The soundtrack to success: how Arsenal and Universal Music Group are innovating to enhance elite athlete health and performance. EP#580

In this podcast we are joined by Professor Alan McCall and Dr Tara Venkatesan, We talk about how music can be used in the clinical setting to improve outcomes in performance and recovery. We get into detail about styles of music and how they could be used in different scenarios. Dr.Tara Venkatesan is the Senior Director of Cognitive Science Research at Universal Music Group. Her lab researches the impact of music on mental wellbeing and helps develop consumer products. She has a B.S. in Cognitive Science from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and media, including The New York Times, BBC, Channel News Asia, and Health Magazine. She is an Honorary Fellow at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. Professor Alan McCall is a practitioner and researcher with over 20 years of experience in elite sport. He spent 12 years embedded day to day inside professional and national teams, before moving into consultancy, where for the past decade he has worked alongside coaches, medical, and performance staff across different sports and countries. He is currently Consulting Head of Research & Development at Arsenal Football Club and supports clubs, federations, and governing bodies across European leagues, as well as FIFA, UEFA, the NBA, and the NFL. Alongside his applied work, he has published over 130 papers in sports performance and holds visiting research fellowships and editorial roles, with a focus on what actually works in real-world sporting environments—helping teams make better decisions under pressure by connecting research, data, and lived experience. Links: The soundtrack to success: can music enhance elite athlete’s health and performance?bjsm.bmj.com

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The soundtrack to success: how Arsenal and Universal Music Group are innovating to enhance elite athlete health and performance. EP#580 is an episode from BJSM by BMJ Group.

This episode is 31:09 long.

This episode was published on Jan 23, 2026.

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