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The Best Music To Help You Enjoy Your Study Process

Updated: June 19, 2024 | Published: January 21, 2020

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: January 21, 2020

The-Best-Music-To-Study-To---Enjoy-Your-Study-Process

While studying may often seem like a laborious and repetitive task, it doesn’t have to be. If you are a music lover, there are many ways that listening to the right study playlist can help you overcome the boredom that is often encountered when memorizing your course materials for hours on end. Let’s take a look at how you can select the best music to study to, so that you can get the focus you need to ace that upcoming test!

A male student at the University of the People listening to music while studying.

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

Tips For Choosing A Study Playlist

Firstly, remember that studying is the priority, not music! This means listening to music at a moderate volume so that it does not distract you. The lower the music is, the less likely it is to disrupt your focus.

When choosing what music to listen to, stick to your own music rather than radio stations or podcasts. This is because the presenters’ voices and noisy advertisements will disrupt the flow of music and ultimately distract you. Having your own playlist puts you in charge, and gives you the ability to choose songs that aid in your concentration.

Once you are in the process of selecting songs for your playlist, make sure that the entire playlist is around 40 to 50 minutes. This will allow your playlist to act as a timer that indicates when you should take a break, so you no longer have to worry about glancing at the clock while you study.

Also remember not to take too much time selecting your playlist, as the focus should be spent on studying. Choose repetitive songs, without any unexpected surprises or lyrics that can distract you, and remember that if you are sometimes not in the mood for music, there are other routines you can use to help you study. This includes wearing headphones without music so you can block out background noise, or simply listening to ambient noise if you don’t like complete silence. You can find ambient noise on websites like Coffitivity.

A female student at the University of the People listening to music in the background while studying.

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

What Music Genres To Consider

1. Classical

Classical music is always a good option. It has a long and rich history, and is known for helping people relax, improve their sleep patterns, and even reduce stress. It is also worth trying due to its peaceful qualities and harmony. This will ensure that you remain in a good mood, or at least prevent you from getting too distracted by music that is a bit too loud or exciting.

2. Epic

This type of music is very uplifting, and can make you feel like you are doing something significant with your life, which is exactly what college is. If you are looking for some music to inspire you during your study sessions, give epic music a try.

3. Video Game Music

The reason why this music is so effective for studying is because each soundtrack is specially designed to keep you focused on what you’re doing. They are also designed to enhance the overall experience of the video game. Listening to this music while studying may help you concentrate as well as enjoy your study sessions.

4. Ambient/Electronic

This genre includes slow, calming music as well as fast-paced beats. While this is a wide range of music, it offers little distraction and provides a calming study environment. You can find many YouTube channels with this type of music, such as Chillhop Music.

5. World

Listening to diverse types of music from different cultures can introduce you to new sounds and rhythms that may be good for studying. Native American, Celtic, and Indian music that includes stringed instruments are some examples of music that are known to be very effective at relaxing the mind.

6. Instrumental Rock

These songs may be in the rock genre, but they typically have few or even no lyrics. Their reserved nature makes them ideal for studying, as they seldom provide unexpected changes in rhythm that can distract you from studying.

7. Jazz/Instrumental Jazz

While some jazz may consist of loud and overperformed tracks, it also has some smooth, mellow tracks that can provide you with a tranquil studying environment. Jazz also has the characteristic of being able to help you reduce stress levels. This is especially true for instrumental jazz. This subgenre of jazz includes the soothing sounds of jazz without any loud and distracting vocals.

8. Nature Sounds

Soothing sounds from natural environments such as rainforests or the ocean can both calm you and get you into the mood for studying, even in you were previously distracted. What’s great about nature sounds is that there are no shortages to the types of sounds available to listen to. Once you find the soundtrack that best agrees with you, you can get on with your studies while enjoying some pleasant background sounds that provide little distraction.

Consider Using A Spotify Station

Using a Spotify station saves you the time and effort needed for putting together your own playlist. There are also a variety of Spotify stations available that are specifically tailored for people who are using the stations as background music while studying.

Here are some examples of stations you could use for your study sessions:

1. Intense Studying.

This station includes a mix of classical music. While some classical music may seem dreary, the music on this station is upbeat, so that you can keep your mind sharp and focused.

2. Superior Study Playlist.

This station is comprised of soundtracks from popular films.

3. Acoustic Concentration.

A compilation of guitar tracks that can both soothe and provide a warm atmosphere.

4. NO LYRICS!

A station that provides instrumental covers of popular songs that you already know and love.

5. Study Mix (No Lyrics).

Remixes of modern pop songs by instrumental bands. While the music is upbeat, it provides less distraction than the original songs.

6. EDM Study No Lyrics.

This compilation of electronic dance songs provides an upbeat alternative for those who prefer to keep moving while studying.

What To Avoid When Selecting Your Study Playlist

Avoid listening to newly released music. The brain loves novelty and will get distracted due to hearing something that it has never heard before.

Remember to avoid songs with irregular changes in beat and chord progression. This will cause the brain to notice that the song has gone off course and it will consequently start to pay more attention to it. This will distract from your studying efforts.

It is also important not to listen to songs with lyrics that you do not already know. By listening to such songs, the brain will try to learn the new lyrics rather than learn your study material.

Finally, do your best to avoid very emotional songs. These songs can affect your mood, and will distract you from your studies because of the emotions attached to them.

Now that you know how to begin selecting a study playlist, choosing the best genres of music, and understand what to avoid, you can begin building your own study playlist that will benefit and enhance your study sessions!

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.
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