--- title: "Elon Musk Says Neuralink Will Stream Music Straight Into Your Brain" description: "Elon Musk’s brain-hacking startup Neuralink is gearing up to show off what it’s been working on in an update on August 28. But Musk couldn’t help himself from teasing what Neuralink’s brain-computer interfaces could one day be capable of. When computer scientist Austin Howard asked Musk if we could one day listen to music directly […]" date: "2020-07-20" modified: "2020-07-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-neuralink-stream-music-brians" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "brain computer interface" - "elon musk" - "neuralink" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says Neuralink Will Stream Music Straight Into Your Brain ![According to Musk, brain computer interfaces in the future will allow us to ditch the headphones and beam music straight to our brains.]() *\Image: Neuralink/Victor Tangermann\* ## Yes Man Elon Musk's brain-hacking startup Neuralink is gearing up for a long-awaited reveal [on August 28](). And Musk himself can't seem to help himself from teasing the brain-computer interface. On Sunday afternoon, when computer scientist Austin Howard [asked Musk on Twitter]() if we could one day listen to music directly through such an interface — streaming it directly into the brain, in other words, with no headphones needed — Musk [replied]() with a curt "yes." ## Skull Lasers We still know very little about what Neuralink has been working on. Our best look so far came during a [2019 presentation]() in which the company showed off a device that hooks up to the brain via holes in the skull cut by lasers. Early iterations of such a device are largely aimed at repairing broken neural connections in those who suffer brain disorders including Parkinson's, Musk said during a [recent podcast appearance](). It's still entirely unclear if Neuralink's brain-computer interfaces will ever be able to bypass the ear, the cochlear nerves, and beam music magically to the auditory brain. But Musk has already set his sights on bigger things. When [asked]() by another Twitter user if Neuralink's devices could also help "stimulate the release of oxytocin, serotonin, and other chemicals when needed," Musk replied with another "yes." ## Now Hiring While some high-tech headphones have promised to beam music ["straight to your brain,"]() they achieve this by sending vibrations to the skull — not stimulating neurons inside the brain. To make that feature and more a reality, Neuralink is looking to add more, well, brains to its operations. "If you’ve solved hard problems with phones/ wearables (sealing, signal processing, inductive charging, power management, etc.), please consider working at \[Neuralink\]," [Musk tweeted]() over the weekend. **READ MORE:** *[Elon Musk claims his Neuralink chip will allow you to stream music directly to your brain]()* \[*The Independent*\] **More on Neuralink:** [Elon Musk Teases Major Neuralink Reveal]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()