Music to make you work faster

These 6 Types of Music Are Known to Dramatically Improve Productivity

Subscribe to Entrepreneur for $5

Just another example of how much you gain by listening.

By Deep Patel

January 9, 2019

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Music isn't just a means of entertaining ourselves: it can also encourage creativity and help us become more productive. Listening to music can also be therapeutic, relieving feelings of stress so you can concentrate better.

10'000 Hours | Getty Images

Research has found that certain types of music can be beneficial to us while we work. Some types of music seem to help with learning and improve our ability to process information. Other types help block out distracting background noise. Still other types sync with our brain waves to induce "eureka moments."

So, if you're struggling with productivity and want to know what you should be listening to, read on. These are the six types of music that will give you a major boost in productivity.

Related: 12 Ways Millionaires Manage Their Time to Achieve Maximum Productivity

1. Classical Music

Researchers have long claimed that listening to classical music can help people perform tasks more efficiently. This theory, which has been dubbed "the Mozart Effect," suggests that listening to classical composers can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst for improving health and well-being. Various studies have confirmed that listening to classical music enhances one's ability to manipulate shapes and solve spatial puzzles.

The absence of words in the music may be one factor, as songs that contain lyrics have been found to be a distraction when you're trying to focus. And classical music is known for being calming, relaxing and helping reduce stress. This genre of music has been found to help students perform 12 percent better on their exams. Some selections, like Beethoven's "Für Elise," seem to help students study longer and retain more information.

Here are other few classical selections you can use to boost productivity while working:

Bach Classical Study Playlist
Classical Music for Studying: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach Study Music Playlist for Better Concentration
6-Hour Mozart Piano Classical Music Studying Playlist: Great Beautiful Long Pieces
Vivaldi's quick-tempo "Four Seasons"

2. Nature Music

Listening to the sounds of nature, like waves crashing or a babbling brook, has been shown to enhance cognitive function and concentration. Nature sounds work best when they're soothing sounds, such as flowing water or rainfall, while more jarring noises such as bird calls and animal noises can be distracting.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that natural sounds boost moods and focus. The study found employees were more productive and had more positive feelings when nature sounds were playing in the background while they worked.

This may be because nature sounds helped mask harsher, more distracting noises, such as people talking or typing. Researchers found that workers not only performed better on tasks, but calming nature sounds also had a restorative effect on cognitive abilities.

Here are some selections to try:

Ocean waves and surf
Thunderstorm sounds
Rain falling
Flowing water
Water fountain

3. Cinematic Music

An intense film score can make you feel like you're doing something inspiring or important, even if you're just chipping away at your to-do list. A grandiose, epic soundtrack playing in the background may make even the most mundane tasks feel like you're changing the world, thus heightening your concentration and productivity.

Cinematic music scores can be empowering, lifting your spirits and brightening your mood. So, if you're feeling tired and drained, try listening to some epic-style cinematic music to give you that extra boost of motivation.

Some great movie scores to try include:

"Inception"
"The Social Network"
"Moon"
"Lawrence of Arabia"
"Cloud Atlas"
"Amélie"
"The Bourne Identity"

Related: 3 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Music at Work

4. Video Game Music

It might seem strange, but listening to music composed for video games can be a great tool to help you focus. Every element of a video game is designed to create an enhanced gaming experience for all your senses, and the music has been composed specifically to help you focus on your task without being distracted by a cacophony of sounds.

This music generally has no lyrics or human voices and is fairly fast-paced to keep you moving forward. Many of these video games involve solving puzzles and dealing with intense situations, so you're subjecting yourself to simulated stressful challenges. Video games have invested a lot of resources in figuring out the perfect balance to the music they use.

Video game music is composed in a way that keeps you engaged as you evaluate, navigate and often fight your way through these make-believe worlds. These musical compositions may be just the thing to propel you onward and keep you zooming through your tasks and daily to-do list.

Here are some excellent video game music selections to check out:

Battlefield One
Final Fantasy 7
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Assassin's Creed 2
Halo
The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim

5. Music between 50 and 80 beats per minute

Some research suggests that it's not the type of music that's important in helping you stay focused and productive, but the tempo of that music. Studies have found that music with 50 to 80 beats per minute can enhance and stimulate creativity and learning.

Dr. Emma Gray, a cognitive behavioral therapist, worked with Spotify to research the benefits of certain types of music. She found that listening to music set in the 50- to 80-beat range puts the brain into an alpha state.

When we're awake, we're typically in a state of mind known as beta, a heightened state of alertness where our brain-wave activity is between 14 and 30 HZ. When our brain slows to between 7 and 14 HZ, we're in a more relaxed alpha state of mind that allows us to be more receptive and open, and less critical. This state of mind is what scientists associate with activities that involve our imagination, memory and intuition, including our "eureka moments."

If you have ever listened to music that you're familiar with, only to find yourself deep in thought and not really hearing the music at all, this is an alpha state induced by music. You're tuning out while being tuned in.

It works best to find songs you're familiar with and set at 50 to 80 beats per minute. Here's a playlist of songs in that range, including these popular tunes:

"Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake
"Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley
"The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars
"Chasing Pavements" by Adele

Related: 12 Ways That Music Makes You More Productive At Work (Infographic)

6. Your favorite music

When it comes to tackling projects that you're not really excited about, it can help to put on music you enjoy. Studies have found that putting on your favorite type of music can improve your mood and productivity.

Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami, found that personal choice in music is important when deciding what to listen to while working, especially for those who are moderately skilled at their jobs. Her research found that participants who listened to music they enjoyed completed their tasks faster and came up with better ideas than those who didn't because the music helped them feel better and improved their mood.

The only time this didn't hold true was if the music participants listened to was distracting, such as having a beat that was too fast or lyrics that caught their attention.

So, the next time you need to plow through a mountain of paperwork or stay focused on a task, try turning on your favorite tunes.

How an Encounter With the 'Armpit of Destiny' Helped the Founder of Grubhub Take His Business From His Apartment to a $2 Billion IPO
You Can Train Your Brain to React to Stressful Situations Better. Here's the 3-Step Process.
How to Stay Organized and Productive While Working From Different Locations
A Disastrous Valentine's Day Inspired This Founder to Launch Her Own Floral Brand. It Became a Celebrity Magnet With Retail Revenue Up 450% Since 2019.
What Is Your Dream Job? Ask Yourself These 4 Questions to Find Out.
This Is the Crazy Process This Juice Franchise Went Through to Get USDA-Certified Organic. But It Sure Has Paid Off.
No One Would Rent Me a Café in Trendy NYC Neighborhoods, So I Tried Something Risky. Now I Have 3 Coffee Shops.

Business News

'Tip Culture Is Getting Insane': Starbucks Customers Furious Over Company's New Tipping System

Emily Rella

Dec 5, 2022

Business News

DJ Khaled Just Rented Out His Sneaker Closet on Airbnb for $11

Jonathan Small

Dec 1, 2022

Marketing

13 Ways To Increase Your Ecommerce Sales This Holiday Season

Brett Heimann

Dec 5, 2022

Some TikTok Users are Convinced That the Mario Kart Soundtrack Helps Them Do Homework Faster

When studying or working, the right playlist can really help move things along, or at least that’s what some people believe even though real research in this area is quite inconclusive. But now, some students are claiming that the Mario Kart soundtrack is helping them complete their homework faster and are calling it a “productivity boosting tip”.

A TikTok video that recently went viral shows how effective the track “Invincibility Star” is. The video posted by @daniellev98 said, "My stress levels went [up] but so did my word count.”

The particular song plays when you use an “Invincibility star” in Mario Kart. The person playing the game is meant to make the most of it by running as fast as they can, which is very similar to students staying up all night to complete an assignment or an essay as fast as they can and, many might say, equally stressful. The tense, fast-paced music apparently helps students write faster, they claim.

According to chart data, Mario Kart music has seen a surge on platforms like Spotify but none of the uploads on any site are Nintendo-official.

A bunch of students took to Twitter to share their experience and how they completed their assignments last minute by listening to that particular soundtrack.

News

Feeling Unproductive? This Video Won't Help, But It Will Explain Productivity

Oliver Noble, Michael Kalenderian, James Hamilton

07.10.20

While this might seem like a misplaced, far-fetched correlation, this method of listening to music and being able to do something faster actually has some scientific backing. According to a study conducted by a psychologist in partnership with Spotify, budding mathematicians should introduce classical music to their playlist because it can calm you and make you more attentive. But for those studying literature or humanities, Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake are worth downloading. “Listening to music with 50-80 beats per minute such as ‘We Can’t Stop’ by Miley Cyrus and ‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake has a calming effect on the mind that is conducive to logical thought, allowing the brain to learn and remember new facts,” the study said.

But not all music is made equal. Studies on background music while working have shown that music with lyrics reduce our mental performance at work, whilst instrumental music could boost our productivity.

So, being motivated by the Mario Kart soundtrack is not really an implausible idea even though we have no idea if for those who claimed the soundtrack helps, faster also means better.

Health

People Tell Us About Using ‘Smart Drugs’ to Max out Their Productivity

Pratika Yashaswi

12.16.19

But obviously, like any viral trend, this one has its fair share of detractors. Some students took to Twitter to complain about how this strategy was actually not effective and that they ended up wasting their time.

One of the tweets read, “I can confirm that listening to mario kart music while doing an essay does NOT work.”

Follow Varsha on Instagram.

The best music for work, according to scientists

September 6, 2018 Music Productivity

Music can help you stay focused and productive. You just need to choose it correctly.

Studies by scientists from the University of Birmingham have shown that music is an effective assistant in the performance of monotonous work. Whether it's mindlessly checking email or filling out a spreadsheet, having music helps speed things up.

If it comes to complex, creative, intellectual work that requires the active participation of the brain, then any music is no longer suitable. It needs a special playlist.

Sounds of Nature

Recent research by scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has shown that the presence of "natural elements" in music improves overall mood and helps focus.

The sounds of nature, like white noise, are good at masking human speech, which we are easily distracted by, and also have a positive effect on cognitive functions and concentration. Thanks to natural sounds, the overall satisfaction of the subjects during work steadily increased.

By the way, in addition to the chirping of birds and the sounds of rain, which are most often associated with nature, the murmur of a stream has a beneficial effect. According to the same studies, the noise of a mountain stream is also included in the category of attention-enhancing sounds.

It doesn't matter if you listen to a recording of nature sounds exclusively or turn on music that contains these elements: both options will have a positive effect.

Finding the sounds of nature is quite easy on the appropriate request, for example, on YouTube.

Favorite songs

Each of us has a certain number of tracks that we like more than others. Compiling such a playlist is useful, because it is our favorite music that helps many of us work better. Teresa Lesiuk, who works at the Music Therapy Program at the University of Miami, came to the same conclusion:

“Stress forces us to make hasty decisions, and the area of attention is significantly narrowed. Improving the mood through music allows you to look at things more broadly and consider more options.

Interestingly, favorite music has the greatest effect in cases where a person has not yet become a pro at his work: listening to favorite songs allowed such subjects to complete tasks faster and generate better ideas.

Music that you don't care about

Perception of the environment varies from person to person. This is confirmed by research from a Taiwanese university. A certain number of people, when listening to the most and least attractive music for them, react with a decrease in concentration. This is exactly the case when, having heard your favorite track, you forget about everything and completely go into it. If you observe a similar reaction to your favorite and hateful music, then turn on the most neutral compositions that do not cause you expressed emotions.

Instrumental music

Words are distracting. According to research by Cambridge Sound Management, noise in general cannot be blamed for the drop in performance. It is the words that distract us, because a person, hearing a speech, inevitably switches from the current lesson and begins to listen to the topic of conversation. This is our social nature, and 48% of the subjects were exposed to this phenomenon.

We can be distracted by any spoken word, whether we hear it in the office noise or a song playing in our headphones. Have you noticed how sometimes you catch yourself listening to the lyrics of a track? This is exactly the case. Instrumental music will help those prone to sticking to texts. No words - no distraction.

Baroque music

The effect of listening to music depends on its tempo. Canadian researchers found that test subjects do better on IQ tests to more dynamic music, with baroque music being the favorite here. The same conclusion was reached by groups of researchers from the University and Hospital of Baltimore, as well as the University of Philadelphia. Baroque music really helps to work better.

Another study by researchers at the Malaysian College of Engineering found a marked reduction in stress sensations and signs of physical relaxation when listening to music at a tempo of around 60 beats per minute. In the musical lexicon, the term "larghetto" roughly corresponds to this tempo.

Medium volume

The ideal volume is medium volume. Scientists from four universities came to this conclusion at once: studies have revealed a positive effect of listening to music at a moderate volume on creative thinking.

According to these studies, both moderate and loud music help abstract thinking, but excessive volume interferes with the brain's processing of information.

Songs that will make you work harder

The end of the year is no doubt a busy time. Dealers in the bustle make up reports, students tie their tails on the session and write term papers, and someone is just trying to have time to solve all their questions for the remaining time minuscule. But it is much more fun to solve such issues with a song - it not only helps to build and live, but also sets you in the right mood.

Stan Bush - You've Got The Touch!

A track from the category of "too eighties", that is, "too eighties": it smells of hairy men, similar songs, leggings and that share of inexplicable epicness that could only be found in this strange decade. Look at Stan Bush's face - it looks like he's about to rape you. Listen to the music - it sounds like all the pop music of the 80s at the same time. Here it is, the spirit of the times.

But if you stop laughing at Bush standing in the background of transformers, you can hear that the person is trying to motivate you, explaining to you that by taking a step, you will become stronger.

The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want

You can't always get what you want
But once you try, you'll find
That you get everything you need.

This is what Yury Loza's favorite has been singing about since 1969. Unfortunately, a more detailed recipe is not given, Jagger simply describes some pictures from his life (and it seems that he did not try very hard). But the main message of the song is clear even without translation.

In the West, this song has long become a kind of anthem for realist buzzers. It was she who sounded at most of Trump's meetings with voters, it was under her that Hank Moody left damned Los Angeles at the end of the fourth season (and if the series had ended there, then the overall impression of him would have been saved). So if you want to make your country "great agen" or start a new life without expecting gifts from fate, listen to this composition.

Insane Clown Posse - Fuck The World

Music that will help you draw a few drops of the missing courage for decisive action. For example, you need to smash a couple of hateful muzzles, burn down your neighbor's car, which is standing under the windows, and start doing something with high quality and courage - listen to two Detroit clowns in the best sense of the word. Only one powerful nerve and serve provoke something bold and sharp, like a blow to the balls with a sickle. An ideal composition for a mass call of strength and energy in moments when everything around is tired.

Rocky Balboa & Bill Conti — Gonna Fly Now

For 40 years now, this song has been considered an anthem for overcoming one's own laziness and complexes and the beginning of active work on oneself. When you hear the introductory fanfare, the muscles begin to contract, and the brain anticipates something serious. As soon as this song has not been mocked, but thanks to Rocky's runs around Philadelphia, it makes you want to take it and do something serious.

The Horrorist - Ich Habe Die Macht

Yes, it's hard to listen to the end, but the song works - proven by many years of research. True, it affects working capacity in different ways: for some, the heart rate quickens, and, anticipating an imminent heart attack, they begin to do everything much faster, for others, the rhythmic swotting just bugs, and, having stopped doing stupid things, they sit down for lessons. There are still others whose genetic memory awakens efficiency as soon as they hear hysterical German speech. We are talking about the inhabitants of Germany, of course.

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive

This is not just a boring old song, but an ultra boring old song. But there are a couple of points: the first is that she is great, the second is that she helps. Did you know, for example, that this composition is used by American doctors to train cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills, since the rhythm of the melody almost completely corresponds to the recommended frequency of chest compressions. And if it saves the lives of the cores, then it will bring you to your senses. This is a rhythmic song that is more fun to do anything to.

The song also describes in detail the state we are considering: “Life is going nowhere, somebody help me!”. Maybe you realize that something is wrong.

Carl Orff — Carmina Burana

Such grandiose music makes you want to do something no less epic, for example, to conquer Europe.
Although in fact the text is based on medieval poems from the collection of the same name and tells about simple things: the inconstancy of luck and wealth, the transience of life, the joy of the return of spring and the pleasure of drunkenness, gluttony, gambling and carnal love. That is, about the same things that gnaw at you. Only the music here is too triumphant and more suitable for burning a city. However, that doesn't make her any worse.

Richard Wright & David Gilmour — Breakthrough

Not all songs have to motivate with a wild rhythm, sometimes on the contrary, you need to calm down and collect your thoughts in order to bring what you started to the end. When you listen to these two noble elders, one of whom, unfortunately, is no longer alive, you understand that it makes no sense to rush about and sprinkle ashes on your head, it will not get any better. It's like you're taking a deep breath before something important - that's the kind of emotion the song gives. If the music does not get through, then read and translate the deeply philosophical lyrics of the song.

Valentin Strykalo - Dude, you're 45 years old!

What can I say, this song is about you. About the fact that it's time to become more serious, to do something with your life, to look for a job, in the end. Great and timeless song.

Manowar - The Crown and The Ring

A Gods of War masterpiece of how Ross The Boss and his comrades gathered for some kind of battle.

Learn more