Do you listen to music when you work? Or do you prefer complete silence so you can concentrate? And if you do listen to music, what kind of music helps you be more productive? We all have different taste when it comes to music, and what works for one person may not work for another. So it’s worth experimenting with different genres to see which type of music helps you focus on the task at hand. And while some research has found that listening to fast-paced music makes people more productive than listening to slower songs, other studies have found the opposite.
Some of this might come down to personal preference too: One study found that jazz listeners were more likely than participants who listened to no music or pop songs to correctly identify words in a flight of general knowledge questions. Which suggests your tastes in music could also help your productivity in specific fields. Here’s how different genres can affect your productivity online…
Fast-paced music
If you like listening to fast-paced music, you might be better off listening to songs that are below 120 beats per minute (BPM). This is the tempo of a brisk walk, so listening to songs around this speed could help you keep a steady pace as you work. BPM isn’t the only factor that affects whether music is helpful or harmful to productivity, though. You also need to pay attention to the volume of the music you’re listening to and whether the lyrics are meaningful and distracting.
There’s a lot of conflicting research on this last point, but you may want to avoid lyrics that are very distracting or sad. If you’re looking for songs about productivity, you might want to try something like The Lumineers’ “Hey Ho” or Ed Sheeran’s “Castle On the Hill.” You can also find helpful songs about working hard, such as Imagine Dragons’ “ Warriors” or The Script’s “ Hall of Fame.” As you listen to music, you may find that it helps you to stay motivated and focused on work.
Loud, chaotic music
Listening to music that is as loud and chaotic as possible isn’t always great for productivity. If you’re listening to very loud, chaotic music, you’re more likely to get distracted and feel stressed. Loud, chaotic music can also make it harder to concentrate, because it drowns out the sounds around you, which can be helpful for staying focused. Depending on the type of loud, chaotic music you listen to, it could also increase your heart rate and make your muscles more tense. So if you listen to very loud and chaotic music while you work, it could make you more stressed and tired. A good rule of thumb is to always keep the volume of your music below your normal speaking volume.
Loud music is more likely to distract you and affect your productivity than quieter music. If you need to listen to music while you work and can’t find anything at a volume you like, try choosing music that is more chaotic and stressful. This may seem like a strange way to improve your productivity, but it can actually help you focus. If you have trouble concentrating, chaotic music can make it easier for you to focus, because it blocks out other sounds around you.
Loud and fast-paced music
If you like to listen to loud and fast-paced music, it could be helpful to look for songs that are around 80 BPM. This is the tempo of someone who’s walking quickly but not running or sprinting. So music that is around 80 BPM could help you feel energized without making you feel stressed or anxious. It’s worth being careful about the volume of the music you listen to though. Music that is too loud can make it harder to work and may even damage your hearing.
Loud music can also be distracting and make it harder to focus. If you need to focus on something and find that loud music is distracting, try to find headphones that have a noise-canceling feature. This can help to reduce the volume of the music you’re listening to so it’s not as loud or distracting. If you need to work in a loud environment or find it hard to focus because of background noise, you can also try to find earplugs that you can wear. Earplugs can make it easier to focus and can reduce the amount of background noise you have to deal with.
Soft and slow music
If you like to listen to soft, slow music, you may want to look for songs that are around 60 BPM. This is around the speed of someone who’s casually walking. So soft and slow music can help you feel relaxed and focused as you work. Depending on the lyrics of the songs you listen to, soft music can also help you concentrate better. And it can help you feel less stressed and anxious, which can make it easier to focus on your work. If you’re writing or doing something that requires a lot of attention to detail, try listening to soft and slow music. It may help you stay focused. If you’re not really a fan of instrumental music, you can also try listening to audio books. Many books, especially non-fiction books, are read slowly.
Audiobooks can help you feel more relaxed, and it can also help you focus on your work. Choosing slow, soft music is a simple way to improve your mood and help you relax. It can lower your blood pressure and reduce stress. It can also help you fall asleep easier if you have trouble sleeping. Depending on your taste in music, you can also choose songs that have a positive message. This can help you in your work and in your life.
Rock Music And Productivity
If you like listening to rock music while you work, you may want to avoid songs that have sad, depressing or angry lyrics. This can really help you to avoid getting distracted by sad memories or negative feelings. A study of workers in a call center found that listening to sad or angry music made call center employees less productive. Rock music that is positive and upbeat, on the other hand, may help you feel energized and more productive.
Electronic Music and Productivity
Electronic music is typically fast-paced, loud and chaotic. So if you like to listen to this type of music, you may want to look for songs with less intense lyrics. Electronic music with less intense lyrics can help you stay focused on your work, but it won’t make you feel stressed or anxious. Electronic music with more intense lyrics, on the other hand, could make it harder to concentrate on your work.
Classic Rock and Productivity
If you like to listen to classic rock music while you work, you may want to look for positive and upbeat songs. This can help you stay focused on your work without making you feel stressed or anxious. Classic rock is a great genre of music to listen to if you want to boost your productivity. This type of music is known to almost everyone and has been around for decades and was popular during a time when people had to work with manual machines. Because of this, classic rock music often has a steadying, repetitive rhythm that can help you focus on your work. You may want to consider listening to a playlist of your favorite classic rock songs while you work to see if it helps you stay productive.
Conclusion
There’s a lot of conflicting research about which types of music are best for productivity. Loud, chaotic music can help you feel energized, but it can also make it harder to concentrate. Soft, slow music can help you relax and stay focused, but fast-paced rock music can also be helpful for productivity. So in the end, it really comes down to your personal preference.
That’s because the music that helps you stay focused and productive doesn’t have to be the same music that works for someone else. And the best type of music for productivity could change depending on the project you’re working on. So it’s worth experimenting with different genres to see which music helps you focus on the task at hand. One way to experiment is to try listening to different types of music in different settings. For example, you could try listening to classical music while you’re working on one project and see if it helps you stay focused. If it does, then it might be helpful for another project where it may not have worked as well with the first genre of music you tried. You can also try adjusting the volume of the music to see if that helps.
Some research suggests that softer music can help you focus better than louder music, so you may want to experiment with adjusting the volume. In the process, keep in mind the underlying science behind why music can have a positive or negative effect on your productivity. Loud music might seem like it would be more distracting than soft music, but it actually helps you stay energized and alert. Slow music might seem easier to focus on than fast-paced music, but it actually makes it much easier to relax and let go of stress.