This may seem like a normal collection of songs, but these are the first playlists in the world where singing along can help you overcome a speech impediment.

Repetition is key to overcoming a Speech Sound Disorder, but for kids, repetition is boring. Except when it happens in music. Working with Warner Music & Apple Music, we developed an algorithm to analyse lyrics for specific sounds occurring with a certain frequency, as well as other conditions such as proximity to similar sounds and placement within a sentence. We then analysed over 70 million songs to find those that demonstrated genuine therapeutic value, the largest data analysis of lyrics ever.

Songs were scored and ranked.Those that scored highest and fit listener profile were compiled into Saylists: playlists categorised by problem sounds, providing an easy, accessible, and fun way for kids to practise the sounds they struggle with... simply by singing along.

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As part of Warner Music Group’s corporate social responsibility, they support initiatives in music with positive social impact. Musicians have long used their art to help with speech sound disorders (including WMG’s Ed Sheeran), so this area was a perfect fit.

Speech and language therapists have an arsenal of tools at their disposal which can help their patients. Most of these patients are children, however, which raises a problem that most tools can’t overcome - how to keep kids engaged in their therapy.

We set out to provide speech and language therapists with a unique and accessible new tool that could help their patients practise the sounds they struggle with in a way that doesn’t bore them: by reimagining speech therapy within the world of popular music.

Saylists tap into the potential of music as a tool for good, analysing lyric data and using it to provide a roadmap to therapeutic effectiveness. This project uses music by looking at it from a completely new perspective. Unlocking new possibilities, and using music’s greatest strength to help the very young people who are its greatest consumers.