Which music is best for studying?

By Sean Mortell

We've all been in that mood where you’re lacking the motivation to study.It may be a dreary, rainy night that holds no inspiration. Social isolation. Being exhausted or mentally worn out. Over caffeinated.

These times are where music can help the most.It can give you a lift when you are struggling to gain the motivation to work, or it can help to calm down any nerves you may have about your impending assignment or exam.

Music is entirely individual — some people may need sounds without lyrics, whereas others may like louder music that keeps their energy levels up. Personally, I love to chuck on Australian artist Matt Corby’s album Telluric and play it the whole way through, but I know many who need classical music. Find what works for you!

Study playlists on Spotify

Spotify is home to so many playlists you may feel overwhelmed for choice when scrolling through the popular music-streaming app.

Playlists are super common and vary from genre to duration to mood. Just by searching for study playlists, you will find many different collections to suit you. You can find classical music, chill lo-fi beats and then the usual pop songs or collections from any era. Some well-known playlists include Brain Food and Totally Stress Free— both use music with no lyrics to create a calming environment for you to study.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t make your own. Maybe you could devise the next great study playlist from your own account, using whatever music you like. If playlists aren’t for you, feel free to chuck on a favourite album and listen to that through (as long as it doesn’t get you up and dancing, distracted from your work!).

These playlists are recommended for those needing help finding music for studying – it is so easy to get distracted by your own music. If you don’t get distracted then great, go ahead and listen to your own stuff. But if you find yourself studying less, then search up some playlists tailored for you.

Brown noise

Short for Brownian noise, but also known as red noise, this type of sound is often used while studying or exercising to help the brain and body work at its best. It’s ideal for those who are easily distracted from their usual music, and just need something light to create a peaceful backdrop to study to.

Deeper than white noise, brown noise is a relaxing sound used to calm studiers over long periods of time. Brown noise is easily accessible on many streaming services, but the best place to go for brown noise is YouTube. There, you can find different variations of brown noise that can span from an hour to eight hours for your studying needs. It’s completely different from your usual study music, but it may prove to be the perfect backdrop for your hard work.

Classical music

For noise that is peaceful yet won’t distract you from your work, classical music is the number one option. Scientific studies have proven that classical music helps the brain when working or studying. The relaxing rhythms are perfect for passive listeners to play while concentrating on other things (like that assignment you’re supposed to be working on!).

It’s easy to find too – the likes of Mozart has been put onto Spotify and other streaming services for listeners. There are even playlists coming out — check out Mozart: Classical Music for Studying which, you guessed it, is designed for people to play while working.

Brain.fm.

Brain.fm is a website specifically designed to find sounds that relax you and increase your focus on the task at hand. You can sign up for a free trial and see for yourself how effective it is — just 10 minutes of listening to this stuff and you can find yourself in the zone.

It uses a scientific approach to devise playlists and soundscapes for people needing help to concentrate on their work. The noises you hear can alter, but most are lyric-less and are designed to be played in the background.