapists at the same location can use the service to select music and elevate the audio experience of their treatments. For each additional location there is a USD 150 charge but unlike other services we do not charge “per zone” or per therapist.

Is this going to be music created by Myndstream or already existing music? 

We will be constantly creating new playlists and using music from across our catalogues. Being part of Cutting Edge Group, we have access to a huge range of music and are always adding new artists to our label. We are also open to partnerships with other music providers, to test and validate the best range of music possible for different wellbeing and healthcare needs.

What kind of demand do you have for this product and how do you intend to popularise it?

The response so far from spa owners and therapists has been overwhelmingly positive. The service enables them to differentiate and improve the experience of their Spa, which ultimately will help retain clients. Our music solution is designed for their treatments and at an affordable cost, which we think has huge appeal.

Which are your key target markets in the immediate future?

To sign up to our product, any spa or treatment therapist in the world can go to our website and sign up to access the product.  We will monitor take up in certain countries and continue to evolve our playlists based on feedback, to suit different locations.

How is Myndstream different from other providers of “Wellness Music”?

Myndstream is a music company with a unique approach. We design music for health and wellbeing by working with leading wellness musicians and experts in certain therapeutic and clinical environments. Unlike other generic “healthcare” apps we have a specific focus on validated music as a complimentary tool and with this, a unique distribution strategy.  We are not a generic streaming platform but instead we create bespoke platforms for different distribution partners, in addition to making our music available through all the major streaming platforms.  Our credibility, accessibility and musical expertise means we have a unique proposition in the market.

How does Myndstream create bespoke music that is actually “of a place”?

We have a really unique proposition and can work with spas and hotels to truly elevate their audio experience. With our amazingly talented group, Palm Reading, led by Skooby Laposky and Charles Copley, their music fuses together a combination of synthesised electronic music generated by biodata recorded from plants using a biodata sonification device, as well as ambient field recordings and original acoustic guitar accompaniment.

This unique music composition results in music which can uniquely represent a specific location.  We can work with Spas, hotels or resorts to create this specific type of music as their signature audio music, and even then exploit this on their behalf as a revenue opportunity. We can also offer sonic branding work and a full review of the audio experience for hospitality brands to really give them an “audio” identity.