Best Music For Studying, According to Science

Be it studying for college, studying for your career or even studying for fun, exams can be nerve wrecking and getting prepared properly matters.

That’s why we’re going to suggest you study while listening to music and propose some of the best music for studying too. 

Here’s why. 

3 Good Reasons To Listen To Music When Studying

Before we get to the music, let’s take a look at the confirmed benefits of listening to music while you study. 

Emotional Enhancement

There is quite a bit of evidence that listening to music makes us happy, in fact, there’s even a little evidence that suggests not listening to music will make you unhappy. 

There is also plenty of research that shows when we listen to music we tend to be more productive because we’re happy and this leads to greater efficiency.

You don’t want to study more than you have to, do you? So, being productive and efficient is a good thing. 

Gives You A Lift

There’s also the physical boost from listening to music we like. You don’t have to headbang your way around the room to get an energy boost from your favorite songs. 

The more energy you have, the easier it is to study, this is common sense, it doesn’t need any research to ring true, does it? 

Covers Up Other Less Enjoyable Sounds

Finally, good music, through headphones, can also drown out all the other annoying and distracting sounds of day-to-day life from your cat meowing for attention to the guy working on his car outside your house. 

It’s easier to study when you’re not distracted. 

Does Music Really Improve Your Productivity? 

The evidence suggests that it does, though probably not to the extent that the “Mozart Effect” suggested in the 1990s. 

However, there is some evidence from the Mozart Effect that listening to music gives you an IQ boost even after you stop listening, so, that might be something that helps you study too. 

The Best Music For Studying

OK, so now it’s time to turn to the music itself and you should be able to find plenty of these styles of music on these awesome free music apps, so don’t rush out and buy any. 

Classical Tunes

The Mozart Effect, mentioned earlier, suggested that listening to Mozart would have a dramatic impact on your IQ and ability to study, sadly, it’s been mainly debunked but that doesn’t mean listening to classical is a bad idea, far from it.

A more recent study showed that listening to classical music improved a student’s ability to retain information in lectures and while studying. 

Given we tend to study to remember things, that’s a very useful thing to know.

We’d recommend you try some Bach, Handel, Beethoven, and Mozart before you turn to more obscure classical artists, you’re bound to find something you like. 

Ambient Vibes

Ambient noise, while not technically music in the traditional sense, is still music in the modern sense and it tries to mimic the ambient sounds of other devices rather than utilizing a beat and instruments.

Why? Well, because many people find it soothing but for our purposes, there’s evidence to show that people with ADHD concentrate better when there’s ambient noise present. 

Natural Sounds

One thing that most of us don’t get to do during our busy lives now, is truly connect with nature and that’s a real shame.

Research shows that listening to the sounds of nature can help make up for that and even if you’re indoors, the sounds of the wild help to promote a positive mood and help you focus. 

The sounds can also help mask other sounds that might be intruding from modern life in a pleasant fashion. 

Don’t Listen To… 

It doesn’t work like that. 

In fact, we’d encourage you to experiment a little and find the music that most complements your studying-style.

The author, for example, likes to work to death metal, it certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it works for him.

If it helps you concentrate and helps you focus, it’s good for your study, if it distracts you and annoys you, it’s not. 

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it, the best music for studying might be classical but it might also be death metal (don’t push it, Ed.), well, OK, probably not death metal but there will be something that works for you, you just have to find it. 

And once you’ve finished studying, you could also check out our favorite music blogs as well as these essential music books, they’re awesome.