There are generally three types of people when it comes to listening to music while working — those who do so regularly, and those who like the occasional indulgence, and those who require absolute silence. Which one are you?
If you’re a fan of what’s known to some as the holy grail of productivity, music helps many of us get into the oh-so-revered ‘focus zone’ that allows us to smash out our best work. But for others, music is a distraction.
For those of us who are music lovers, there’s a lot to choose from. Some of us love grooving to upbeat music while others embrace the soothing melodies of classical music. Some days you’re in the mood for Beyonce, and other days you’re in the mood for some catchy Kpop singles. All it takes is the right track to help us focus and delve deep into our productive headspace.
A 2019 survey of 2,000 people in the UK found that around half of them regularly listen to music while they work – with two out of five believing that it helps them to get more done. When the pandemic hit and most people had to pivot to working from home, music played an important role.
Without coworkers to break up the day, or the general humdrum of the office, many employees relied on music to fill the gap. According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report: Work from Home Edition, 75% of people listened to music while working from home at least once a week.
Which goes to show that a good tune can inspire you, give you fresh ideas or help you to relax while you’re at work — but what kind of music should you be listening to?
These tips will help guide you on your journey in exploring new music playlists and becoming more productive.
Can music help you be more productive?
If you haven’t heard of it before, there’s something called the ‘Mozart Effect’. It’s based on a study done in 1993, where scientists learned that college students showed significantly better spatial reasoning skills after listening to his work.
These findings kickstarted a whole movement, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their babies, in hopes of stimulating brain development as early as possible. It even motivated the governor of Georgia, Zell Miller, to set aside money in the state budget so every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music.
But is it really that effective? Research on the link between music and productivity has been predominantly inconclusive. Nevertheless, there are a few studies that do lend their support to the benefits of music — this study on eight radiologists found that music had the greatest impact on their mood and concentration at work. Another study found that playing background music during repetitive work tasks improved the efficiency in performing such a task.
On top of that, there is one common theme that most researchers agree on. That’s the fact that the impact of music on concentration and productivity depends on how much you enjoy the music.
For instance, this study found that students performed better at reading-comprehension tests after listening to music they preferred versus music they did not prefer.
Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami, also found through her research that those who listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and came up with better ideas than those who didn’t, because the music improved their mood. She believed that the results show how “When you’re stressed, you might make a decision more hastily; you have a very narrow focus of attention. [Whereas] when you’re in a positive mood, you’re able to take in more options.”
Whether music can help also depends on the type of task you’re doing
Not all work is the same. Your priorities might change day to day, so it makes sense that different types of music benefit different types of work such as repetitive tasks like data entry versus creative tasks like writing a blog.
If you’re doing repetitive tasks, research has also demonstrated a strong positive association between music and work efficiency for repetitive tasks.
For our creative task masters, studies from Thinking Skills and Creativity as well as Psychology of Music have found that complex music can actually distract from tasks that require a high degree of concentration, like a verbal or reading test.
So if your job consists of boring, repetitive tasks, listening to upbeat, complex music can help you concentrate and boost motivation, but if your job requires complex problem-solving and creativity, listening to calm, soothing music can help you avoid distractions and mental multitasking.
In short, you’ve got to pick the right kind of music to suit the work you do!
Types of music you can listen to help boost productivity
Classical music
Although the Mozart effect has been disputed, a study found that college students who listened to classical music during lectures learned more than those who listened to the same lecture without classical music.
If you enjoy classical music, chances are, it could be the key in unlocking your creativity and make you feel good while doing work. With so many classical artists out there, you might be spoilt for choice on where to start — try listening to the Baroque or Classical era with composers such as Mozart, Vivaldi, or Bach.
Alternatively, if you prefer a well curated collection of classical music tunes, check out this playlist from Spotify aptly named ‘Classical for Working’.
Video game music
It’s no secret that the music selection for video games is very strategic — they aren’t just your basic sound effects, they’re modern, cinematic scores designed to immerse you fully into the gaming experience.
Video game soundtracks are after all, aimed at engaging you to complete the tasks at hand without drawing your attention away to the actual music. It helps players to focus and zero in on tackling obstacles, completing challenges, avoiding traps, completing quests, searching for secret tools and more to advance to the next level.
Even though there have been mixed results from research, a study has found that participants who played the game ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ without sound had the weakest performance, compared to those who played with it on. Thanks to a viral TikTok, teens are even smashing out essays last-minute while listening to Mario Kart soundtracks.
There’s definitely a synergy between video game music and productivity — so if you’re keen to try it out we can recommend you a few of our favourites; like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, The Witcher, Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda. But if you’re an avid gamer, chances are you already have a playlist in mind to turn to!
Movie or television soundtracks
A memorable movie scene wouldn’t be as impactful without a corresponding soundtrack to build up the anticipation, reach a dramatic climax, or emphasise a plot twist. They help to keep the audience engaged and enhance the entire viewing experience.
So if you’re having one of those days at work, movie or television soundtracks could propel you to a whole new dimension. We’d recommend the work of Hans Zimmer for sure — he has penned some of the most thrilling film scores in the last 30 years.
Say hello to a productive session of cinematic proportions with playlists from Top Gun: Maverick, Interstellar, Dune, Pirates of The Carribean, The Social Network and The Greatest Showman.
Ambient music
Ambient powerhouse Brian Eno once stated that ambient music must be “as ignorable as it is interesting”. Which is why it’s perfect for working along to. Ambient music is a gentle form of instrumental music that accentuates texture, tone, mood, and atmosphere. It provides an interesting background filler while not distracting you from your work.
Ambient music comprises sounds that you hear often. This familiarity with it means that you don’t process it as distracting noises, or something completely new — like sounds you hear in a coffee shop. Check out this playlist of ambient lofi beats or this deep work ambient playlist that will be the perfect background music to get you into a focused state.
Pop music
Research suggests that there is a decrease in performance when listening to ‘familiar vocal music’. This is because the lyrics interfere with your brain’s processing of verbal or spoken information.
Listening to catchy pop songs you’re familiar with can be distracting, and make it difficult for you to concentrate. You might even find yourself typing along to the lyrics. It’s been shown to hurt productivity because you’re technically ‘multitasking’. This study of 334 junior high school students showed that their performance declined significantly when listening to Billboard’s top hit singles, versus no music at all.
The bottom line is — listen to music you enjoy, but opt for instrumental versions or tunes you’re less familiar with to concentrate and boost productivity. This playlist of instrumental pop songs could be your next favourite jam. But don’t blame us if you start singing along!
Nature sounds
Soundcapes, or in other words sounds from nature can be incredibly relaxing and help increase your focus by creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere. It can consist of animal noises, weather or other forces of nature like:
- Birds chirping;
- Rain falling;
- Ocean waves; and
- A crackling fire.
These playlists of nature sounds, birds in the forest, sounds of the ocean, fire sounds and rain sounds will make you feel as if you’re out on a hike amidst lush greenery and not sitting at your desk!
White noise
White noise is developed with a continuous frequency, and can be used to help you concentrate by blocking out external sounds.
This particular frequency of noise can be found via some of the most common household items, such as the fan, television, or air conditioner.
Check out this white noise playlist which will embrace you with a soothing hum.
Silence
When you’re trying to get into the zone, sometimes silence is best. You could also try earplugs or simply wear headphones without music to drown out any background noise.
Here’s to better productivity levels in 2023
Regardless of what you listen to, many of the positive benefits of listening to music stem from its mood-boosting properties.So if you don’t enjoy what you’re listening to, it probably won’t boost your productivity (regardless of the genre).
Try to strike a balance — in the end, it’s all about finding out what works best for you. We spend one-third of our lives at work, so create an environment where you’ll feel inspired to be for 8 hours a day.
Apart from curating your favourite Spotify playlists, don’t forget to practise self-care at work. You need to be feeling your best to produce your best work — so grab some indoor plants, set some boundaries and make sure you don’t chase productivity until you get burnt out.
Conquer each workday like the self-care kings and queens you are. Now press that play button — let’s get some deep work done!
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Wellness at Work Report 2022
