Global artists join forces for Earth Day music collection

In celebration of Earth Day 2025 on April 22, over 30 acclaimed artists from around the world came together to release a groundbreaking collection of music infused with the sounds of nature. From birdsong and crashing waves to the calls of antelopes and rainforest wildlife, the new tracks aim to raise awareness of the planet’s most urgent environmental issues. Released under the Sounds Right initiative, the project marks a significant step forward in blending music with conservation, offering a unique way for fans to connect with nature while helping to protect it.

This year’s Earth Day music release follows the success of the Sounds Right campaign, which made history by launching NATURE as an official artist on streaming platforms in 2024. With over 130 million listeners to date, NATURE has become a symbol of nature’s voice in the music world, generating significant royalties to support global conservation projects.

The new collection features a mix of celebrated artists, including GRAMMY winners and emerging talents from various genres. Among them are French composer Yann Tiersen, British sound artist Jason Singh, folk duo The Staves, electronic producer El Büho and Indian-American singer-songwriter Raveena. Artists from all corners of the globe, including the UK, US, India, Japan, Colombia, Russia and Argentina, have contributed to this compilation.

Each artist has found different ways to incorporate the sounds of nature into their work. Some have used field recordings from celebrated sound recordist Martyn Stewart and The Listening Planet, while others have captured their own environmental sounds. “We live in a time where the human narrative has been placed at the centre of everything,” says Tiersen, “It’s time to rewrite that story. The Earth isn’t a backdrop to our ambitions – it’s a living, breathing force we are entangled with.”

For Rosa Walton, the choice was personal. Her track, ‘Orange Skies - Chapter 2 (feat. NATURE)’, draws attention to the devastating wildfires that recently ravaged her hometown of Los Angeles. “My father’s a moth specialist, and this track is a response to the decline of moth populations over the years,” Walton says.

SYML, who hails from Washington State, included sounds from the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound, regions that have shaped his life and music. “No matter where we find ourselves, it’s up to all of us to take care of what was here before, leaving it only better,” he says.

‘Dar (feat. NATURE)’ by Jason Singh and Liz Hanks is a poetic collaboration rooted in deep environmental listening, inspired by their walks along ancient paths beside the River Dart. Along the way, they collected field recordings, layering the natural world into their creative process. “I wanted to create a truly honest recording to capture a moment in time”, Singh says. “So, I used a binaural microphone and placed ourselves in the room so that we could hear the cello, harmonium, field recordings and the ambience of the woods outside as one collaborative entity.” The result was named ‘Dar’ by Liz, a word meaning “oak.” The sounds of the trees and the flow of the river blend with the acoustic instruments, creating a multi-species symphony that celebrates nature not just as a subject but as a collaborator.

This sentiment is echoed in Singh’s philosophy: “There is no separation between us and nature. We are all part of one living system, and my life’s work is to share this belief through sound and music. Nature exists in everything and by fostering a deeper connection with our inner worlds we will naturally learn to love, respect and nurture our outer world too”, he says.

All the tracks can be found on the NATURE’s Collaborations playlist on Spotify, where each stream generates funds for critical conservation projects. Gabriel Smales, Global Programme Director for Sounds Right at UN Live, says, “If music can make nature a collaborator, imagine what could happen if other industries followed suit.”

In its first year, Sounds Right committed $225,000 to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts in the Tropical Andes, and for 2025, the initiative plans to exceed half a million dollars in funding for vital ecosystems, including the Amazon and Congo Basins, often referred to as the ‘lungs of the Earth’.

By engaging millions of listeners, Sounds Right continues to prove that music can be a powerful tool for change, driving both awareness and action for the preservation of the planet.