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# 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Music

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> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d25e410-f9cf-450d-8d27-cf43401dfb4a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% |
| Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% |
| Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% |
| Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% |
| D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% |
| Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% |
| In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% |

Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

### TIME Newsletters: key statements

*   Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read.
*   All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d25e410-f9cf-450d-8d27-cf43401dfb4a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).
*   The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0d25e410-f9cf-450d-8d27-cf43401dfb4a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

#### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?

It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

#### Are TIME's newsletters free?

Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes TIME's newsletters?

TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk.

#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.

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by 

[Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/)


## Eric Barker


Aug 16, 2014 4:01 AM UTC

by 

[Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/)


## Eric Barker


Aug 16, 2014 4:01 AM UTC

 **Music Facts You Didn’t Know:**

* [Background music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-music-negatively-affect-your-memory) does [not improve your ability to concentrate](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-background-music-improve-your-ability-to) but will help you [when you’re](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-the-music-at-the-gym-affect-your-workout) at the [gym](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-background-music-improve-or-hurt-product). It can affect [how you work](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-does-listening-to-music-affect-performanc). A little[background noise](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-background-noise-make-you-more-or-less-c) makes you more creative, a lot hurts creativity.

* One of the most interesting music facts in that your favorite song is probably your favorite because you [associate it with an emotional event in your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-is-your-favorite-song-your-favorite). Both [social influences and quality](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-we-pick-music-based-on-quality-or-social-i) affect which songs you like. You don’t like the original version of a song because it’s better, you like it because [it’s the one you heard first](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-we-prefer-the-original-version-of-a-song-b). Whether a musician [makes eye contact](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-thing-musicians-do-to-make-y)during a concert and what they wear [affects whether you like their music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-a-musicians-clothing-affect-how-much-we).

* When [times are tough](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-does-the-economy-affect-popular-music) people prefer music that’s [more meaningful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-tough-times-produce-more-meaningful-music). Music can [predict the stock market](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-popular-music-predict-the-stock-market). Popular music has been [getting more narcissistic](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-popular-music-getting-more-narcissistic) for a while now. All the best songs [are about sex anyway](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-the-best-songs-all-about-sex).

* Do you feel these music facts are increasing your intelligence? Well, there’s a [lot](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-increase-90-of-childrens-verbal-inte) of [evidence](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-music-lessons-raise-iq) that playing [music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-increase-your-iq) can [make you smarter](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/should-everyone-be-required-to-learn-a-musica). Listening to classical music [might increase that IQ](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-classical-music-make-you-smarter) as well. (And smarter people [like classical music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-intelligent-people-more-likely-to-enjoy-c).) Music can literally affect [the way you see the world](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-music-literally-change-the-way-we-see-the) and lyrics can [influence your behavior](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-song-lyrics-affect-behavior). Liberals own [a wider variety of music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-you-tell-a-conservative-from-a-liberal-by)than conservatives.

* Music facts related to money: Bar owners get you to drink more by [turning the music up](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-do-bar-owners-get-you-to-drink-more). Love songs and romantic music make you [spend more in flower shops](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-the-music-playing-at-a-flower-shop-affect). Classical, jazz and popular music make you [spend more in restaurants](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-kind-of-music-makes-us-spend-the-most-in).

* Rockstars do really [live fast and die young](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-rockstars-really-live-fast-and-die-young). It can cost [upwards of a million dollars](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-a-hit-song) to make a hit song. [Music piracy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-music-piracy-help-or-hurt-bands) helps big bands and hurts little bands. “Overall, the Beatles’ lyrics [became darker, more psychologically distant, and less immediate over time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-do-you-learn-when-you-analyze-the-lyrics).”


* The [music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-does-the-music-you-like-say-about-your-p) you like [does say a lot about your personality](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-the-music-someone-likes-say-a-lot-about) because [different personality types are drawn to different music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-does-our-personality-affect-the-music-we).Your personality also affects[how you use music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-your-personality-determine-the-way-you-u). You get some of your musical taste [from your parents](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-you-get-your-musical-taste-from-your-paren). The music you’ll like when you’re old is probably[ what you were exposed to between ages 16 and 21](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-music-will-we-probably-enjoy-for-the-res). You can tell how conscientiousness and agreeable a man is [by watching him dance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-does-your-dancing-style-tell-others-abou) — and if he keeps dancing he’ll [get more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-dancing-make-you-more-creative).

* Country music can [make you want to kill yourself](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-country-music-make-you-want-to-kill-your) but rock music [won’t](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-rock-music-promote-suicide). Classical is the [most relaxing](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-type-of-music-is-the-most-relaxing). People who like heavy metal [don’t have issues](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-connection-between-metal-music-and). Jazz musicians actually [“turn off” part of their brain](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/jazz-musicians-turn-off-their-brains-inhibiti) to be more creative. Romantic music [does help](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-romantic-music-help-men-pick-up-women) men pickup women. Music can[persuade you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-help-persuade-people-to-do-unethical) to do unethical things. Good music can [increase pain tolerance and reduce anxiety](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-good-music-increase-pain-tolerance-and-de). Melodies are more responsible [for how music makes us feel](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-the-lyrics-or-melodies-more-responsible-f) than lyrics.

* Music facts about music junkies: People who really like music are [more likely to get songs stuck in their head](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-kind-of-people-are-most-likely-to-get-so) and the best way to deal with an “earworm” is to [just accept it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-kind-of-people-are-most-likely-to-get-so). People who are very open to new experience are more likely to [get the chills from good music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-kind-of-people-get-the-chills-when-liste). Yes, you can be [addicted to music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-some-people-really-addicted-to-music) but Robert Palmer will be disappointed to find out you [probably aren’t “Addicted to Love](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-you-really-be-addicted-to-love).”


* And of all the fun music facts I’ve presented here, this is my favorite: “An Italian singer wrote this song with gibberish to sound like English. If you’ve ever wondered what other people think Americans sound like, [this is it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-english-sounds-like-to-foreigners/).”

_This piece originally appeared on_ [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._

**Join over 90,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.**

More from Barker:

[How To Be Resilient: 8 Steps To Success When Life Gets Hard](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/07/how-to-be-resilient/)

[What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/)

[How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/)

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