How to Use Music to Enhance Your Performance

Music needs no justification – it is enjoyable for its own sake, and that’s what makes it art. However, music can also have a powerful influence on our cognitive performance. This makes it a strategic tool for enhancing your productivity in both work and personal pursuits.

In this article, we will explore:

• The benefits of music for productivity
• Factors to consider in choosing your work soundtrack
• The best types of music for work performance
• Binaural beats and how to use them

Intriguing? Read on to learn how to leverage music to your advantage at work.

Benefits for productivity

We perform our best in a state of “flow.” Flow is the ability to become completely and totally immersed in a task, free from self-critical thoughts, and motivated to push through challenges by the sheer enjoyment of the process. We can’t conjure a state of flow out of thin air, but we can increase its chances of occurring by creating the right conditions. Some of those conditions include emotional regulation, motivation, and focus – all factors influenced by music.

Emotional Regulation

harvard business review notes that we often unconsciously choose music that matches our current emotional state. For instance, when that first shot of espresso hits your system and you’re feeling energized and motivated, you may gravitate toward an upbeat pop channel. During that mid-afternoon slump, you may feel more inclined toward a brooding folk album. In each of these cases, the musical choice follows the preexisting mood. However, you can also influence your preexisting mood through your music selections.

Perhaps you naturally find yourself in that melancholy place, but you’re also about to have a meeting with a client where you need to show up with a more lighthearted energy. Changing your playlist can help you step out of one emotional state and into another. This needn’t come across as fake or inauthentic. You may begin with music acknowledging your current state and then gradually shift to songs representing the state you would like to embody. Through an intentional use of music, you can bring your emotions into alignment with the needs of the moment.

Motivation

Motivation is an especially useful emotional state when it comes to productivity. There needs to be some level of core drive to keep going on those challenging days, and music can help you access that. Consider what genres or songs you find personally inspiring. While upbeat genres may be more generally energizing, you may have other favorites based on personal experience and associations.

Soundtracks, for instance, can help you set your activities against a grander narrative that gives you a sense of perspective and purpose. Whatever your personal preferences, consider creating a “vision board” playlist to lean on when you need to overcome a big hurdle or simply remember what you’re here for.

Focus

In a world of distractions, both internal and external, music can serve to narrow our focus so that we can give maximum attention to the task at hand. While multitasking was once considered the key to productivity, further research has since discredited this idea. To be maximally productive, we want to narrow our attentional field to the present task. Music can help us do that by blocking out distractions. The consistent beat of certain types of music can also help our brains settle into the waveform associated with a focused mental state. More on this later when we discuss binaural beats.

Factors to consider in choosing your work soundtrack

So far we’ve considered several benefits of music for productivity. However, not all genres will be equally effective at all times. There are additional factors to be considered in choosing the perfect soundtrack for your work day. These include personality, environment, and task complexity.

Personality

Extroverts and introverts may differ in how much and what types of musical stimulation benefit them. research shows that extroverts tend toward a baseline of under-stimulation and often need external sources of energy, such as music, to help them achieve a state of focus. Conversely, introverts tend to become overstimulated easily, so they may need to reduce external energy sources. This might mean listening to less stimulating music, to help reduce distractions and achieve that same state of focus. Of course, personality is a spectrum, and mood will impact this equation as well as your current environment.

Environment

Music can be especially helpful in loud or distracting environments as it allows you to block out competing input from your surroundings. Whether you’re working in an office with small talk humming in the background, in the hubbub of a coffee shop, or at home with the kids or other family members around you, music can give you the buffer you need to focus. However, if you are already in a quiet environment, and especially if you’re more introverted, music may be unnecessary. Situational and personal awareness will help you determine whether music is the right productivity choice for you in any given environment.

Task Complexity

Similarly, awareness of the type of task you’re performing, and the particular mental demands of that kind of task, will give you insight into what kind of music to use to enhance your productivity. In general, when you’re performing simple tasks that are time-consuming but not mentally taxing, you may want to opt for music that increases your level of stimulation and alertness. When you’re performing complex tasks that require you to learn new skills, use high levels of creativity, or analyze challenging information, you may want to avoid music altogether. If you still feel the need for some sweet beats, find playlists that reduce distractions and free up mental energy for the task at hand.

The best types of music for work performance

studies show that the presence or absence of lyrics can change the way our brains process music, and how much mental energy that music takes up. Because we communicate in language, our brains are wired to tune into words wherever we find them. For this reason, music with lyrics can be beneficial when you need stimulation to stay engaged. However, music without lyrics is best for complex tasks that require higher-level processing.

While cutting out the lyrics could feel overly restrictive, never fear! There are actually quite a variety of lyricless genres with possible benefits for enhancing brain function. These include classical, film scores, video game soundtracks, nature sounds, and last but not least, binaural beats.

Classical music has long been associated with enhanced mental performance because of the “ mozart effect ”. Studies indicate that classical music can, at least temporarily, boost the arousal associated with heightened cognitive functioning. If you need somewhere to start, this playlist from Spotify introduces you to classical essentials . If you want something a little more contemporary, though, try not quite classical.

Film scores and video game soundtracks are also a natural choice because they are, by definition, “background music.” Moreover, they are designed to be immersive and energizing. Film scores often have a grandeur that creates a sense of broader perspective. Some time-tested favorites are Trevor Rabin’s national treasure and Han Zimmer’s gladiator . Video game music usually involves repetition that can help the mind fall into a steady, focused pattern. Some of our favorites include zelda: breath of the wild and assassin’s creed.

Nature sounds are often used in meditation and other practices to reduce stress and promote a relaxed and balanced mental state. In the context of work, nature sounds are most effective when steady and repetitive, such as the sound of rain or the ocean.

Binaural beats and how to use them

Binaural beats are a fascinating classification of music used in the world of music therapy. The goal of using binaural beats is to entrain brainwave states associated with desirable mood and energy states. healthline explains that binaural beats occur when two slightly different frequencies are delivered to the right and left ears. The resulting beat is the difference between those two frequencies as the brain gradually falls into a synchronized waveform.

Different brainwave signatures have different advantages. For instance, Delta waves (1 to 4 Hz) are associated with restorative sleep and relaxation. In our waking state, our brains typically hang out in Beta waveform (14 to 30 Hz), which produces a state of heightened alertness. The optimal pattern for achieving that coveted state of flow is the slightly slower Alpha wave (7 to 14 Hz). According to entrepreneur , a researcher at Spotify found that music with beats between 50 and 80 bpm helps the brain synchronize into an Alpha wave pattern. In Alpha, we have access to greater creativity, openness, and less self-criticism. This is the state in which we often come up with our best ideas.

Binaural beats are a fairly new concept, and more clinical studies are needed to confirm the extent of their benefits. If you’re feeling a little skeptical, rest assured that there are no known side effects, so it can’t hurt to give it a try and see if you personally find them helpful.

To get you started, spotify offers a range of binaural tracks. If you want something with lyrics, this youtube playlist features popular songs ranging from 50 to 80 BPM. You may even recognize some favorites here!



The intentional use of music can benefit productivity in several ways, aiding emotional regulation, motivation, and focus. Some factors to consider in deciding when and how to use music are personality, environment, and work complexity.

While music with lyrics may work well for light tasks, deep focus is often benefited by lyricless music. Binaural beats, in particular, may have benefits for increasing Alpha brainwave activity, increasing the chances of entering that magical flow.

At the end of the day, your personality, circumstances, and music preferences will largely determine your productivity music choices. Try on some of these principles and resources and have fun exploring what works for you!

WRITTEN BY: DEBORAH STEVENSON