In this study, the bibliometric analysis was used to examine the recent 20 years of research on music therapy based on the original data of articles that were retrieved fom “CNKI” database. 552 articles were included. CieSpace 6.4.1 was used as the tool for bibliometric analyses. The date of retrieval was June 20th, 2024. The preliminary results show that, publications of music therapy have increased. According to the annual distribution publications, music therapy is divided into exploration period, development period and stable period. Music therapy combined with the theory of five elements in Chinese traditional medicine, improve individual mental health through different music is the focus of research in this field. Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine to intervene in emotions and emotions will be a hot topic in future research. Localization and disease prevention evolution are hotspots. Based on the above research results, the exploration of localization and nationalization of music therapy, the application of Chinese traditional philosophy and holistic view and broaden the perspective of music therapy research can be considered in future.