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 My best days are when I’m so in the zone that I don’t even hear the music in my headphones anymore. But does the music really help me be more productive? Is it the type of music I’m listening to that’s helping or hurting? What kind of music should I listen to (or not listen to) for maximum productivity?
Research on music and productivity all support the idea that it’s work first, music second. Music shouldn’t be the main focus during a productive session because we only have so much attention to give at any one time. While there is a significant amount of research on music and productivity, the research conflicts in opinion, was poorly designed, and is not summarized in a way that gives the precise effect music has on our workplace performance.
Here are five consistent ideas that showed up in the research:
1. Our limited attention. Music, and background noise such as in a coffee shop, does consume some of our attention. Listening to music makes you feel more productive because it stimulates your brain to release more dopamine—but, overall, you accomplish less as you listen because the song you’re listening to occupies some of your limited attention. Even if the music is simple and calming, such as classical, it is still consuming your attention.
There are times when listening to music can help with productivity such as when you’re in a distracting office environment. But if your office is quiet or the coffee shop conversations fade into a hum…you’re better off without the music.
2. Habitual tasks. When you’re working on something that requires a lot of thought, music can be a distraction. However, music aids in the performance of repetitive and monotonous habitual tasks. This is because with habitual tasks, it’s easy to get bored so music can increase arousal and help you pay more attention to your work.
3. Music and mood. Music causes the brain to release more dopamine, a pleasure chemical that lifts mood and makes us feel happier. Listening to music during a work break is the best of both worlds because music enhances your mood and will lead you to perform better once you get back to work.
4. Familiarity is key. Research shows that we prefer and are less distracted by music we are familiar with. These songs boost our mood and brain activity more than unfamiliar tunes. Music doesn’t affect productivity directly, rather it affects our mood and energy, which in turn affects how productive we are.
5. Extroverts like to jam out. There is some research that shows that background distractions almost always impair the performance of introverts more than extroverts. The effect is moderate but not extreme and both types do take a performance hit.
Studies about music and productivity can be misleading. Someone who listened to music all day will almost always report being more productive than usual—not necessarily because they got more done, but because the music they listened to gave them more energy.
So the takeaways: if you’re going to listen to music, listen to songs you are familiar with, that are less complex, and turn it down when you really need to focus.
Do you listen to music while you work? What kind of music? Do you find it helpful or distracting?
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