5/5/24, 10:58 PM Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

It can motivate you

If you’ve ever grappled with a long, exhausting night of homework, your resolve to keep
studying may have started to flag long before you finished.

Perhaps you promised yourself a reward in order to get through the study session, such
as the latest episode of a show you like or your favorite takeout meal.

Research from 2019 suggests music can activate the same reward centers in your brain
as other things you enjoy. Rewarding yourself with your favorite music can provide the
motivation you need to learn new information.

If you prefer music that doesn’t work well for studying (more on that below), listening to
your favorite songs during study breaks could motivate you to study harder.

It can increase focus

According to a 2007 study, music — classical music, specifically — can help your brain
absorb and interpret new information more easily.

Your brain processes the abundance of information it receives from the world around you
by separating it into smaller segments.

The researchers found evidence to suggest that music can engage your brain in such a
way that it trains it to pay better attention to events and make predictions about what might
happen.

How does this help you study? Well, if you struggle to make sense of new material,
listening to music could make this process easier.

You can also link the ability to make better predictions about events to reasoning skills.

Improved reasoning abilities won’t help you pull answers out of thin air come exam time.
But you could notice a difference in your ability to reason your way to these answers
based on the information you do have.

Other research also supports music as a possible method of improving focus.

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study#fa-qs 1/4
5/5/24, 10:58 PM Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

In a 2011 study of 41 boys diagnosed with ADHD, background music distracted some of
the boys, but it appeared to lead to better performance in the classroom for others.

It could help you memorize new information

According to a 2014 study, listening to classical music seemed to help older adults
perform better on memory and processing tasks.

These findings suggest certain types of music can help boost memorization abilities and
other cognitive functions.

Music helps stimulate your brain, similar to the way exercise helps stimulate your body.

The more you exercise your muscles, the stronger they become, right? Giving your brain
a cognitive workout could help strengthen it in a similar fashion.

How it can hurt

Not everyone finds music helpful for tasks that require concentration.

It can distract you

An important part of music’s impact lies in its power to distract.

When you feel sad or stressed, distracting yourself with your favorite tunes can help lift
your spirits.

But distraction probably isn’t what you’re looking for when you need to hit the books.

If you’re trying to argue your position in a term paper or solve a difficult calculus equation,
music that’s too loud or fast might just interrupt your thoughts and hinder your process.

It can have a negative impact on working memory

Working memory refers to the information you use for problem-solving, learning, and other
cognitive tasks.

You use working memory when trying to remember:

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study#fa-qs 2/4
5/5/24, 10:58 PM Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

items on a list
steps for solving a math problem
a sequence of events

Most people can work with a few pieces of information at a time. A high working memory
capacity means you can handle more material.

Research suggests, however, that listening to music can reduce working memory
capacity.

If you already have a hard time manipulating multiple pieces of information, listening to
music could make this process even more challenging.

It can lower reading comprehension

Certain types of music — including music with lyrics and instrumental music that is fast
and loud — can make it harder to understand and absorb reading material.

Whether you’re looking at an evening of Victorian literature or some one-on-one time with
your biology textbook, soft classical music with a slow tempo may be a better choice.

What kind of music works best?

Listening to music while you study or work doesn’t always make you less productive or
efficient.

If you prefer to study with music, there’s no need to give it up. Keeping these tips in mind
can help you find the most helpful music for work and study:

Avoid music with lyrics. Any music that has lyrics in a language you understand will
probably prove more distracting than helpful.
Choose slow, instrumental music. Existing research generally focuses on classical
music, but if you don’t enjoy this genre, you could also consider soft electronic,

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study#fa-qs 3/4
5/5/24, 10:58 PM Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

space, or ambient — the kind you might hear at a spa or while getting a massage.
Avoid surprising or experimental music. Music that changes abruptly or lacks a
fixed rhythm can leave you guessing about what to expect. This can distract your
brain and keep you from focusing on your work.
Keep the volume low. Study music should stay at a background volume. If it’s too
loud, it could disrupt your thinking process.
Stick to songs you don’t have strong feelings about. Listening to music you
either love or hate can affect your ability to concentrate.
Stream commercial-free music, if possible. Picture this: You’re listening to your
instrumental Pandora station when a toilet paper commercial cuts in, annoying you
and derailing your train of thought. Enough said.

Frequently asked questions

Is music good while studying?
Some research suggests that music can help reduce stress during an academic task and
that it may help with memory and processing during tasks that require thinking. However,
this may depend on the type of music and the individual.

What type of music is good to study with?

The best type will depend on the individual. There is evidence that classical symphonies
or relaxing music are a good choice for managing stress, but also that upbeat music might
boost a person’s thinking processes. Instrumental music may be more suitable than songs
with lyrics, as the lyrics can be distracting.

When is it bad to listen to music while studying?

Each person can decide if it suits them to listen to music while studying or not and which
type of music is best. Types of music that may not be helpful include songs, fast and loud
music, and music that provokes strong feelings in the listener.
https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study#fa-qs 4/4