I don’t know who spends the working hours with no music. Be it a commercial radio or an obscure jazz station, music has been proven to have great impact on our productivity. According to studies from University of Birmingham we do repetitive everyday tasks much faster if we listen to pump up music. On the other hand, when we are involved in long working hours that need our deep focus music with natural sounds boost our mood and our productivity. Other studies showed that listening to the same songs over and over again make us more likely to incorporate them into our work habits. You can read more about how music affects our brain here.
Below are some of the best places where you can find music that will make you your most productive self 🙂
#1 Brian Eno – Music for Airports (YouTube)
I listen to Brian Eno whenever I have some difficult tasks or long projects. The slow beat makes time seem to pass faster while at the same time keeping me focused. If Eno’s beat is too slow for you, you can also look up the score music for some of your favorite movies – in my opinion, anything from Hans Zimmer or Vangelis is just as good as any motivational song.
#2 Coffitivity
Either on their website or their app for Android of iPhone, Coffitivity is a nice way to bring the hum of the coffeeshop or cafeteria in your headphones even when you haven’t left home. If the noises from a busy cafe don’t bother you feel free to listen to Coffitivity.
#3 Focus@will
Focus@will is best suited for teams; the people behind it claim that they helped more than 20.000 people stay focused for more than 2 hours in a row.
#4 Brain.fm
This website or app (available for now only for iOS) combines music with neuroscience and AI to create the perfect palylists to help you focus on your work. Even better the app also has some personalized music for when you want to relax or for improved sleep quality. Be sure to read the terms of use since some people might experience some issues (pregnant women, pacemaker users, people with epilepsy).
#5 focusmusic.fm
Similar to brain.fm minus the studies of the impact it has on your brain waves and a cost of around $20 a year, focusmusic.fm is a minimalist way to stay focused. It goes from piano to electronic. For the moments you don’t want to doze of it’s perfect. However, if you are easily distracted something calmer might be the best solution for you.
What other places do you find music that keeps you away from distractions?
