The aim of this chapter is to present a research project devoted specifically to studying the underlying mechanisms responsible for induction of emotion through music listening. In the following, we present a research strategy, a novel theoretical framework and preliminary findings from our ongoing studies that explore underlying mechanisms. We also discuss the implications of this work for other issues in the field of musical emotions. The early parts of the chapter review findings about the prevalence of musical emotions, because a first step in developing a framework is to know what phenomena the framework is supposed to explain. The latter parts of the chapter present a unified theoretical framework that can explain these prevalence findings in terms of seven distinct mechanisms, besides cognitive appraisal. This will illustrate the role of psychological theory in telling researchers where to look for'clues' in their quest to unravel the mystery of emotional responses to music.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)