10 Playlists to Help Supercharge Your Studying

Written by Lizzie Learn On 22nd Jul 2023

Exercising, socialising, dancing, walking, driving, relaxing, even sleeping...there aren’t many situations where music doesn’t add to the atmosphere.

And it’s the same when it comes to studying: not only can it fuel creativity, improve concentration and drown out background noise, research by Stanford Medicine shows it can even help improve our memories!

But what’s the best genre of music to listen to while studying? Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut answer: it all depends on your personality, the type of work you’re doing, and the music you’re listening to. However, one thing is clear: instrumental music tends to be better than tracks with lyrics, because it’s less distracting for our brains.

Ultimately, it's all about finding something that works for you. Here are some of our favourite playlists to help you get started!

1. Brain Food (Spotify)

These quirky, hypnotic electronic tracks are a mix of relaxing and distracting – and have attracted over 3.5 million followers to date. Featuring over 9 hours of music, there’s easily enough to get you through a mammoth study session!

2. Focus Music (Spotify)

If piano and classical are more your thing, Focus Music gives you over 24 hours of non-stop, lyric-free listening. It’s also updated weekly so you won’t get bored – a nice touch.

3. Deep Focus (Spotify)

Do you prefer guitar music and melodies? This could be your answer. It’s a mix of calming, meditative tracks without any heavy drumbeats or percussion.

4. Mozart for Study (Spotify)

A while ago, someone came up with a theory that listening to Mozart could temporarily boost your IQ! Sadly, this didn’t end up being the case. Regardless, he’s still one of the finest composers in the history of Western music, as this playlist proves.

5. Study With Me (Spotify)

This playlist was curated by Kevin Jubbal, M.D. – a physician entrepreneur with a passion for education. We found its blend of instrumental and electronic music really good at getting us in the zone. 

6. Intense Studying (Spotify)

Are you in the mood for a cramming session? This could be your answer! Featuring nothing but gentle piano music, this is one to keep in your back pocket for those particularly tricky subjects.

7. Relaxing Bossa Nova & Jazz Music for Study (YouTube)

Are you looking for something a little more upbeat? This playlist is relaxing, calming, soothing and nostalgic all at once. And with over 26 million views to date, it’s clearly working!

8. Study Music Alpha Waves (YouTube)

An ambient mix of tracks designed to “help you to study, concentrate, focus and work more effectively”. The creators of this playlist claim it can boost concentration and brainpower through the use of alpha waves and binaural beats – audio techniques designed to improve focus and relaxation.

9. Lofi Girl: lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to (YouTube)

Offering an almost constant, live stream of lofi hip hop music, this hugely successful YouTube channel has millions of dedicated followers for a reason. We think it’s worth a listen.

10. brain.fm

While not strictly a playlist, the music at brain.fm is “scientifically proven to increase focus” so it’s worth a mention. These aren’t tracks you’ll recognise but – perhaps surprisingly – they really do seem to boost productivity. Why not give their free trial a go?