Does music make you study better? The simple answer is: It depends on the music, the task, and the individual.
While popular belief suggests music is a study aid, current research shows both significant advantages (reducing stress, boosting mood) and disadvantages (negatively impacting working memory and reading comprehension). The key to success is choosing slow, instrumental music without lyrics and avoiding anything loud, fast, or emotionally charged.
How can music help or hinder my study session?
Certain factors, such as the type of music you listen to, can drastically influence whether it will be a beneficial or disruptive force for learning. Here are the research-backed pros and cons to help you decide for your next study session.
The advantages of listening to music while studying
Music reduces stress and boosts mood
A good mood and low stress levels are essential for effective learning. Evidence suggests that listening to relaxing music can favorably impact the autonomic nervous system and reduce psychological stress response, setting the scene for a productive study session.
Music can improve focus
A study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that classical music helps your brain not only learn new material more easily but also interpret it. This type of music may train the brain to pay closer attention to events and improve the ability to predict outcomes.
Music is motivating
Studying can be a challenge, but music can help motivate you. Research shows music activates the same reward centers in your brain as other pleasurable activities. You can use your favorite tunes as a powerful pick-me-up during study breaks or before starting a session.
Music may help your memory
Some research suggests that listening to music, particularly classical music, can improve performance in memory and processing tasks for new information. Time for some Beethoven?
The disadvantages of listening to music while studying
Music can negatively impact working memory
Working memory is a limited cognitive system used to hold and process new information (like a phone number or a list of groceries). Research has found that listening to music can reduce the capacity of your working memory, making it harder to manage various new concepts.
Music can lower reading ability
If your study session involves a lot of reading, fast and loud music can lower your reading comprehension. A study found that slow or soft classical music did not impact reading comprehension, meaning you should swap breakcore for Mozart when tackling a textbook.
5 Best practices for studying better with music?
- Choose slow, instrumental music: Avoid complex, experimental compositions
- Avoid lyrics: Music with words is the most distracting, as your brain tries to process two streams of language simultaneously
- Keep the volume down: Loud volumes can override your concentration. The music should be background, not a focal point
- Choose music you feel neutral towards: Avoid music you love (or hate) intensely, as strong emotions can be distracting
- Avoid adverts: Interruptions from music services with ads will instantly break your concentration flow.
FAQs: music and concentration for college students
What is the best music for studying?
The best music for studying is generally slow, instrumental, and has no lyrics. Classical music (like Mozart or Beethoven) or ambient electronic music is often cited in studies for its positive effects on focus.
Should I listen to music while reading?
No, it is not recommended. Studies show that some music, especially fast or loud tracks, can significantly lower your reading comprehension. If you must listen to music while reading, choose very slow, soft classical music.
Can music help with memory retention?
Some research suggests it can, particularly with older adults and classical music. It is theorized that music provides a structure or rhythm that aids in processing new information. However, complex tasks that require high working memory capacity may be better performed in silence.
