Virtual Reality and Music: A New Frontier in Anxiety Treatment?
A new collaborative trial is exploring how music and VR could provide a personalized anxiety treatment.

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Technologies that blur the lines between the physical and digital could soon become a mainstream approach for treating mental health conditions.
Cardiff-based virtual reality (VR) company, Rescape Innovation, recently joined forces with the music giant Universal Music Group (UMG) to trial a new anxiety therapy combining VR and music.
Anxiety disorders affect four percent of the global population. Although psychological and pharmacological interventions are available, they are far from universally effective and access can be a major barrier. Growing research demonstrates the potential of VR therapies – which can be used in the home environment – as a promising treatment option.
“VR therapies have been built on decades of research with an exponential growth in research in the last 10 years alone,” Kevin Moss, founder and CEO of Rescape, told Technology Networks.
Rescape’s first product, DR.VR™, is already licensed to help treat pain and anxiety across hospitals in the UK.
“We have been helping 1000s of patients across the UK with DR.VR, which is a class one medical device,” Moss said. “We are in over 80 healthcare environments with some hospitals utilizing multiple licenses with up to 45 headsets. A recent peer-reviewed study showed an average reduction of pain by29% and anxiety by 40%.”
“Clinicians have conducted several published papers using DR.VR and we are working with several major charities to evaluate how VR can and should be implemented,” he added.
Based on the success of DR.VR, Rescape has been working with collaborators including Hafod – a Welsh housing organization – Cardiff University’s Centre for Trials Research, UMG, Bria.ai and others to create a new product, one that marries personalized VR with music.
“We call this Melody and we are working toward a wellbeing launch later in 2025,” Moss said.
What is virtual reality?
VR uses computer modeling and simulations to create a 3D, immersive environment that is typically accessed by users via a helmet headset.
Creating a personalized anxiety treatment
Personalization has been a key focus in the development of Melody, Moss said: “Traditional therapies often ask patients to use visualization exercises to create a safe space. This, we have found, is frustrating for many, because as many as 50% of people are unable to visualize in their mind's eye.”
Using ethical AI tools, the team has created spaces that provide users with a range of locations they can visit virtually, allowing them to find – and ultimately create – their own space.
“This is called virtualization. When we introduce the ability for users to further personalize the experience with music that they love, this immediately deepens a sense of safety,” Moss explained. “From this base, we encourage users to learn various exercises to help shift mood, relax, evaluate and learn about their thoughts.”
The ultimate aim of the treatment is to reduce symptoms of anxiety and build mental resilience.
“A cornerstone of this project has been the partnership with UMG, where we have worked with teams in Los Angeles and London. They have been proactive in finding solutions and helping to create a framework where we can research how people can accept the use of music in helping their anxiety symptoms while using VR,” Moss said.
“Through the Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University and Dr. Riches – a clinical psychologist – we have partners that bring academic rigor to the project. They have done this with creativity, open hearts and inquisitive minds.”
Melody trial will be closing in the next few weeks
Melody is currently in a trial study managed by Cardiff University in collaboration with Hafod.
“We recruited 50 participants who were over 18 years and had either lived experience of anxiety themselves or through a connection with someone else. We ran multiple workshops to evaluate our prototypes and understand users’ relationships with music, technology and virtual reality,” Moss said.

A workshop conducted at Cardiff University. Credit: Cardiff University.
In the final phase of the study, participants took a Meta Quest 3 headset home with the Melody app installed. “Participants use Melody for a 10-day period and are encouraged to use the VR app regularly within that time frame, at any time or frequency,” Moss added. At the end of the trial period, participants are invited to a group workshop or a one-on-one interview, as well as completing an online form to gather feedback.
The trial is set to close over the next few weeks. Data analysis has already begun, with promising findings, according to Moss: “The interim reports have shown that we have created something that can be really important in helping with the challenges of anxiety. Key early insights have shown participants reporting an improvement in sleep and anxiety.”
He added that, importantly, users have found the app easy to use.
Moss is excited by reports of participants applying skills obtained from exercises in VR into real-life settings after returning their headset. This, he said, indicates the transferability of therapeutic skills and strategies for maintaining well-being.
VR will continue to expand into clinical applications
Rescape is evaluating further research opportunities utilizing Melody, such as helping staff manage their well-being and creating a sense of nostalgia, which could have applications in dementia and depression treatment. “Ultimately, we are working to quickly launch a consumer wellbeing product, giving us a platform to help as many people as possible,” Moss said.
Moss has no doubts that VR use will continue to grow in clinical environments, presenting new solutions that can be adapted to the specific needs of patients and hospitals. “Commercialization of these approaches has become possible as VR headset quality has improved and costs have dropped,” he said. Despite only launching in October, the Meta Quest 3 was reportedly the top-selling console on Amazon US in the entirety of 2024.
“Several VR apps are now reporting over 100k concurrent users with companies reporting $100m revenues,” Moss said. “VR continues to grow and with this growth, we will see more opportunities to help users with their physical and mental health.”