Emerging from the perioperative and oncology fields, music therapy (MT) and patient-directed music interventions (PDMI) have recently garnered interest in the area of critical care. The main goal of these music-based adjuvant therapies is to reduce anxiety and pain in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the pre-sent short commentary, we will review the background, modalities and evidence for MT in critically ill patients, and its future use in the ICU. Music-based therapeutic interventions have been investigated as a component among other strategies aimed at reducing ICU discomfort. The main goals of music administration trials in the ICU were to reduce anxiety, agitation, exposure to sedative agents, duration of ICU stay and mechanical ventilation, and post-ICU syndrome.

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