Background & purpose: Pain is prevalent in the ICU at rest and during standard procedures. Clinical practice guidelines recommend a multi-modal approach to pain management, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Music has been shown to be efficacious in reducing pain in this clinical setting when played for 20–30 minutes. A preliminary patient-oriented music intervention (preliminary POMI) was developed based on theoretical and empirical knowledge. We aimed to describe the acceptability of the preliminary POMI to critical care experts. Methods & procedures: A descriptive design was used to address the study’s aim. Purposive, snowball sampling was used to recruit participants who were ICU clinicians (i.e., seven nurses, one physician, one respiratory therapist, and one social worker) and music therapists (n = 3). Data were collected via video conference, using a six-item questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide. Six attributes of acceptability were evaluated (appropriateness, suitability, convenience, effectiveness, risks, and undesirable effects), each rated from 0 (not acceptable) to 4 (most acceptable). Results: Nine women and three men aged 27–68 years with 4–36 years of experience working with critically ill adults participated. All acceptability items had a median score ≥ 3 (range, 1–4). Participants highlighted the importance of taking into consideration the patient’s music preferences and reported the use of streaming services as convenient. The timing of the intervention was more acceptable at rest or before instead of after a painful standard care procedure. Discussion & conclusion: The preliminary POMI was found to be acceptable to critical care experts for ICU patients experiencing pain at rest. Minor modifications to the preliminary POMI are needed prior to testing the intervention for procedural pain in critically ill adults.