Studying for finals or completing your end-of-semester projects? (Cue the opening of Spotify’s “Ultimate Study Music Playlist” on devices everywhere.) Many students attest to the power of music to elevate their academic performance, according to a CampusWell survey. “Music helps me calm down before a big test, focus better [while] studying, and cut out distractions,” says Kali G., an online student at the University of Wyoming.
Music can lower stress levels and improve test performance
Music can stimulate our thinking and sustain our attention for some study tasks, research suggests. A 2020 study found that nursing students who listened to relaxing music while doing progressive muscle relaxation (a mindfulness technique) before a test performed better on their exams and had lower stress levels than students who did neither before the exam. In another study, students who attended a videotaped lecture with classical music playing in the background scored higher on a subsequent quiz than students who heard the lecture without music. The pauses between musical movements may help our brains focus and organize new information, according to a study in Neuron.
When music hinders learning
It doesn’t all sound good, though. In a small study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2017, researchers found that students who listened to music while reading a text on the concept of time zones scored poorly on a test compared with those who studied in silence.
So does music help or hinder learning? “It often depends on the individual and what works best for them,” says Stephen Williams, coordinator for the music therapy program at Capilano University in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “For most people, relaxing music in the background can help create an atmosphere that is supportive of studying. Others, who might find background music distracting, might use the music as a reward or a break from studying.”
Even if you do well with background music while studying, be wary of lyrics, drama, a too-upbeat tempo, and high volume. Research has shown that fast, loud music reduces reading comprehension.
If you’re working on a creative task, try an ambient noise soundtrack. A small 2022 study asked undergraduates to list as many different uses they could think of for everyday items (first a water bottle, and then a hanger) within one minute. While coming up with ideas for the water bottle participants thought in silence, and for the hanger they listened to ambient café noise. Participants provided more suggestions and, when prompted for “original” ideas, were more creative when they had ambient noise in the background. You can find a few ambient noise options on YouTube or through apps like Coffitivity.
| If you’re… | Try listening to… |
| Reading and notetaking | Silence |
| Brainstorming | Ambient noise |
| Reviewing for a test | Relaxing music or instrumental music |
| Rewatching/reviewing a lecture | Classical or instrumental music |
| Working (as in, math homework or writing assignments) | Whatever you enjoy (try your favorite song on repeat) |
Remember
There is no one-size-fits-all music solution. The above suggestions are based on past research and studies—you may find they don’t fit with your study style, and that’s OK! Try out different playlists, genres, and songs to find the one that works best for you.
“I listen to all sorts of music when I’m studying, but it really depends on what type of studying I’m doing to help decide on a genre. It’s always good to listen to classical music when you’re trying to read textbooks or write important papers. Other times, you need music that will keep you pumped and [keep] you from falling asleep. Then I usually go for something upbeat.”
—Jessica V., fourth-year student, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado
“Soundtracks, classical music, New Age, or light electronic music tend to suit me well for studying.”
—Alec S., second-year graduate student, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
“I prefer music that fades into the background, like lo-fi hip-hop or white noise. Some light EDM [electronic dance music] may also work for some people.”
—Jeremy B., first-year graduate student, University of Florida, Gainesville
“I usually listen to classical piano or mixes that incorporate binaural beats to help me focus.”
—Gabrielle H., fourth-year student, University of California, Berkeley
“I like to listen to soundtracks, especially video game soundtracks. Their sound is designed to help you focus, and they can pep you up for a difficult assignment.”
—Jacob W., first-year graduate student, Duke University Durham, North Carolina
“Instrumental music, always. I usually listen to lo-fi or the soundscapes/sleep music from the Headspace app. Lyrics or anything catchy and upbeat is way too distracting.”
—Mariyam M., first-year student, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, British Columbia, Canada
“I listen to top 40/pop/upbeat music (but on a low volume). It helps me to stay awake and concentrate. I have ADHD, and I end up fidgeting or getting super distracted if there is no music.”
—Alyssa D., second-year student, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Background noise that works for work: Coffitivity
Seven Spotify playlists to boost academic success: The Music Universe
Study Beats Playlist: University of Texas at Austin
Classical music live stream: WQXR
Should you study with music? The research-backed verdict: Med School Insiders
Article sources
Stephen Williams, program coordinator, music therapy, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Adams, B. E. (n.d.). The effect of background music on standardized math test performance in high school students. Young Scientist: High School Research Journal. http://youngscientistjournal.org/youngscientistjournal/article/the-effect-of-background-music-on-standardized-math-test-performance-in-high-school-students
Ahmad, Y., Zainon, F., Ghazali, Z., Man, N., et al. (2017). The influence of music on memorization performance of mathematics students. Proceedings of the ICECRS, 1(2), 99-107. https://doi.org/10.21070/picecrs.v1i2.1443
Baker, M. (2007, August 1). Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds. Stanford Medicine News Center. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html
CampusWell survey, January 2020.
Dosseville, F., Laborde, S., & Scelles, N. (2012). Music during lectures: Will students learn better? Learning and Individual Differences, 22(2), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.10.004
Engel, A. (2023, April 28). Studying for finals? Let classical music help. USC News, University of Southern California. https://news.usc.edu/71969/studying-for-finals-let-classical-music-help/
Forde, W., Schellenberg, G., & Letnic, A. K. (2011). Fast and loud background music disrupts reading comprehension. Psychology of Music, 40(6), 700–708. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0305735611400173
Gallego-Gómez, J. I., Balanza, S., Leal-Llopis, J., García-Méndez, J. A., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of music therapy and progressive muscle relaxation in reducing stress before exams and improving academic performance in nursing students: A randomized trial. Nurse Education Today, 84, 104217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104217
Jubbal, K. (2023, July 6). Should you study with music? The research-backed verdict. Med School Insiders. https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/should-you-study-with-music/
Kandari, C., Raijas, P., Ahvenainen, M., Philips, A. K., et al. (2015). The effect of listening to music on human transcriptome. PeerJ. https://peerj.com/articles/830
Lehmann, J., & Seufert, T. (2017). The influence of background music on learning in the light of different theoretical perspectives and the role of working memory capacity. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1902. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01902
Mercer, M. (2021, March 10). Does listening to music really help you study? College of Arts & Sciences at Texas A&M University. https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/blog/2021/03/10/does-listening-to-music-really-help-you-study/
Mones, P., & Massonnié, J. (2022). What can you do with a bottle and a hanger? Students with high cognitive flexibility give more ideas in the presence of ambient noise. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46, 101116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101116
Sridharan, D., Levitin, D. J., Chafe, C. H., Berger, J., et al. (2007). Neural dynamics of event segmentation in music: Converging evidence for dissociable ventral and dorsal networks. Neuron, 55(3), 521–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2007.07.003
