Why does music often need a longer reverberation time than speech?

The need for different reverberation times in architectural acoustics is primarily driven by the requirements for clarity versus fullness.12

For speech, a short reverberation time is essential to ensure intelligibility. If the reverberation time is too long, reflected sounds overlap with direct speech, creating confusion and making it difficult for listeners to distinguish individual words.12

In contrast, music often benefits from a longer reverberation time, which provides a sense of "fullness." This quality is particularly desirable for the performance of music from the Romantic era, such as symphonies by Mahler, where a rich, blended sound is preferred. However, this is not universal; music characterized by light, rapid passages—such as works by Bach or Mozart—requires an intermediate reverberation time to maintain the necessary clarity. Ultimately, the ideal reverberation time is determined by balancing these acoustic needs based on the specific use of the space.12