Take a Beat and Tune In to Nature for World Mental Health Day

Research shows that nature sounds can have a positive impact on your mental health. So, this World Mental Health Day, we’re inviting you to take a beat and tune in to nature. 

We’re reintroducing our “Take a Beat” campaign, which aims to help nature sounds become part of people’s everyday lives by highlighting the positive impact they can have on your mental health and well-being. Turning to nature provides listeners an opportunity to do something intentional for themselves by tuning out the background noise and tuning in to their own needs. We’re encouraging listeners to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in the soothing sounds of nature. 

For Spotify, positive mental health is a state of well-being that allows people to better cope with the daily stresses of life, function productively, and make meaningful contributions. With this in mind, through Heart & Soul, our global mental health initiative for all Spotify employees, we are also encouraging employees to tap into Take a Beat and connect with nature through internal programming that helps educate, inspire, and normalize the idea of taking time away from their desks and spending time in nature.

Nature, mental health, and well-being are inextricably linked. A study of ~20,000 people found that those who spend at least two hours in nature throughout the week report consistently higher levels of mental health and well-being compared to those who don’t. Whether it’s the sound of ocean waves, a birdsong at dawn, or the rustle of wind through trees, the natural world offers a sense of calm and grounding that’s hard to find elsewhere. In today’s fast-paced world, these moments of stillness can feel distant or inaccessible. That’s why Spotify is proud to use its platform to bring these soothing sounds directly to people, wherever they are.

The Take a Beat hub is filled with the best nature sounds available on Spotify—from field recordings to nature-themed albums, guided meditations to inspiring podcasts. The highlights in the hub are all backed by science, and the destination also features content from our partners, Sounds Right and Calm. 

Sounds Right, which launched earlier this year, is about recognizing Nature as an artist. By listening to NATURE’s tracks, fans are directly protecting the environment—a portion of royalties are disbursed to high-impact conservation initiatives. The Take a Beat hub includes tracks like Louis VI and NATURE‘s “Orange Skies” (featuring Mick Jenkins and Jelani Blackman); UMI, NATURE, and V’s (of BTS) “wherever u r”; and Cosmo Sheldrake and NATURE’s “Soil.” Our friends at Calm have curated an exclusive selection of nature-themed meditations that can be found in the hub. Listeners can find suggestions like We Are Nature, Nature Walk, Grounded Like a Mountain, Mindful Walking Meditation, and Nature All Around (the last of which is narrated by Jay Shetty). 

With this year’s initiative, Spotify has teamed up with zoologist, BBC Creator in Residence, and rapper Louis VI, whose main purpose is to use sound to strengthen our connection to the natural world.

His collaboration with the campaign will help showcase how deeply nature and music are intertwined. “Having a strong relationship with nature is so important for both our mental health and creativity,” said Louis VI. “I draw inspiration from the natural world. Its rhythms, sounds, and energy are often a source of healing and creativity when making music.”

The Take a Beat campaign offers an open invitation to everyone, encouraging a deeper connection with the world around us through sound—whether it’s on World Mental Health Day or any other day.

Artists Maejor, N3WYRKLA, and Ralph Castelli are also joining us to share how they take a beat and tune in to nature, along with U.K.-based creators Char Bailey, Nadeem Perera, and Tash LC.

As a part of the campaign, we’re also making donations to organizations that are doing inspiring work to support people to connect with nature for their mental health and well-being. Three of these groups include Dose of Nature in the U.K., Climate Mental Health Network in the U.S., and The Global Fund for Mental Health. 

We also worked with our partners Good Energy to create a resource page where people can learn more about the intersection of mental health and climate change, discover simple ways to look after your mental health through nature, and learn more about partners working in this space. 

Explore the healing sounds of nature in our Take a Beat hub here.