Music is acknowledged as an excellent means of evoking favorable behaviors and brand image, and this research puts auditory sensory input at center stage. By drawing on sensory marketing and cognitive balance theories, it proposes a model leading from music perception to destination image through the mediation of historical nostalgia, mental imagery, and music-induced emotion. The boundary conditions of self–brand congruence and fantasy proneness are examined. Survey results point to the importance of musical sensory inputs in the mental imagery creation of a place, and it is conditioned based upon different levels of self–brand congruence and fantasy personality traits. Moreover, this research enriches the literature on music-related tourism appeal and destination image development. It also informs destination operators to better capitalize on music to provide an effective tool for enhancing destination image.