The measurable effects of music in online learning remains a topic of extensive debate, largely due to inconsistent findings within existing literature. Many of these inconclusive results stem from research methodologies that focus on singular perspectives, often overlooking a balance between cognitive challenges and emotional benefits of background music. Consequently, educators and instructional designers frequently overlook the potential of music to enhance learning experiences and offer new resources to explore emotion regulation. This perspective article offers a comprehensive and balanced examination of leveraging music's benefits in online education. In this article, we synthesize recent theories across music cognition, educational psychology, instructional technology, empirical studies, and documented applications of music within online instructional contexts. Based on this analysis, we present three evidence-based propositions: (1) a refined theoretical framework elucidating music's influence on behavior and learning outcomes, (2) four strategies to harness music for enhancing learner motivation, engagement, and comprehension, (3) guidelines and reflections for effectively integrating music into instructional design. The manuscript concludes with suggestions for mobilizing the four propositions and leveraging generative AI to enhance the role of music in learning, and the further steps that researchers and practitioners can take to implement music in online learning.