Novel Web-Based Music Re-Engineering Software for Enhancement of Music Enjoyment Among Cochlear Implantees

Cochlear implant (CI) listeners experience diminished music perception and enjoyment from a variety of patient-related and implant-related factors. We investigate the hypothesis that patient-directed music re-engineering may enhance music enjoyment with CI.

Prospective cohort study.

Academic cochlear implant center.

A multidisciplinary team of neurotologists, audiologists, and a sound/audio engineer collaborated with a web developer to create a music re-engineering application. Experienced adult CI listeners rated original excerpts from five major genres of music on enjoyment using a visual analog scale (VAS). Subjects were then allowed to re-engineer the original by adjusting treble frequencies, bass frequencies, percussion emphasis, and reverberation and again rated on enjoyment.

Total of 46 subjects, with a mean age of 57.6 years (SD = 16; range, 18-90) participated in the study. User-mixed audio was rated higher across all measures of enjoyment than original recordings (mean difference +0.92; p < 0.05, CI [0.22, 1.62]), an effect that was seen across all genres except for country music. Subjects preferred louder bass frequencies (mean difference +7.1 dB; p < 0.01, CI [2.15, 24.3]) and more reverberation (mean difference +6.6 ms; p < 0.01, CI [2.85, 10.7]). Re-engineered music increased enjoyment in 57%, and 79% reported an interest in being able to mix music of their own choosing.

User-directed music re-engineering increases music enjoyment for CI listeners. The cochlear implantee preferred heightened bass, reverberation, and treble across musical genres. These findings support the implementation of patient-directed music re-engineering to enhance music enjoyment with technology that is readily available today.