How Music Affects Your Productivity

Moderate noise level can get creative juices flowing, but the line is easily crossed; loud noises made it incredibly difficult to concentrate.

Bellowing basses and screeching synths will do you more harm than good when engaging in deep work.

For low-immersion or physical tasks, music with lyrics can offer huge benefits.

But trying to engage in language-related tasks( e.g. writing ) while listening to lyrics would be akin to holding a conversation while another person talks over you… while also strumming a guitar. Lyrics are often a no-go.

It may be beneficial to listen to music you are familiar with if you need to intensely focus on a project.

New music is surprising; since you don’t know what to expect, you are inclined to listen closely to see what comes next.

• Classical music: No lyrics are always a popular choice.
• Electronic music: It’s repetitive but in a good way.
• Video-game music: Game composers know the ideal music enhances the experience while not distracting the player.
• Anything soft enough to not divert attention and focus is a great addition to your playlist .
• White noise or nature sounds.