Apple Music has partnered with Warner Music and Accenture Interactive's Rothco to launch "Saylists" – playlists of songs selected to help young people with a speech-sound disorder, or SSD.
According to the BBC, the project uses algorithms to find song lyrics in Apple Music's vast library of tracks that repeat challenging sounds, allowing listeners to sing along as a form of speech therapy.
Getting children with SSD to repeat challenging syllables, words, and phrases is considered to be one of the most successful therapeutic strategies, reports Musicweek. The repetition involved can be tedious and draining for children, which is why the "Saylists" are designed to add a fun and engaging element to that experience.
So far, the algorithm has selected 173 tracks that meet its criteria, including Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now," Lizzo's "Good As Hell," and Fatboy Slim's "Right Here, Right Now."
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists chief executive Kamini Gadhok told BBC News: "We're always pleased to hear about innovative approaches that support speech-and-language therapists in their work. As with all new techniques and tools, we recommend effective evaluation and monitoring of outcomes."
The "Saylists" are English-language only and can only be accessed by Apple Music subscribers in the United Kingdom, where one in 12 children experience some form of SSD. Whether the program will be extended to other regions and territories remains unknown.
Update: Apple Music "Saylists" will in fact be available globally, MacRumors can confirm.
