This study used fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of emotion processing in response to pleasant and unpleasant music. Participants listened to musical excerpts, and their brain activity was measured. Unpleasant (permanently dissonant) music activated the amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and temporal poles, which are involved in emotional processing. Pleasant music activated the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior superior insula, ventral striatum, Heschl's gyrus, and Rolandic operculum. These structures are involved in music syntax analysis, working memory, and motor-related processes. The study found that the effects of emotion processing have temporal dynamics, with activations increasing over time during the presentation of musical stimuli. The results suggest that a cerebral network comprising these structures can be activated during the perception of auditory information. The study also found that the Rolandic operculum may be involved in mirror function mechanisms during the perception of pleasant music. The findings indicate that music can be used as a tool to investigate the neural substrates of pleasant and unpleasant emotions with fMRI, independent of listeners' personal preferences. The study highlights the importance of considering temporal dynamics in the analysis of emotion processing.This study used fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of emotion processing in response to pleasant and unpleasant music. Participants listened to musical excerpts, and their brain activity was measured. Unpleasant (permanently dissonant) music activated the amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and temporal poles, which are involved in emotional processing. Pleasant music activated the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior superior insula, ventral striatum, Heschl's gyrus, and Rolandic operculum. These structures are involved in music syntax analysis, working memory, and motor-related processes. The study found that the effects of emotion processing have temporal dynamics, with activations increasing over time during the presentation of musical stimuli. The results suggest that a cerebral network comprising these structures can be activated during the perception of auditory information. The study also found that the Rolandic operculum may be involved in mirror function mechanisms during the perception of pleasant music. The findings indicate that music can be used as a tool to investigate the neural substrates of pleasant and unpleasant emotions with fMRI, independent of listeners' personal preferences. The study highlights the importance of considering temporal dynamics in the analysis of emotion processing.