Neural Synchrony During Music-Listening: A Systematic Review of EEG-Based Inter-Subject Correlation Studies

Music listening engages complex neural processes spanning auditory perception, prediction, emotion, and memory. Inter-subject correlation (ISC), a measure of neural synchrony across listeners, has emerged as a promising tool for investigating shared neural engagement during music listening using electroencephalography (EEG). However, the growing literature in this area remains fragmented, with substantial variability in experimental paradigms, EEG acquisition parameters, and analytic approaches. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 8 studies, identified through database search following PRISMA guidelines. Results demonstrate that music reliably evokes significant inter-subject neural synchrony regardless of analytic method, with intact and structurally coherent music producing stronger ISC than temporally disrupted controls. Key modulatory factors include repetition, familiarity, and musical training, while applied studies demonstrate that ISC predicts real-world outcomes such as commercial music streaming. ISC computation methods, EEG configurations, and sampling rates varied considerably across studies. Evaluation of meta-analytic feasibility revealed that only six of eleven experiments provided extractable effect sizes, and the conceptual heterogeneity of reported metrics precluded formal quantitative synthesis. These findings establish ISC as a potential marker of shared neural engagement during music listening while highlighting the need for standardized reporting practices, including consistent effect size reporting and structured ISC summaries, to enable future meta-analytic integration.