We may never hear it from the cows themselves, but science, and even a bit of mythology, suggests that cows respond well to music.
While there's no definitive scientific proof that cows love jazz, there's growing evidence that music can influence their mood and behaviour.
In Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna is famously depicted playing the flute, with cows lovingly gathered around him, enchanted by the sweet sound of his music.
According to tradition, cows would stop grazing, listening with delight to Krishna’s melodies, suggesting an age-old belief in music’s calming effect on bovine souls.
Investigating how cows respond to music is not new. Back in 1978, researcher Wisniewski discovered that playing country music in dairy barns encouraged cows to enter the milking parlour more willingly.
In 1997, Uetake and colleagues found similar results when classical music was played to cows approaching an automatic milking system. The interpretation? The music was calming, making cows feel more relaxed during milking.
From Mozart to Metallica, we humans have a wide range of musical tastes. But what about cows?
A study explored this question by playing various music genres, including country, rock, jazz, reggae, pop, classical, opera, rap, hip hop, lullabies, and heavy metal, to dairy cows. The researchers measured changes in heart rate, breathing rate, milk yield, and behaviour.
Here are some patterns that stood out:
Heavy metal tended to make cows feel on edge.
Rap music left some cows looking, well, confused.
Country, classical, reggae, and lullabies helped cows appear relaxed. In one instance, a cow even fell asleep to lullaby music.
One of the most cited studies on music and cows comes from the University of Leicester (2001). Researchers found that cows exposed to slow-tempo music (under 100 beats per minute), like Beethoven, REM, or smooth jazz, produced up to 3% more milk. That may not sound like much, but across large dairy farms, it adds up.
Jazz, especially its smooth, mellow, instrumental styles, appears to replicate the calm atmosphere cows prefer. The genre’s softer tempo and flowing melodies align well with the bovine need for a stress-free environment. Unlike the sharp beats of high-energy music, jazz creates a laid-back soundscape, one that cows seem to vibe with.
Cows might not have Spotify playlists (yet), but they do seem to respond to certain tunes. Jazz, it turns out, might be just the soundtrack to a happier herd and a fuller milk pail.