Music isnt just a means of entertainment and expression: it can also encourage creativity and help you become more productive. Listening to music can also be therapeutic, relieving feelings of stress so you can concentrate better.
Research shows that certain types of music can be beneficial to listen to t while working. Some types of music help with learning and improve the ability to process information, while others help block out distracting background noise. So, if youre struggling with productivity and want to know what you should be listening to, here are seven types of music and playlists that will help you focus.
Researchers have long claimed that listening to classical music can help people perform tasks more efficiently. This theory, which has been dubbed “the Mozart effect,” suggests that listening to classical composers can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst for improving health and well-being. Various studies have confirmed that listening to classical music enhances ones ability to manipulate shapes and solve spatial puzzles.
The absence of words in the music may be one factor, as songs that contain lyrics have been found to be a distraction when youre trying to focus. Classical music is also known for being calming and relaxing. Some selections, like Beethovens “Für Elise,” seem to help students study longer and retain more information. Here are other few classical selections you can use to boost productivity while working:
Listening to the sounds of nature, like waves crashing or a babbling brook, has been shown to enhance cognitive function and concentration. Nature sounds work best when theyre soothing sounds, such as flowing water or rainfall, while more jarring noises such as bird calls and animal noises can be distracting.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that natural sounds boost moods and focus. The study found employees were more productive and had more positive feelings when nature sounds were playing in the background while they worked. This may be because nature sounds helped mask harsher, more distracting noises, such as people talking or typing. Researchers also found that workers not only performed better on tasks, but calming nature sounds improved overall brain function. Here are some selections to try:
An intense film score can make you feel like youre doing something inspiring or important, even if youre just chipping away at your to-do list. A grandiose, epic soundtrack playing in the background may make even the most mundane tasks feel like youre changing the world, thus heightening your concentration and productivity.
Cinematic music scores can be empowering, lifting your spirits and brightening your mood. So, if youre feeling tired and drained, try listening to some epic cinematic music to give you that extra boost of motivation. Some great movie scores to try include:
Music has a powerful effect on the brain. The right tunes can energize you, calm you down, or get those creative juices flowing. That’s why listening to music while working can be incredibly beneficial especially if you choose songs that enhance concentration and motivation.
But not all music is created equal when it comes to productivity. The genre, tempo, lyrics, and variety of songs you listen to can impact whether music helps or hinders your work. Science has explored how different types of music affect the brain and influences factors like focus, creativity, and efficiency.
If you want to create the optimal soundtrack for your workday, here are some of the best music genres and types of songs to choose, according to science.
Instrumental/Classical Music
Research has consistently found classical music to be one of the most effective options for providing motivation during work. In a study published in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, employees doing data entry tasks were found to be more productive when listening to classical music compared to pop music or silence.
There are a few reasons why instrumental tunes like Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven may boost productivity:
- The lack of lyrics prevents words from competing with the task at hand in your working memory
- Classical music promotes calmness and reduces stress thanks to its harmonic and rhythmic structure
- Uplifting motifs inspire motivation and mental alertness
- Playing classical music impacts dopamine levels in a way that boosts concentration
So when you need to power through analytical tasks, writing projects, data entry, or any activity requiring laser focus, turn on some classical or instrumental music. Just avoid listening to songs you know well, as you may end up unconsciously singing along Stick to unfamiliar scores.
Ambient Background Music
For relatively straightforward tasks that don’t require a ton of brainpower, ambient music can enhance productivity. This includes music designed for relaxation, like soft piano, gentle acoustics, ocean waves, or nature sounds.
These types of ambient, soothing tunes allow you to stay focused while also keeping your mind from wandering too much. Your work will benefit from the pleasant, mild stimulation of the music, along with its ability to mask distracting noises like chatter, doors opening and closing, or construction work.
Save the peaceful, mellow sounds for administrative tasks, organizing, housework, cooking, drawing, and other repetitive jobs. The right ambient mix will keep you just tuned in enough to stay on track.
Energizing Music
Need a pick-me-up to power through a challenging project? Upbeat, energetic music may be just what you need. Songs with faster tempos have been shown to temporarily increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing – activating you both mentally and physically.
Some options when you require energizing music:
- Upbeat pop music – Especially catchy, familiar tunes will get your toes tapping as you work.
- Fast-paced electronic dance music – The pulsating beats will keep you alert.
- Rock music – Guitars, drums and empowering vocals provide fuel for tough tasks.
- Movie soundtracks – Epic, motivating scores help you channel your inner hero.
When tackling brain-intensive work like data analysis, content creation, research, or complex problem-solving, put on an energizing playlist. It will provide the level of stimulation needed for high-level thinking and concentration.
“Power-Thinking” Music
Here’s a cool musical trick: composers have created songs meant to empower your cognitive skills, including memory, focus, and creativity. Known as “power-thinking music,” these tunes use an EEG-based algorithm to help sync your inherent brainwaves with audio pulses engineered to enhance mental sharpness.
For example, songs by Brain.fm contain no lyrics. But you’ll hear musical elements that react in real-time to your brain activity, pushing your neurons to fire faster. This can rapidly boost cognition, perfect for learning new skills or trying to solve problems.
Other types of power-thinking music leverage binaural beats. These embedded tones play two slightly different frequencies in each ear, creating the sensation of a single pulsing rhythm. Your brain waves soon synchronize with and follow along to the beats.
Give power-thinking music a try when you’re seeking to amp up your productivity and maximize your mental capabilities. Just be sure to find tunes created based on neuroscience research rather than dubious marketing claims.
Nature Sounds
Nature holds inherent wonders that can instill a sense of calm, awe and inspiration. Bringing those effects into your workspace through nature sound recordings may give your productivity a lift.
Studies show that listening to nature sounds can lower stress, reduce frustration and boost motivation better than either artificial sounds or silence. Trees rustling in the wind, ocean waves, rainfall and crashing thunder all convey the energy and cadence of mother nature to stimulate your work.
Creativity seems to benefit most from mimicking the great outdoors. If you’re tackling artistic endeavors like writing, graphic design or developing new solutions, let nature be your muse.
Binaural Beats
As mentioned earlier, binaural beats involve playing two tones with slight differences in frequency into each ear. This produces a phantom pulsing effect as the tones combine in your brain.
Studies confirm that listening to binaural beats in the beta frequency band can boost attention span, vigilance, concentration and overall cognitive performance. The beats put your brain into an ideal state of focus and flow for productivity.
Binaural beats are most effective when listened to via headphones, so they can isolate the slightly different frequencies in each ear. Use them for demanding mental tasks where you need complete engagement.
White Noise/Pink Noise
White noise mimics the full spectrum of sound frequencies your ears can detect. It helps drown out random noises that might break your focus, making it easier to zero in on work.
The steady hum of white noise has been found to improve concentration, shorten the time needed to process information, and benefit cognitive functioning. It may even give your memory a boost by encouraging optimal encoding and retrieval.
Pink noise mirrors more natural soundscapes by emphasizing lower frequencies over higher ones. The result is a pleasant audio backdrop with the same cognitive perks as white noise. Both provide just enough subtle audio stimulation to allow busy work to progress smoothly.
Instrumentals + Nature Mix
Why choose just one type of optimal work music when you can combine multiple productivity-enhancing sounds? Mixed playlists may help beat mental fatigue by providing varying audio stimulation.
Try blending instrumental tracks, binaural beats and nature sounds. Or alternate faster, lively songs with soothing ambient tunes. Adding variety prevents you from fully tuning out the music and lets your brain reset between songs.
When using a mix, be sure the transitions between tracks aren’t jarring. Keep levels and tempos similar so your focus isn’t disrupted. An expertly curated blend of music can power you through marathon work sessions at peak levels.
Final Tips
- Stick with instrumental music if lyrics could become distracting or catchy tunes will tempt you to sing along.
- Seek out new music you haven’t heard before. Overly familiar songs may divert mental resources as you anticipate key parts.
- Adjust audio levels to be soft enough that you don’t get immersed in just listening to the music. It should support, not supplant, your work.
- Consider noise-canceling headphones to further minimize external distractions.
- Take short “palate cleansers” during long work blocks by briefly changing genres or taking listening breaks.
- Remember: Music affects everyone differently. Experiment to find what makes you most productive!
The right soundtrack can make work feel almost effortless by enhancing your energy, focus and mood. Take advantage of the proven benefits of music for productivity. Your brain and your output will thank you!
Video Game Music
It might seem strange, but listening to music composed for video games can be a great tool to help you focus. Every element of a video game is designed to create an enhanced gaming experience, and the music has been composed specifically to help you focus on your task without being distracted by a cacophony of sounds.
This music generally has no lyrics or human voices and is fairly fast paced to keep you moving forward. Many of these video games involve solving puzzles and dealing with intense situations, so youre subjecting yourself to simulated stressful challenges. Video games have invested a lot of resources into figuring out the perfect soundtrack that will keep a player focused and motivated. .
Video game music is composed in a way that keeps you engaged as you evaluate, navigate and often fight your way through these make-believe worlds. These musical compositions may be just the thing to propel you onward and keep you working through your tasks and daily to-do list. Here are some video game music selections to check out:
Music between 50 and 80 beats per minute
Some research suggests that its not the type of music thats important in helping you stay focused and productive, but the tempo of that music. Studies have found that music with 50 to 80 beats per minute can enhance and stimulate creativity and learning. Dr. Emma Gray, a cognitive behavioral therapist, worked with Spotify to research the benefits of certain types of music. She found that listening to music set in the 50- to 80-beat range puts the brain into an “alpha state.”
Whats an alpha state? If youve ever listened to music that youre familiar with, only to find yourself deep in thought and not really hearing the music at all, this is an alpha state induced by music. Youre tuning out while being tuned in.
It works best to find songs youre familiar with and set at 50 to 80 beats per minute. To do so, use a guide to count the number of “beats” in the first 15 seconds of a song, and then multiply that number by four. Heres a playlist of songs in that range, including these popular tunes:
Focus Music for Work and Studying, Background Music for Concentration, Study Music
What is the best music to listen to while studying?
Deep Focus: “Ambient and post-rock music” to help you block out distractions and concentrate. Lofi Beats: Moderate beats that are both relaxing and engaging with few words (if any). Chill Lofi Study Beats: The name says it all. Instrumental easy-listening to keep your brain focused on deep work. 4. Upbeat Tracks
What type of music should you listen to while working?
Classical music is an effective type of music to listen to while working because its sounds are developed around piano, string or woodwind instrument composition. This type of music also has no lyrics, which may make it easier to focus and stimulate the mind. Some examples of classical music composers include:
What types of music can improve concentration in the workplace?
There are many different genres of music that can improve focus, but the following genres are ideal for improved concentration in the workplace: Classical music is an effective type of music to listen to while working because its sounds are developed around piano, string or woodwind instrument composition.
Does listening to music increase productivity?
Classical Music One of the most frequently cited studies related to music and productivity is the “Mozart Effect,” which concluded that listening to Mozart for even a brief period each day can boost “abstract reasoning ability.”
