A NEW app is being released that will help people with dementia by harnessing the power of music.

Playlist for Life, the charity set up by broadcaster, Sally Magnusson, is behind the free app. It has been designed with the help of people living with dementia and makes it simple and fun to create a unique playlist of personally meaningful music.

Two decades of dementia research proves that music can help reduce agitation and distress, reduce the need for drugs and help reconnect families.

The app introduces people to the character of the Music Detective, who helps them track down the music that forms the soundtrack of their life — or the life of a loved one. Users can access a range of reminiscence prompts to guide them to the music that holds the strongest memories. Or they can browse over a hundred playlists of songs from the past century.

The app is powered by Spotify and allows users to listen to more than 30 million songs available in Spotify’s library.

Users will need a premium Spotify account to make full use of the app.