The tracks include songs by Hozier, Pharrell Williams, Meghan Trainor, P!nk and Whitney Houston.

Learning music has positive effects on the brain, such as strengthening language skills, improving reading ability, and strengthening memory and attention. That’s one reason why language learning app Duolingo started offering music courses last year that help its users learn music skills, including reading and recognizing music notes and playing popular songs.

However, at the beginning, the selection of music offered for learning consisted of public domain songs like “Pop Goes the Weasel” and “Clair de Lune,” not exactly the most exciting or current selection. Thanks to a new partnership with Sony Music announced Thursday, Duolingo can now include popular tracks in its music course that will be more exciting for its users.

This includes more than 60 recordings by Sony Music artists such as Dove Cameron, Hozier, Pharrell Williams, Meghan Trainor, P!nk and Whitney Houston.

Learners with the free version can play each song up to three times, each time for a maximum of 30 seconds. Super Duolingo Learners have unlimited access to popular songs and can play them as many times as they like. However, users can’t just automatically jump to their favorite artists. Rather, Duolingo chooses the song that appears in each section of the music path to ensure that the song is relevant to the notes and skills the person is learning. This means they must complete a short test of their skills in order to jump to a new unit with new songs.

The feature is currently available to eligible learners with an iOS device in English, Spanish, French and German.

In Duolingo’s music course, users learn rhythm, note names and where the notes are located on a piano, how to put notes together to play a familiar note, how to read music and “translate” what they see or hear, and how to train their ears to distinguish between notes and different sounds, such as high and low notes.

They do this by accessing an on-screen keyboard and learning by finding notes on the keyboard and then on a staff. During a lesson, users gain playing, sight-reading and listening skills and can eventually play entire songs.

By integrating popular songs into lessons, Duolingo says it aims to “improve retention and comprehension of what is learned while making reading and music more fun for millions of learners around the world.”

“Partnering with Duolingo gives us the opportunity to bring our artists’ music to a new platform that promotes learning and cultural exchange,” said Jessica Shaw, senior vice president, Sync Licensing at Sony Music, in a statement.

“Music has the power to unite and inspire, and this partnership will help learners engage with music education in meaningful and fun ways.”

(Image source: blog.duolingo.com)