How does music affect your mood?

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I've heard some people have music affect their mood depending on the type of music they are listening to, whether its upbeat music, or slower music that might be depressing. For me it seems music has a universally positive affect(assuming it is music I like or can tolerate, but it has to be something with rhythm and musicianship to it, unlike say most rap which comes off as someone reciting bad poetry over a drum machine to me). I have depression and take antidepressants and they help, but most of the time I still feel pretty average, just slightly bored, neither happy nor sad. When I listen to good music though, I feel anywhere from what I perceive as 'normal' to extremely positive and optimistic.

I find music to be soothing. What kind of music is soothing, though, is the issue. For example, I'll listen to "goth" rock when I'm really, really angry, and that will calm me down. Usually, I'll listen to folksy or current rock music, though.

So, I guess I'm like everyone else.

I'm not sure if its related to autism or not, but I personally tailor the music to my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, a really depressed, murderous mood, I listen to that kind of music. Then I trick myself, weaning myself away from the hard, profrane music towards lighter things, and then eventually I wind up listening to incredibly stupid, sunny music and I'm laughing too hard to be mad anymore.

sounds orchestral and vince guaraldi put a smile on my face and a dance in my step

I listen to a lot of metal, which tends to keep me happy and as focused as I can be. If I'm really depressed I will turn to my favorite genre - Melodic Death Metal. The dark atmosphere aligns perfectly with my mood and then I listen to all the bright melodies threaded through the music and I find I feel much better.

Ah, music
Love music.

Unless it gets stuck in my head for hours or days

Just ATM there is stuck song GWB (f**k You Very Much)

The effect it has on me ranges from not at all to the profound. When going through some of the deepest depressions I have had I started listening to depressing music that only made it worse. The first time I did this was at the end of High School. I started an obsession with the music of Simon and Garfunkle, a 1960's folk/rock duo known for their depressing songs and somewhat intellectual lyrics. Eventually, I had to stop listening to it because I recognized how badly it was affecting me. Fast forwards ten years to my next major depression and what do I start listening to? The Smashing Pumpkins. They made Simon and Garfunkle look happy by comparison. The hurt this time was a girl who played with my heart with no intention of ever going anywhere with it. I worked with her and so I could not get away from the strong feelings that had been created. I nearly committed suicide from the games she played and my own inability to judge real attraction from fake. It was the first time I had allowed myself to think someone liked me that way and it turned out to all be just a nasty game played for the pleasure of a twisted, evil b*tch. It forever damaged my ability to trust and to believe that I could be loved. I have tired again, but both times I have turned out to be people I thought liked me but blew me off when I made an attempt. Each time it's the same situation with someone at work that others tell me to go for because they think the person likes me but the reality is the opposite of what I have been led to believe.

Music helps me take the autistic stimming away, but introduces normal social acceptable stimming... like tapping my feet to the beat.

aah, music...
music controls and times my life; whatever i do is on the rythm of the music i'm hearing, from the speed i walk at to the frequency at which i chew my food.

as for the emotions, yes, very. i am mostly effected by the intended mood behind the music; the emotions of the composer and, to a lesser extent, the people performing it.
this is why it is dangerous for me to listen to todays popular music. aside from the volume being always too high and the drumbeats almost giving me a seisure; the only emotion i feel from it is a general hate for everyones eardrums and well-being; which i then copy over my own current emotion...

Music affects my mood but only when I'm not pissed off. When I'm pissed off, even music annoys me.
Some examples:
Classical music - makes me think on a deeper level, but in the same time, makes me feel depressive and pesimistic
Rock music - makes me feel dirty but life is dirty (however it depends what kind of rock it is - some of them make me only nostalgic)
Electronic music - energic, optimistic, stimulate my imagination but when i'm pissed off, it irritates me.

And when I'm pissed off, only beer helps.

The main categories I listen to are Classical Music, Heavy Metal and occasionally Electronica.

Not only does classical music help me ponder, but for me it's also rich in emotion. Whenever I listen to a classical piece by Bach, Beethoven or Tchaikovsky, I get a very powerful vibe from it.

I often listen to heavy metal and electronica when playing video games. Often I just listen to heavy metal out of pure enjoyment, whereas electronica is often to keep me in the zone.

Music totally affects my mood. As a matter of fact, my Ipod died yesterday and it's a big deal.

I must say that Downtempo/Triphop saved my life in the 90's (it tended to relief the tension I had in the morning, like a benzodiazepine would)

My ex and I would listen to loud music all night then have passionate drunken sex

Justin Beiber is such a turn on

Music helps me concentrate my thoughts better whenever they run wild, it helps me reach a more positive state of mind when I’m depressed.

I find the sincerity behind a beautiful voice to be soothing. A balled or the sound of a piano normally hits the spot.

I listen to industrial and related subgenres (Elektro and EBM). I don't think music makes me feel any particular way, but I do have to have my music prior to going to work (or school before graduating), otherwise I'd be a complete d**k.

When I'm pissed off or tired I mostly turn on videogame soundtracks or stuff with very uplifting and hooking melodies to get the ugly side out of me.

When I'm extremely happy and hyperactive, I turn on heavy, evil and sinister tracks from any genre to release the energy.

Sometimes I devide my music collection into these 2 parts.