Scaling personalised music therapy for people living with dementia.

Music for My Mind delivers personalised music sessions designed to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Their approach is grounded in research showing that music can trigger memories, emotions and improved clarity.

Previously, sessions were delivered face to face. The team would guide families through a structured music questionnaire, manually recording reactions to song excerpts and compiling bespoke playlists based on observed responses.

While effective, the process relied heavily on paperwork, manual administration and in-person delivery. This limited scalability and restricted access for families who could not attend sessions.

The charity needed a cost-effective, scalable digital solution that preserved the integrity of the methodology while increasing accessibility and reducing operational overhead.

We designed and built two connected web applications to support both research delivery and self-service access.

The Research Web Application

This platform replaces paper forms with a structured digital workflow. During sessions, practitioners can stream music excerpts, record reaction scores in real time, and automatically generate a personalised playlist based on responses.

The system reduces administrative burden, improves consistency, and streamlines playlist creation, allowing the team to focus on engagement rather than paperwork.

The User Web Application

To broaden access, we created a self-service platform for families and carers. Users are guided through an intuitive music survey from home, answering carefully structured questions before receiving a personalised playlist.

Integration with Spotify allows playlists to sync automatically, ensuring the experience is immediate and accessible without technical complexity.

Across both platforms, usability and clarity were prioritised to support users of varying technical confidence.

The digitised platform has significantly expanded Music for My Mind's reach.

Administrative overhead for in-person sessions has been reduced, and for the first time, families can access the personalised music survey remotely. This has broadened global accessibility, enabling more individuals to benefit from the programme.

By combining research integrity with thoughtful digital design, the platform supports the charity's mission to improve wellbeing for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

With scalable digital infrastructure in place, Music for My Mind can extend its impact further, reaching more families and supporting ongoing research into personalised music interventions.

The platform provides a sustainable foundation for future development, helping ensure that meaningful, memory-evoking music is accessible wherever it is needed.