PurposeThe purpose of this study is stated regarding the impact of the horizontally polarized shear wave vibration on a composite medium in the terms of phase and damped velocity.Design/methodology/approachThe assumed composite is composed of magneto-elastic fiber-reinforced (MEFR) layer constrained between heterogeneous viscoelastic layer and heterogeneous elastic half-space. The considered heterogeneity is associated with the directional rigidity and mass density in the uppermost layer and half-space of quadratic and trigonometric types, respectively. The coupled field equations related to the respective medium are solved analytically by employing the method of separation of variables.FindingsThe dispersion relation of the stated problem is secured by using the continuity assumptions, imposed at the stress-free surface and the interfaces of the expressed medium. The adopted numerical examples are used to compute the dispersion relation and plot the graphs between phase/damped velocity and wave number. Parametric studies on the phase and damped velocity yield five main conclusions: (1) Phase velocity decreases with increasing value of wave number and damped velocity increases up to a certain number and then starts falling simultaneously with increasing magnitude of wave number while keeping the rest parametric values fixed. (2) The presence of heterogeneity in the upper layer enhances the phase velocity and diminishes the damped velocity, but the presence of heterogeneity in the half-space enhances both the phase and damped velocity. (3) The appearance of reinforced parameters enhances the phase velocity for the considered crystalline graphite material and diminishes the phase velocity for the rest materials (carbon fiber-epoxy resin and steel) of the MEFR layer. Similarly, damped velocity decreases for the assumed crystalline graphite material of the MEFR layer and increases for the rest materials of the MEFR layer. (4) The induced dissipation factor due to viscoelastic property shows reversal decreasing and increasing effect on phase and damped velocity of SH-wave. (5) Ascending values of the angle at which the wave crosses the magnetic field increase the phase velocity and decrease the damped velocity for all the considered MEFR examples.Originality/valueTill date, the mathematical modeling as well as vibrational analysis of wave propagation through the composite structure consisting of MEFR layer constrained between viscoelastic media and elastic half-space under the effect of different varying properties with depth remains a new challenging issue for the researchers around the globe. The current analysis is an approach to move ahead in the era of wave propagation in different realistic models based on their parametric studies. Also, these studies are very helpful to find their applications in the field of mechanical, construction, aerospace, automobile, biomedical, marine, manufacturing industries and many branches of science and technology where magnetic fields induced in elastic deformation occur.