Published: 30 January 2020
Our brains are amazing. They’re always looking for people, sometimes even when they’re not there. That’s why we see car headlights or windows on a front door as the eyes of a face. Our ears do the same thing, choosing to focus on human voices over other sounds. That’s why some studies show that we find it harder to focus when we’re listening to music with lyrics.
Other researchers think that music actually helps increase the chemical dopamine in your blood. Dopamine, sometimes called the happy chemical, makes you feel good and puts you in a better mood to study. Below, we’ve listed our five favourite Spotify playlists you can listen to for free. They should help raise your dopamine and get you studying.
Studying Playlist: Classical Music
Classical music is a classic way (no pun intended) of making you feel good. Researchers used to think it made you smarter. That’s why expecting parents were told to play classical music to their unborn children if they wanted genius babies. That idea is less popular now, but there is growing evidence that it helps you feel happier, if not smarter. Use this playlist, with composers like Mozart and Pizarro, to improve your mood as you study.
Find the playlist on Spotify.
Lofi Hip Hop Music
Lofi is a newer musical style. You can find hundreds of YouTube channels that put together playlists of this soft, repetitive electronic music. Listening to it has a strange effect where you don’t focus on the music, but it still drowns out the noise around you. That makes it the ideal choice for studying in coffee shops, crowded study spaces or noisy living rooms. The biggest channel, ChilledCow, has over 4 million followers and three very popular playlists on Spotify.
Find the playlists on Spotify.
Peaceful Piano
Piano music has a similar effect as classical music. It helps lift your mood, putting you in a better headspace for studying. One study even found that students who listen to piano music remember more information from their lectures. Peaceful Piano is a gentle playlist of piano music. The idea here is to put you in a completely relaxed state to help you quieten your thoughts.
Find the playlist on Spotify.
Pop Study
Music without lyrics might not be for everyone. If the aim of listening to music whilst you study is to put you in a good mood, you might need something you know better. Take a look at the Pop Study playlist. Major artists like Sam Smith, Dua Lipa and Selena Gomez all feature some of their softer, but still catchy, tunes to help you focus.
Find the playlist on Spotify.
Video Game Epics for Studying
Video game music is made to encourage focus in people playing games, without being so catchy that the player loses track of what’s happening in the story. They help make you feel like you’re achieving something while including a beat of tension to keep you on your toes. That’s one of the reasons videos games are so hard to put down. It also makes video game music the perfect thing to study to.
Find the playlist on Spotify.
Do you have music you like to study to? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #WeAreSunLon.