To explore the effect of music therapy on the life quality, social performance, and self-esteem in schizophrenia patients. Methods: One-hundred and twenty patients with a confirmed diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia were randomly divided into two groups with 60 subjects per group. During a 3-month treatment period, the control group accepted only standard antipsychotic drugs, and the experimental group accepted both standard drugs and music therapy. Quality of life (SQLS), social performance (PsP), and self-esteem (SES) were measured before and after treatment. Results: After 3 months of treatment, the experimental group showed a statistically significant decrease in SQLS score compared to that before treatment and compared to that in the control group (P<0.05); the control group showed no significant difference before and after treatment (P>0.05). The experimental group showed a significant decrease in PsP score after treatment compared to that before treatment and compared to that in the control group (P<0.05); the control group showed no significant difference in PsP scores before and after treatment (P>0.05). The two groups showed no statistical difference in SES scores (P>0.05). Conclusion: Music therapy as a supplement to conventional antipsychotic drugs can significantly improve the quality of life and social performance of chronic schizophrenia patients, but it cannot effectively improve patients’self-esteem.