Does Music Help You Study? The Best Music For Studying
Does music help you study? Or does it just encourage karaoke?
You might think the only way to study is by sitting in complete silence, zero distractions, and a lot of coffee.
While some of that might be true (inject me with caffeine, please), sitting in silence might end up being counter-productive. What works for some people might not work for others, but does music help you study?
It can do. For many people, putting in headphones can help them to get in the right mood for studying, but for others, the idea of listening to music while trying to learn something new sounds like a nightmare.
There is, however, some science behind music helping people to study — but don’t expect to blast heavy metal and get top marks on your assignments.
Jump to:
- Does music help you study?
- Does classical music help you study?
- Best music for studying
- ADHD focus music
Does music help you study?
Listening to music while studying won’t automatically get you the highest grades, but it can help you to study better and more efficiently.
Not everyone will experience the same effects, but these are some of the ways music can help you study…
It can motivate you
For people that enjoy music, listening to your favourite songs can be really motivational. Research suggests that music can be as rewarding as treating yourself to a film or a takeaway. You could listen to music on your study breaks as a way of rewarding yourself for doing well so far, and this could motivate you to get back to your work.
Listening to music while you’re actually studying can also motivate you based on what you’re listening to. Just like how in the gym everyone wants to listen to an upbeat and motivational playlist to encourage you to really pull through with your workout, listening to songs that make you feel good can also encourage you to get your work done if you’re trying to write an essay or complete a presentation for uni.
It can improve your mood
Music can help to reduce stress and put you into a positive mindset. Research suggests that listening to your favourite songs can help to boost your mood and make you feel more positive about the challenges you’re facing, especially if you’re finding studying hard.
Ever tried to study when you’re in a foul mood? Yeah, nothing sinks in, does it? By being in a good mood while you’re studying, you’re far more likely to actually succeed and have a successful study session than if you were feeling down or unmotivated. Unfortunately, like most things, studying and revising is a mindset that you have to get into.
If you arrive at the library feeling negative and telling yourself how much you don’t want to be there, you’re probably not going to achieve great results. But, if you go in with a positive mindset and good mood while listening to music that you love, you’re far more likely to smash your study session (just try not to sing out loud in the library).
It can increase focus
Listening to music while you’re studying can actually help to increase your focus and concentration levels, helping your brain to absorb new information more easily.
Research suggests that by listening to music while you’re studying, it can engage your brain in a way that trains it to pay better attention to events and make predictions about what might happen. This means that while you’re studying if you struggle to process new information, listening to music can actually help you to understand what you’re trying to learn better.
It can also be really helpful if you’re trying to study in a busy or crowded space. Although libraries are typically quiet zones, there are general breakout areas with no rules meaning that there could be a lot of background noise and coffee shops can also be very loud too.
Not forgetting to mention that living in student accommodation rarely comes with ultimate silence, whether it’s your flatmate’s noisy hairdryer, the people upstairs watching TV too loudly, or people shouting outside; you might find it hard to find anywhere that’s totally silent to study.
Putting in headphones and listening to a dedicated study playlist can help you to block out the outside world and any distractions and focus solely on the work you’re trying to do, rather than what’s going on outside.
It can help you memorise new information
Sometimes revising can feel pretty useless when you’re staring at your textbooks and nothing seems to be going in. If you struggle with this, research suggests that listening to classical music can stimulate your brain to boost your ability to memorise things.
Much like going to the gym helps to train your body, exercising your brain can help train you to become sharper and learn new things.
While your favourite songs and artists can help you to block out the world and motivate you while you’re studying, listening to classical music, or sounds you wouldn’t normally opt for can be relaxing and can promote better memory.
Listening to music doesn’t necessarily have to mean the music you listen to every day and you can find study playlists on Spotify or Apple Music that are specifically designed to help you concentrate and focus, with classical music being a popular choice for many based on the research suggesting it can help train your brain.
If you’re stressing about your exams, we’ve got tips on when and how to revise effectively for university exams.
Does classical music help you study?
Again, there’s no concrete answer; everyone is different. But, classical music can be helpful for improving your studying.
Benefits of listening to classical music while studying:
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate, reducing stress levels
- Can help improve memory
- Allows for more focus and paying attention
- Can reduce cortisol and produce dopamine to improve mental health
- Can help with improving your sleep patterns, leading to better studying
It might be helpful to listen to classical music while studying if you often find yourself singing along to songs with lyrics. There’s nothing wrong with a little groove now and again, but you don’t need to memorise the words to ‘Espresso’ while trying to work on your assignments.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be classical music, either. Music with no lyrics such as lo-fi beats and frequencies can help direct your focus to your studies while relaxing your state of mind.
Listening to music while studying isn’t the only way to help keep your focus. There are plenty of study apps for students that aim to boost productivity and help with note-taking, too.
Best music for studying
There’s no one playlist to suit everyone. It might take some trial and error to figure out what (if any) music helps you study.
For ultimate concentration, try listening to instrumental, classical, or lo-fi music to get the cogs working in your brain. These types of music can help you get into ‘the zone’ and keep your attention where it matters most.
Music that puts you in a good mood can also be beneficial for your studying sessions, as long as you don’t get too distracted and try to start a karaoke booth in the library.
We’ve pulled a selection of study playlists that might help improve your studying.
Study playlist
Rory Gilmore is the ultimate study inspiration. If you fancy following her footsteps, read through the ultimate Rory Gilmore reading list for the best classics in literature.
ADHD focus music
For many people, studying isn’t something we want to do, and can sometimes lack the motivation to do so. But for others, this task (as well as many others) can be really difficult to maintain if you have ADHD — Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder. In fact, studying at university with a neurodiversity is still a challenge for many.
Individuals with ADHD tend to struggle to stay focused on the task at hand, unable to sit still, have a short attention span, or struggle to keep track of things and tasks. This can make studying with ADHD really stressful, especially when dealing with exam stress and looming deadlines.
Listening to music while studying can actually be really beneficial for people struggling with ADHD, as it can help hone their focus on what matters, and can sometimes mute the noise in their heads, helping them to feel more relaxed.
Below are some of the best playlists of ADHD focus music for you to try out.
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