Music For Concentration While Working – Does Mozart Really Make You Smarter? Can increasing cadence increase your productivity? The truth, it seems, is complicated. To get to the bottom of this deep mess, I researched what sounds best for productivity, busted the myths, and picked the best songs for each genre. So fire up your laptop and plug in your headphones until we find your next favorite playlist. Research and Productivity Playlists by Genre 1. Classical You’ve probably come across countless “Mozart for Babies” CDs that claim to turn your baby into a genius. what’s up? It’s called the “Mozart effect,” a term coined in the 90s thanks to a study published in the journal Nature in 1993. In the research paper “Music and Spatial Task Performance,” Francis Rauscher, Gordon Shaw, and Kathryn Kaye report average results from their experiment with 39 college students: After listening to a Mozart sonata (K.448) for 10 minutes, knowledge Students got points. significantly higher in spatial tests ((look at folded pieces of paper and imagine what they look like when they unfold).) This effect—which the study authors called the “Mozart effect”—lasted 10 to 15 minutes. The findings have sparked various debates about the intelligence-enhancing ability of Mozart’s music. And while it may be a bit of a stretch, related studies show more promise. For example, a 2001 review of the literature found that listening to Mozart’s music improved reasoning. Improves short-term spatio-temporal but not general intelligence The researchers concluded that “many, but not all, researchers reported improved spatio-temporal reasoning performance after listening to Mozart’s music for 10 minutes reported. In addition, epilepsy patients have been shown to benefit from listening to Mozart’s K.448. Mozart may not make you a genius, but his style of music the next time you want to boost brain power Worth a try: Mozart – Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448: The Sonata That Started It All This is a great piece for participants in the original study of “Mozart’s work”. Mozart for Productivity: If you’re tired of K.448, this playlist expands it to more Mozart sonatas. Classics for Productivity: Why Limit Yourself to Mozart? This Spotify playlist features more greats from Vivaldi to Beethoven and Bach. 2. Coffee shop sound If classical music is not your thing, use the power of coffee shop effect. While the visual novelty that gaming provides increases productivity, some research suggests that these gains are related to sound. How, through a process called stochastic resonance, a certain level of background noise can improve performance – but at a level that is too loud, it can degrade it. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that moderate levels of ambient noise from a roadside restaurant improved creativity, but low or high levels decreased it. “Our findings suggest that stepping out of one’s comfort zone and into a relatively noisy environment (such as a cafe) can stimulate the brain to think, rather than trying to find a solution in a quiet room,” the study authors state. Abstraction is produced as a result of creative ideas. Appropriate levels and types of sound vary greatly from person to person, but this may be why the background of chatter and cups in a cafe is so lovely. Ready to find your happy medium? Give any of these coffee shop playlists a tap! 8 PM Rainy Coffee Shop Atmosphere: Soft rain, soft jazz, and an aesthetically pleasing scene combine to make this one of my favorite things to hear (and see!). Coffee shop sounds for study and concentration: If you prefer a more lively atmosphere, this eight-hour real audio track recorded from coffee shops is for you. Listen closely for comedic gems like the guy ordering “18 shots of espresso with nothing in cold water” at 4:29:50. The coffee shop setting is cozy on a rainy day: soft chatter, raindrops and the occasional clink of cups make the hour-long sound enjoyable without being exhausting. 3. Ambient Music The relaxing beats and soothing tunes of instrumental ambient music make it a favorite choice for people who need to focus. US and in Spotify’s 2021 survey of 4,000 adults in the UK, 69% of respondents chose ambient music as the best music for studying, and 67% said slow beats were the main factor. At the time of writing, these are three popular ambient music playlists on Spotify’s Focus Hub: Deep Focus: “Ambient and post-rock music” helps you avoid distractions and focus. Luffy’s Beats: Soft and catchy beats with few (if any) words. Chill Lofi Study Beats: The name says it all. An easy listening tool to help your brain focus on deeper work. 4. Upbeat Music Much of the research on the benefits of upbeat music centers around exercise. A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that listening to fast-paced music (170-190 beats per minute) made exercise seem easier and increased performance. Additionally, a 2003 study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation found that listening to upbeat music while riding a stationary bike increased participants’ exercise intensity. The faster the music, the faster they pedal. Can these findings be transferred from the training field to desk jobs? Only one way to find out! 180BPM Instrumental: If you need some energetic music to boost your productivity, this user-curated Spotify playlist packs the heat with a variety of instrumental tracks. Damo Running 180BPM (Instrumental): Want to feel like a hero going into battle at the climax of a movie? This can be your playlist. It’s mostly made up of Spotify “epic” songs that are fast, intense, and awesome, but without the distracting lyrics! 190BPM For Runners: And if you really want to pump up the pace, this playlist has lyrics-less songs all at 190bpm to distract you. 5. Sounds of nature Few of us can take a bath in the forest in the middle of our work day. But thankfully, listening to recordings of birds and rustling leaves is enough to soothe frayed nerves so we can delve into deeper work. A 2015 study by the Acoustical Society of America found that the sound of a mountain stream boosted mood and productivity among workers in an open office. The sample size was small, however, only 12 participants. Additionally, a 2017 study by the University of Sussex found that nature sounds can help you relax when you’re stressed. Interestingly, for previously calm participants, listening to nature sounds increased their stress levels. So, if you’re already relaxed, you can skip these playlists! Spring morning setting with lake shore water sounds: A lake sits on the shore and birds sing in the background in this eight hours of soothing audio. Bluebell Woods – English Forest – Birds Singing – Relaxing Nature Video & Sounds: This three-hour song is full of birds singing and leaves rustling in the breeze. Nature Sounds Playlist by Spotify: This playlist consists of different songs with the sounds of birds, rain and rivers. 6. Pink and white noise show the noise spectrum of sound power. For example, white noise emits all frequencies at once with equal force and is louder than pink noise. Both color noises may be useful for memory. In a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports, participants who heard white noise while learning new words had better recall than those who learned new words in silence. Researchers have concluded that white noise increases the ability to acquire new words. Pink noise has also been proven to have memory enhancing benefits. In a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, older adults who listened to roses while falling asleep remembered words better in a post-test. According to psychiatrist Dr. Suruchi Chandra, the pink noise created through brain stimulation has shown good results for his patients. “Many of our patients have experienced improvements in many areas, including mood, motivation, concentration, sleep, and brain fog,” writes Dr. Chandra. Patients often describe their mood and feeling happy and light after the first 4-5 sessions of pink noise brain stimulation. Remember that the pink noise that Dr. Chandra writes about is caused by electrodes placed on people’s heads. Even if you don’t have access to a certain kind of therapy, it doesn’t hurt to listen to pink noise on Spotify! White Noise for ADHD, Focus and Concentration: This Spotify playlist has more features than white noise. It also has a brown sound (with
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