This chapter offers a thorough overview of contemporary receptive music therapy approaches and specific techniques, grounded in a clear comparison of the distinctions between receptive music therapy and Music and Imagery and Guided Imagery and Music approaches. Core principles and practice considerations of receptive music therapy are discussed, including clarity around the purpose of the approach; understanding people’s music preferences; the considered use of repetition, individual volume sensitivities, live versus recorded music for listening and ongoing adjustments as the client or group responds to the music. Key receptive approaches are discussed and grounded in research, based around music listening techniques, including the importance of music selection across all methods, playlist construction, song discussion and lyric analysis, music and relaxation and music and imagery. This chapter addresses the need for detailed consideration and a strong foundation in understanding music to honour receptive music therapy as one of the four main approaches in music therapy practice (Bruscia, Defining music therapy. Barcelona Publishers, Gilsum, 1998a), illuminating the key skills of trained music therapy practitioners in appropriating music listening for therapeutic outcomes.