The Mozart effect is a phenomenon whereby, by listening to ten minutes of Mozart music, a person's spatial IQ is increased by 8 to 9 points (on the Stanford-Binet IQ scale), in comparison with listening to ten minutes of a relaxation or silence tape (Rauscher, Shaw and Ky, 1993). This literature review critically evaluates key works and concepts regarding the Mozart effect, including its methodologies, limitations, and finally alternative theories. While some scholars argue that “listening to Mozart makes babies smarter” is a valid claim (___,__;____,__), others denounce it (___,__;___,__). Although the Mozart effect shows a temporary increase in spatial IQ, it does not support the claim that "listening to Mozart makes babies smarter." When the term “smarter” is used throughout this literature review, it refers to the person's overall cognitive function, not just a specific domain (such as spatial reasoning). Likewise, when the term "babies" is used, it refers to infants in the earliest stages of development. A wide range of sources, such as journal articles, research papers, and meta-analysis, will be critically examined to support the claim that listening to Mozart does not make babies smarter. Tested only on babies. The majority of researchers and theorists who have published work on the Mozart effect have two opinions: that it increases spatial IQ, or that it does not increase spatial IQ. There are many arguments as to why or why not. Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky's original 1993 study showed that listening to Mozart makes babies smarter, but the research's claim falls short in several areas. Above all, studies conducted over the years have been tested on a range of age groups: adults (Daniels, Henley...... middle of article ......performance. Nature, 365( 1), 611.5. Pietsching, J., Voracek, M. and Formann, AK (2010). “The Mozart Effect: Who Needs It?”7 Thompson, WF, Schellenberg, GE, and Husain G. (2001), Arousal, Mood, and Psychological Science, 12(.3), 248-251.8. . Hui, K. (2006). Mozart effect in preschool children? Early childhood development and care, 176(3-4), Noonan, P. (2007). Mozart effect. (Master's dissertation). Available in the Proquest Dissertations and Theses database http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/88164156410, EG (1999). Mozart effect: an artifact of preference., 10(4), 370-373.