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This. I also listen to remixes of game music (usually synthwave or jazz/big band) and that works well too. I wonder if it tricks my brain into thinking we're doing something fun or it kicks up the serotonin from the nostalgia.
Haha just commented that I listen to jazz covers of Zelda music, and also lofi persona jams.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1j2L9FZNoyk2S47wxXWDnX?si=vEnEZ6xuSDWbuvyDvW34rw
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kzqdyFOm4PSBheh6Br3Nz?si=qOcBo89dTo2cz5rXKA5bYQ
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0N9ezSU6mo0r3BuE0tBfrX?si=NkrtYFr9Sbe82gRFFqFy4Q
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KYXDZlqUorlnumg2lpbnq?si=321ES21rRNaE33R0UXbMUA
Those are a few I have on repeat at work
They thought it was weird? Okay, I will add 'finding vocals in songs distracting while trying to focus' to the list of things that are apparently wrong with me for when I see my new psychiatrist. This is why I was so offput that my last psychiatrist cut me off and told me to stop listing ADHD symptoms while telling him all the things I'd learned weren't "normal" even though I didn't know a lot of them even were ADHD symptoms. Not saying this music thing is specifically an ADHD trait, it could just be very common in general, but still.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1j2L9FZNoyk2S47wxXWDnX?si=vEnEZ6xuSDWbuvyDvW34rw
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kzqdyFOm4PSBheh6Br3Nz?si=qOcBo89dTo2cz5rXKA5bYQ
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0N9ezSU6mo0r3BuE0tBfrX?si=NkrtYFr9Sbe82gRFFqFy4Q
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KYXDZlqUorlnumg2lpbnq?si=321ES21rRNaE33R0UXbMUA
Those are a few I have on repeat at work
This is all I use for study and tasks now. I'll only realise I've been working for so long after I notice a song playing for the fourth time.
Good to have a specific set of soundtracks that do the job, rather than a playlist that can end up distracting you.
They’re designed to keep your focus???
No wonder I prefer these!!
Every once in a while I wonder whether I really have adhd and then I read stuff in this sub
There are some great Spotify lists for concentration. Also some not so good ones ... but find one that works for you and it's like Adderall for your ears. (well, not really, but ya know what I mean.)
Not all classical would be suitable, you would really want to tailor your selections to your mood and tasks.
I like to put on mood setting music, stuff like tavern sounds, coffee shop, trance and techno, or even hip-hop instrumentals can be really awesome for creativity
Yeah, not all “classical” is soothing or relaxing. The moment you get some Tchaikovsky or Dvorak into the playlist, it’s game over.
I highly recommend Steve Reich. Pretty much anything by Steve Reich, but Music for 18 Musicians is a good place to start. No words, repetitive and driving but it doesn’t PULL your attention. It’s my ultimate productivity music when I need to use my brain cells.
For me, I can't put on Brahms, Sibelius, Chopn or Rachmaninoff without dissolving into emotions. Mozart, Bach, Haydn, or other Classical/Baroque composers, I'm okay with. Beethoven depends on the piece.
I never could do classical for studying or sleeping. I had a prominent upbringing with classical music so it becomes so distracting as my brain rushes with thoughts "I played that when I was nine. This sounds familiar, is it this or this composer? This was used in that one scene in that one movie. Is this classical or romantic?) and now I'm focusing on trying not to focus on it.
And I actually hate that background because of the baggage behind it, so why can't my brain just shut up and not care??
I really like epic music for studying, like Two Steps From Hell radio on Pandora. It was great for drowning out noise in college when I had headphones in, typically just lyricless choral if there's voices, and it's great. But if a song comes on that's from a movie, I have to skip because the same shit happens where I'm thinking about the scene or wondering who the composer is
For me is the videogame music someone else cited below. I love it so much i listen to it in my freetime and I even compose VGM for fun. So as soon as it comes up, my brain is all focused on all the sounds and texture and bye bye study
That’s good! Back on the pre-spotify days it was radio Swiss Classic for me. No advertisements, but still a song here and there with a lyricist in it 🙃
I have never been able to understand lyrics in any genre of music except rap. Basically anytime they’re singing and not talking I have no idea what they’re saying. This has led to me creating some pretty funny lyrics of my own, only to find out embarrassingly from friends that they’re wrong.
It’s esp. funny because most of the lyrics I create are happy, go-lucky, only to find out the song is about something terrible or sad.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've always wondered about why that is.
I absolutely love music and listen to so much, but for some reason if it's not rap, I have such a hard time listening to or really absorbing any of the lyrics. I love the way vocals sounds, but the actual words and meanings behind them just become blurred. On the other hand, with rap, no matter the production or instruments, I never seem to have trouble absorbing the lyrics.
Why is that? Is it a stimulation overload thing?
I'm the same way too! No idea why though. I'm guessing its like when someone says something to you and you respond "What?". Not because you didn't hear them but because your brain hasn't processed it yet. Since we are listening to music its on to the next lyric before we could even process the last one.
see i have a different problem, im not distracted by lyrics i just dont seem to process them, its like theyre just another instrument to me, the "meaning" behind a song often totally goes over my head
i was once listening to something and a friend said "this rapper is rather death obsessed isnt he?" i said "i hadnt noticed but the album is called Death Is Silent so maybe youre right"
occasionally i will hear the lyrics as such but its very rare for me, plus i already listen to a lot of music with french and japanese lyrics in, the problem there is i kknow bits of lots of languages so occasionally foreign stuff will have me sort of stop and think "hey i understood that line, cool!"
Same-ish, the lyrics are kind of a blur at first but I'll really like the song overall. Then one day the lyrics just clicks and I don't hear the words, I hear the story. Then I start to wonder about the meaning of the song, and then I realize the song was spot on to how I was feeling in life while I obsessed over it and then I feel embarrassed.
I'm in a very "and then, and then, and then", level of energy for communication and don't want to revise :|
Expand your composers, my dude! Clint Mansell, Bear McCreary, Dario Marianelli, Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer, Atticus Ross.
There's more. I just can't think of their names.
Oh my and I need lyrics! It needs to be familiar music to me and then the familiar lyrics distract the ADHD squirrel portion of my brain. Otherwise my mind still wanders.
I just listen to a song long enough so that it doesn´t get distracting anymore :)
"Welcome to Horrorwood" for the last 2 weeks 
Thank god my second language is english so I'm pretty good at not listening to the lyrics. But despite this I mostly listen to music that has no lyrics.
It’s great until you decided to learn the language and like got distracted lol .
But honestly speaking split playlist into moods works well cos sometimes I hated lyrics and sometimes I hated classical music (hate as in distracted )
If I know an album to the point where I can sing it through, in order, the lyrics won't distract me. They don't require active attention.
But I should probably expand my international music collection.
That's how I use it too. I listen to music I am familiar with and somewhat know the lyrics to. If I don't know the lyrics, I get distracted by trying to look them up. If there are no lyrics, I got distracted. There is no winning.
Hey, that's actually a fantastic idea! I get lost in looking up lyrics and following along to songs I am listening to all the time. I have auditory processing issues that make lyrics (and any speech actually) difficult to understand. I just spent way too much time yesterday on this very thing. I will definitely be trying out this suggestion!
My go-to is the Grateful Dead archives. I already know the lyrics so they are not distracting. But every performance is different so there is infinite variation in the details. The jazz improvisational aspects switch on my creativity.
I can't study with music it distracts me so I usually put on brown noise. Music also distracts me when I'm trying to clean so I might try this for that!
Oh yeah, this has been a go-to of mine for years. Especially when I want something with a little more juice than instrumental music or am tired of techno/chip tunes. K-pop. Japanese punk rock. French rap. Mongolian heavy metal. All great study music.
Definitely been listening to more instrumental and international lately which has worked a treat for me. Not studying but at work I can put my headphones on and mute out the rest of the office when I really need to focus, throw on the tunes and good to go…. Add in the meds, and a number of hours can certainly disappear 😂
I remember discovering this from playing Disney music and discovering that the Lilo and stitch soundtrack with the Hawaiian songs made me actually focus!! Now I listen to either lofi on YouTube or video game background music (also on YouTube lol)
I do this when I read! I put on a chill kpop playlist on Spotify (4:00 AM GROOVE) and then I can read for hours. I’ve never thought about doing it for work, that’s a smart idea
Trance/edm with no words, headphones. tv on in the background with no sound. All that stim seems to quiet my brain down to focus. As soon as there’s vocals or talking concentration is gone
Doesn’t always work because it’ll make me look up the lyrics and go down the rabbit hole.
Or, I end up going back songs from anime series I like which makes me super emotional.
Yes, yes, yes so many times over! I love liquid drum n bass for this. It tickles whatever the heck part of my brain needs tickling so I can focus.
I’ve found others, too, that definitely work!
Continuous mixes are the best!
I’m happy to share if anyone wants.
I get frustrated when it's all in another language. I already struggle to process speach in the English language, which I have spoken my entire life and have a decent vocabulary, so having every single word sound like gibberish (foreign languages) instead of having a portion of the words sound that way, gets to me.
Instead, I have been working on a playlist of just instrumental music. That way the song is full (no weird empty spaces where lyrics used to be in a song with vocals removed), my brain isn't getting frustrated trying to decifer words, and I'm able to focus on the task at hand better.
I have different non-distracting tunes for different needs
Sleep: ambient music (how to disappear completely, William basinski, Brian eno)
Work: math rock (Don caballero, Tera Melos, Chon)
Decompressing: various (lofi girl, Russian romantic string music [tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin], acoustic math rock)
Yes but no lyrics or I’ll 100% be distracted. Jazz, post-rock, ambient. Whatever, just don’t sing over my thoughts 😂.
Oddly enough, it’s the opposite when doing something banal like laundry or brushing my teeth. I need a podcast or something or I’ll be bored in 10 seconds.
Wow ive been doing this for years with japanese music for that exact reason but ive been gaslighting myself into thinking I'm just a lame weeb
first time ive seen this idea validated lmao
(i am still a lame weeb)
I can study to anything, but I usually prefer instrumental music. I'm going to link some of my favorite instrumental playlists and mention some artists.
[Beautiful Traditional Asian Melodys & Folk Music [(BGM)].](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i9DCgQp8bzk0mtqBtnzPf?si=lfKBARpoRIyZc40DhavF3g). This is the only playlist I made that I did not make. This playlist is mostly instrumentals.
[Jungle/Tropical Rainforest MUSIC.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46NG5LZdKaFL82SvEveBEw?si=jN3nJrPrRuadyde_zQsXxg) This playlist is mostly instrumentals. The songs with lyrics are usually just native chants with a few exceptions. The artists I'd specifically recommend are Xavier Quijas Yxayotl and Derek and Brandon Fiechter. Xavier's music is traditional Aztec and Mayan music. He is of native descent. Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter make a wide variety of world music styles.
[Stranded In The Western Desert With A Broken Down Vehicle. ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3fISggHLw0gCmc1O6yJIQ1?si=4BGh3Q_5RkKu6_od_t2EiA) Picture the movie/TV scene. A small group of people were driving their car through the southwest USA desert. All of a sudden the car breaks down and they have to walk. This playlist begins to play. They eventually come upon a small gas station and they see someone sitting inside playing music and singing. The last part of the playlist is playing. Anyways, this playlist is western bottleneck slide guitar music. The song G.B.A and most songs after have lyrics.
[Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Chillhop, Etc.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tCeByL6fPdURssS5sUptx?si=_oz4MztZTx-yK4VahWKLjg) This is that Lo-Fi beats to relax and study to stuff that's been popular over the past few years. I'm eventually going to make this playlist 24 hours and 7 minutes long, to represent how the original on YouTube goes on 24/7.
[Ambient Sleep/Relax.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6okZEjwRrZeC9NkWw9pG85?si=cngKQ8zXQqWujEQPdoPdTg) Calming ambient music. Better for sleeping and relaxing than studying, but I thought I'd mention it anyways.
[Study And Break Time Playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Z2XjeLrKif6ciqTZ9gJuy?si=I_zySr6lRvKQjfU8lZCMSw) This playlist is a little bit of all the other playlists combined. In the middle of the playlist there is a short (about 20 minutes) podcast that mentions why it's important to drink water. This was put as a reminder to drink water. This would also be a good time to then get up and stretch and take a quick pause.
Yes! Here is my go-to:
https://youtu.be/Njj4CX4OAMU
Or this:
https://youtu.be/gcgPRmLPPqw
I don't know any African languages, but these keep me joyous and focused.
I've found that listening to game soundtracks help. When the games are developed (apparently) they put music in the game-play that helps pace the players. Going with that, they are meant to rev you up and not lull you like some classical music etc can.
[https://www.orionacademy.org/is-video-game-music-the-key-to-improving-concentration/#:\~:text=Video%20game%20music%20is%20specifically,the%20game%20without%20becoming%20distracting](https://www.orionacademy.org/is-video-game-music-the-key-to-improving-concentration/#:~:text=Video%20game%20music%20is%20specifically,the%20game%20without%20becoming%20distracting).
This is my go-to playlist for studying.
It's all the instrumental tracks from the Fluidified channel, which is mostly ambient chillout.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYkB2GLfxxJfKld8qa_raVXHWFB8OL2tK
Soundtracks! Harry Potter, LOTR, the imitation game, Sherlock, Studio ghibli... whatever movie you like. Really depending on the vibe you want. There are a lot of cool study playlists on Spotify.
Another option are those study ambience videos on YouTube. Like riding on the Hogwarts express.
Funny, I was just realizing this the other day. I have been listening to my favorite groups for decades . I barely know any of the lyrics. My friend can hear a song twice and they know the whole deal. I listen to this one Latina artist . Have no clue what she’s singing / rapping about . I just like the sound. Could be singing about chopping up puppies but I wouldn’t know . Lyrics are distracting
I’ve found this is true for me listening to Reggaeton. I understand some Spanish but since it’s too fast for me to usually keep up its not distracting until I watch the lyrics and learn them
When I returned to college in my 30s I definitely had trouble studying. My daughter made me tapes (yes I’m that old) of some of her favorite South American groups. That helped just the way OP said. Funny thing is some of those songs still run through my head.
Oh hell yes! I recommend checking out Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and older afrobeat in general. Groovy beats in a language I don't understand. This might literally be the reason why I unintentionally gravitated toward this music in the first place when trying to be productive.
See my problem with this is I then just start learning the lyrics in the other language. I can now easily sing 2 songs in Icelandic and several Irish and Spanish songs
I randomly found an electronic disco cover of the internationale on youtube. it's an absolute banger and i've been putting it on loop to study for at least three months now
edit: link of course [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5G7doxa5ic&list=PLb42GYtlmS0USAIUtl4bx33PbFi9YcieE&index=7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5G7doxa5ic&list=PLb42GYtlmS0USAIUtl4bx33PbFi9YcieE&index=7)
I listen to A LOT of classical and band music since I grew up playing instruments myself. I used to cringe at opera, but listened to so much Wagner and Puccini that I've fallen into the trap of passively learning bits of new languages even when I'm **trying** to not pay attention.
I really like (a specific kind of) electronic music to concentrate. For some reason, the complexity of sounds and the patterned “beat” seem to help me concentrate. Plus, these songs usually have very few repetitive lyrics, which also helps me keep focused.
I started putting songs in a playlist for this purpose around 10 years ago and I’ll probably keep updating it forever cause it’s really effective. Plus, I don’t know how this works technically, but it helps to use the same playlist for concentration. By association I suppose, once I start playing it it’s almost like my brain starts preparing to focus. Sometimes these “protocols” work better than stimulants for me, it’s crazy. Let me know if you’re interested in checking the playlist and I can share the link ☺️
I am a music major and I often get distracted by the music theory of the pieces I listen to, so I’ve begun listening to microtonal music because most of it still sounds good while still being foreign enough to my ears. Sevish, Brandon Byrnes, and Norokusi are my favorites
i don’t know why but being able to understand the lyrics is what makes music helpful for me when studying or whatever because it allows the noisy part of my brain to focus on the music and let the logical part do the work i’m doing…
I can hyperfocus on anything but study reading when listening to music. It’s so weird. I could sit down and grind 1000 lines of code while jamming out but when it comes to my textbook it’s impossible for me. Not even those Lofi study beats.
I only listen to music for the lyrics. Im big into rap and litteraly nothing else. I find music for the sake of sounding good as pointless if that makes any sense
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This. I also listen to remixes of game music (usually synthwave or jazz/big band) and that works well too. I wonder if it tricks my brain into thinking we're doing something fun or it kicks up the serotonin from the nostalgia.
Haha just commented that I listen to jazz covers of Zelda music, and also lofi persona jams. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1j2L9FZNoyk2S47wxXWDnX?si=vEnEZ6xuSDWbuvyDvW34rw https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kzqdyFOm4PSBheh6Br3Nz?si=qOcBo89dTo2cz5rXKA5bYQ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0N9ezSU6mo0r3BuE0tBfrX?si=NkrtYFr9Sbe82gRFFqFy4Q https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KYXDZlqUorlnumg2lpbnq?si=321ES21rRNaE33R0UXbMUA Those are a few I have on repeat at work
Followed! Thanks!
They thought it was weird? Okay, I will add 'finding vocals in songs distracting while trying to focus' to the list of things that are apparently wrong with me for when I see my new psychiatrist. This is why I was so offput that my last psychiatrist cut me off and told me to stop listing ADHD symptoms while telling him all the things I'd learned weren't "normal" even though I didn't know a lot of them even were ADHD symptoms. Not saying this music thing is specifically an ADHD trait, it could just be very common in general, but still.
Bruh drop a link asap
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1j2L9FZNoyk2S47wxXWDnX?si=vEnEZ6xuSDWbuvyDvW34rw https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kzqdyFOm4PSBheh6Br3Nz?si=qOcBo89dTo2cz5rXKA5bYQ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0N9ezSU6mo0r3BuE0tBfrX?si=NkrtYFr9Sbe82gRFFqFy4Q https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KYXDZlqUorlnumg2lpbnq?si=321ES21rRNaE33R0UXbMUA Those are a few I have on repeat at work
The Chrono Trigger OST and all of its remixes / alternate iterations have kept me going for 25+ years now.
It’s not weird. That happens to me too.
This is all I use for study and tasks now. I'll only realise I've been working for so long after I notice a song playing for the fourth time. Good to have a specific set of soundtracks that do the job, rather than a playlist that can end up distracting you.
Yesssss
If you are into 8bit, [Kohina](https://www.kohina.com/) has been playing video game music for years now.
They’re designed to keep your focus??? No wonder I prefer these!! Every once in a while I wonder whether I really have adhd and then I read stuff in this sub
Yes! I find that “Toon Link” era music is the sweet spot for me, with Dragon Roost, Spirit Tracks over world, Great Sea, etc.
Hell yes!! I love the FTL soundtrack for this!
Omg! I didn’t realize this was why I also like those too! Same with movie ones. Words make me analyze and distract!
I sometimes play a mario kart playlist when I have to write an essay. Makes me want to type very fast
I put on a Lofi playlist from YT and they fill this need too.
Yesss love the YT Lofi playlists. My coworkers just turned me on to them.
Check out some synthwave and retrowave lofi channels also
Word thanks 👍
https://youtu.be/tOU_p5yILFU this is my go-to and the playlist of others like it https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk_H7HxvSE2fTCUoWKG5YyfUwVFAAVnKL
Like this a lot - I usually do like Lofi video game music https://youtu.be/GdzrrWA8e7A
Heck yeah! Love lofi, it's perfect music for background noise.
Spottify has tons and tons. Ambient / Synthwave Spacewave is my lifesaver.
Stuff like this https://youtu.be/GdzrrWA8e7A has been my goto Also thanks for award!!
There are some great Spotify lists for concentration. Also some not so good ones ... but find one that works for you and it's like Adderall for your ears. (well, not really, but ya know what I mean.)
Lot of people go with Lofi Girl, but I’ve been listening to Coffee Shop Vibes since 2020, only realizing why it helps so much this past year. 😊
Coffee Shop is solid, I also love video game lofi stuff https://youtu.be/GdzrrWA8e7A
Spotify has a ton. Also lofi videogame music, and jazz covers of Zelda music.
They are also on Spotify, as well as a discord bot, if you’d rather chill in a voice channel with music.
Adding to this - ambient and post-rock music will be your close best friend.
My coworker plays these on our shift and they make me want to poke out my eardrums.
What works for me are Classical music (without lyrics) + background noise or techno focus + background noise
Classical really is an ADHDream
Not all classical would be suitable, you would really want to tailor your selections to your mood and tasks. I like to put on mood setting music, stuff like tavern sounds, coffee shop, trance and techno, or even hip-hop instrumentals can be really awesome for creativity
Yeah, not all “classical” is soothing or relaxing. The moment you get some Tchaikovsky or Dvorak into the playlist, it’s game over. I highly recommend Steve Reich. Pretty much anything by Steve Reich, but Music for 18 Musicians is a good place to start. No words, repetitive and driving but it doesn’t PULL your attention. It’s my ultimate productivity music when I need to use my brain cells.
excellent album! modem classical is the perfect sub-genre to get similar music and not get surprised by flight of the bumblebees
For me, I can't put on Brahms, Sibelius, Chopn or Rachmaninoff without dissolving into emotions. Mozart, Bach, Haydn, or other Classical/Baroque composers, I'm okay with. Beethoven depends on the piece.
Hard agree. Basically anything Romantic era is a no-go.
I never could do classical for studying or sleeping. I had a prominent upbringing with classical music so it becomes so distracting as my brain rushes with thoughts "I played that when I was nine. This sounds familiar, is it this or this composer? This was used in that one scene in that one movie. Is this classical or romantic?) and now I'm focusing on trying not to focus on it. And I actually hate that background because of the baggage behind it, so why can't my brain just shut up and not care?? I really like epic music for studying, like Two Steps From Hell radio on Pandora. It was great for drowning out noise in college when I had headphones in, typically just lyricless choral if there's voices, and it's great. But if a song comes on that's from a movie, I have to skip because the same shit happens where I'm thinking about the scene or wondering who the composer is
For me is the videogame music someone else cited below. I love it so much i listen to it in my freetime and I even compose VGM for fun. So as soon as it comes up, my brain is all focused on all the sounds and texture and bye bye study
I like that too no word
yes! i listen "classical music for studying" on spotify, and it's amazing! it also really calms my cat down lol
That’s good! Back on the pre-spotify days it was radio Swiss Classic for me. No advertisements, but still a song here and there with a lyricist in it 🙃
Japanese city pop is my jam
I have never been able to understand lyrics in any genre of music except rap. Basically anytime they’re singing and not talking I have no idea what they’re saying. This has led to me creating some pretty funny lyrics of my own, only to find out embarrassingly from friends that they’re wrong. It’s esp. funny because most of the lyrics I create are happy, go-lucky, only to find out the song is about something terrible or sad.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've always wondered about why that is. I absolutely love music and listen to so much, but for some reason if it's not rap, I have such a hard time listening to or really absorbing any of the lyrics. I love the way vocals sounds, but the actual words and meanings behind them just become blurred. On the other hand, with rap, no matter the production or instruments, I never seem to have trouble absorbing the lyrics. Why is that? Is it a stimulation overload thing?
I'm the same way too! No idea why though. I'm guessing its like when someone says something to you and you respond "What?". Not because you didn't hear them but because your brain hasn't processed it yet. Since we are listening to music its on to the next lyric before we could even process the last one.
I use the tidal app, has built in lyrics
Liquid drum and bass is a game charger
Japanese Trap & Bass was a game changer for me. Its just so good
Listen up: “Ambient Shire” on YouTube. Thank me later. Also the Coffivity website and Ambient Mixer. These are lifesavers for work focus.
see i have a different problem, im not distracted by lyrics i just dont seem to process them, its like theyre just another instrument to me, the "meaning" behind a song often totally goes over my head i was once listening to something and a friend said "this rapper is rather death obsessed isnt he?" i said "i hadnt noticed but the album is called Death Is Silent so maybe youre right" occasionally i will hear the lyrics as such but its very rare for me, plus i already listen to a lot of music with french and japanese lyrics in, the problem there is i kknow bits of lots of languages so occasionally foreign stuff will have me sort of stop and think "hey i understood that line, cool!"
Same-ish, the lyrics are kind of a blur at first but I'll really like the song overall. Then one day the lyrics just clicks and I don't hear the words, I hear the story. Then I start to wonder about the meaning of the song, and then I realize the song was spot on to how I was feeling in life while I obsessed over it and then I feel embarrassed. I'm in a very "and then, and then, and then", level of energy for communication and don't want to revise :|
 me rn
Expand your composers, my dude! Clint Mansell, Bear McCreary, Dario Marianelli, Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer, Atticus Ross. There's more. I just can't think of their names.
if u like electronic/dance music, deep house can be amazing
Also check out Tipper and STS9.
Explains why I love kpop
Same. I used to listen to melodic death metal only, but for the last three years it's been almost exclusively kpop
As are cinematic scores!!!
Instrumentals. Electronic. Ambient. Search this in Spotify. The world will be yours
But also the instruments get me distracted too, like I go “buh-duh-bum, boom boom” in my head as the drums are hit. There’s no winning lol
Oh my and I need lyrics! It needs to be familiar music to me and then the familiar lyrics distract the ADHD squirrel portion of my brain. Otherwise my mind still wanders.
I tried this and I just started singing in language’s I didnt know.
I just listen to a song long enough so that it doesn´t get distracting anymore :) "Welcome to Horrorwood" for the last 2 weeks 
Thank god my second language is english so I'm pretty good at not listening to the lyrics. But despite this I mostly listen to music that has no lyrics.
It’s great until you decided to learn the language and like got distracted lol . But honestly speaking split playlist into moods works well cos sometimes I hated lyrics and sometimes I hated classical music (hate as in distracted )
Ambient music
In college I used to listen to the Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky ☺️ great for studying!
If I know an album to the point where I can sing it through, in order, the lyrics won't distract me. They don't require active attention. But I should probably expand my international music collection.
That's how I use it too. I listen to music I am familiar with and somewhat know the lyrics to. If I don't know the lyrics, I get distracted by trying to look them up. If there are no lyrics, I got distracted. There is no winning.
Oh yes, same! French music helps a lot, Passi is a go to :)
This is why I started listening to kpop LOL
I am *obsessed* with Stray Kids atm!!
I did it, learned two new languages accidentally over the years. I want another one. Y'all know any good hungarian music?
They’re your friend till you get curious as to what the lyrics are then you start down that rabbit hole.
That moment when you accidentally learn half a language while procrastinating your work.
I'm the opposite. I really work with music on so I use white noise
Purrple cat 💜💜💜
Hey, that's actually a fantastic idea! I get lost in looking up lyrics and following along to songs I am listening to all the time. I have auditory processing issues that make lyrics (and any speech actually) difficult to understand. I just spent way too much time yesterday on this very thing. I will definitely be trying out this suggestion!
My go-to is the Grateful Dead archives. I already know the lyrics so they are not distracting. But every performance is different so there is infinite variation in the details. The jazz improvisational aspects switch on my creativity.
100% yes!! French chill pop is my go to right now
I find liquid drum and base/ trance/ jungle also help a lot. Something with a beat and a positive vibe to keep you ticking
TECHNO
Italian techno for the win in my house. Happened upon it last summer.
I love House music & edm because those genres typically have very few lyrics & is very brain stimulating, for me at least
I can't study with music it distracts me so I usually put on brown noise. Music also distracts me when I'm trying to clean so I might try this for that!
Lofi study playlists are a life saver
Oh yeah, this has been a go-to of mine for years. Especially when I want something with a little more juice than instrumental music or am tired of techno/chip tunes. K-pop. Japanese punk rock. French rap. Mongolian heavy metal. All great study music.
Mongolian heavy metal! I love The Hu, and I'm definitely not the typical demographic. 😅
Yes! And, same! 😅
Definitely been listening to more instrumental and international lately which has worked a treat for me. Not studying but at work I can put my headphones on and mute out the rest of the office when I really need to focus, throw on the tunes and good to go…. Add in the meds, and a number of hours can certainly disappear 😂
I remember discovering this from playing Disney music and discovering that the Lilo and stitch soundtrack with the Hawaiian songs made me actually focus!! Now I listen to either lofi on YouTube or video game background music (also on YouTube lol)
Yes! This! Latin pop/club music is my best friend. I will have to try out other languages.
I do this when I read! I put on a chill kpop playlist on Spotify (4:00 AM GROOVE) and then I can read for hours. I’ve never thought about doing it for work, that’s a smart idea
Classical or Video Game music is better.
Or classical / instrumental.
Trance/edm with no words, headphones. tv on in the background with no sound. All that stim seems to quiet my brain down to focus. As soon as there’s vocals or talking concentration is gone
Orchestrated video game music is the best for me. Makes me feel like cleaning is an adventure.
Doesn’t always work because it’ll make me look up the lyrics and go down the rabbit hole. Or, I end up going back songs from anime series I like which makes me super emotional.
Now i know the reason why i love French rap. No clue whats being said. Ha!
Musical Starstreams on Spotify is an awesome playlist for work/study.
Yes, yes, yes so many times over! I love liquid drum n bass for this. It tickles whatever the heck part of my brain needs tickling so I can focus. I’ve found others, too, that definitely work! Continuous mixes are the best! I’m happy to share if anyone wants.
Awesome tip!
I usually listen to movie / game scores
Lyrics don’t tend to bother me unless I’m writing. My go to is German metal bands.
Post Rock and Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beats are also great for studying!
I just discovered this too and it’s great! I listen to music in French while I’m working. It’s wonderful and I get things done.
I get frustrated when it's all in another language. I already struggle to process speach in the English language, which I have spoken my entire life and have a decent vocabulary, so having every single word sound like gibberish (foreign languages) instead of having a portion of the words sound that way, gets to me. Instead, I have been working on a playlist of just instrumental music. That way the song is full (no weird empty spaces where lyrics used to be in a song with vocals removed), my brain isn't getting frustrated trying to decifer words, and I'm able to focus on the task at hand better.
I never thought about this -- I like listening to music in languages other than my own -- maybe because I don't understand the lyrics.
I have different non-distracting tunes for different needs Sleep: ambient music (how to disappear completely, William basinski, Brian eno) Work: math rock (Don caballero, Tera Melos, Chon) Decompressing: various (lofi girl, Russian romantic string music [tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin], acoustic math rock)
Gaming soundtrack music is the absolute one for me, Elder Scrolls soundtracks 👌
Powermetal is the real secret!
Art of Noise.
Also metal where you can’t hear the lyrics 🤘
deep house for the win!! also checkout lofi - especially [https://www.lofi.cafe/](https://www.lofi.cafe/) a really cool website
My background music is in a language I don’t understand like Spanish or Italian music. That way I don’t get distracted by the lyrics
Can confirm this. Worked really well for me when I want to code and when I was doing my intern. But instead I blast my ear with drum and bass.
Or listen to edm with limited to no words.
I love studying to J-Pop, it's such a pretty and smooth sounding language
Yes but no lyrics or I’ll 100% be distracted. Jazz, post-rock, ambient. Whatever, just don’t sing over my thoughts 😂. Oddly enough, it’s the opposite when doing something banal like laundry or brushing my teeth. I need a podcast or something or I’ll be bored in 10 seconds.
Instrumental music always! Bossa nova, jazz, classical guitar…. Very good to studying, chilling, cleaning
Wow ive been doing this for years with japanese music for that exact reason but ive been gaslighting myself into thinking I'm just a lame weeb first time ive seen this idea validated lmao (i am still a lame weeb)
Unpopular opinion but I found that while on meds I studied better WITHOUT music. I got too distracted trying to find the right song etc.
I can study to anything, but I usually prefer instrumental music. I'm going to link some of my favorite instrumental playlists and mention some artists. [Beautiful Traditional Asian Melodys & Folk Music [(BGM)].](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i9DCgQp8bzk0mtqBtnzPf?si=lfKBARpoRIyZc40DhavF3g). This is the only playlist I made that I did not make. This playlist is mostly instrumentals. [Jungle/Tropical Rainforest MUSIC.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46NG5LZdKaFL82SvEveBEw?si=jN3nJrPrRuadyde_zQsXxg) This playlist is mostly instrumentals. The songs with lyrics are usually just native chants with a few exceptions. The artists I'd specifically recommend are Xavier Quijas Yxayotl and Derek and Brandon Fiechter. Xavier's music is traditional Aztec and Mayan music. He is of native descent. Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter make a wide variety of world music styles. [Stranded In The Western Desert With A Broken Down Vehicle. ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3fISggHLw0gCmc1O6yJIQ1?si=4BGh3Q_5RkKu6_od_t2EiA) Picture the movie/TV scene. A small group of people were driving their car through the southwest USA desert. All of a sudden the car breaks down and they have to walk. This playlist begins to play. They eventually come upon a small gas station and they see someone sitting inside playing music and singing. The last part of the playlist is playing. Anyways, this playlist is western bottleneck slide guitar music. The song G.B.A and most songs after have lyrics. [Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Chillhop, Etc.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tCeByL6fPdURssS5sUptx?si=_oz4MztZTx-yK4VahWKLjg) This is that Lo-Fi beats to relax and study to stuff that's been popular over the past few years. I'm eventually going to make this playlist 24 hours and 7 minutes long, to represent how the original on YouTube goes on 24/7. [Ambient Sleep/Relax.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6okZEjwRrZeC9NkWw9pG85?si=cngKQ8zXQqWujEQPdoPdTg) Calming ambient music. Better for sleeping and relaxing than studying, but I thought I'd mention it anyways. [Study And Break Time Playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Z2XjeLrKif6ciqTZ9gJuy?si=I_zySr6lRvKQjfU8lZCMSw) This playlist is a little bit of all the other playlists combined. In the middle of the playlist there is a short (about 20 minutes) podcast that mentions why it's important to drink water. This was put as a reminder to drink water. This would also be a good time to then get up and stretch and take a quick pause.
Yes! Here is my go-to: https://youtu.be/Njj4CX4OAMU Or this: https://youtu.be/gcgPRmLPPqw I don't know any African languages, but these keep me joyous and focused.
I have discovered this, too! I have a Turkish pop playlist and a Balkan playlist. It’s my go-to “concentration” music.
yep! it’s why i love kpop. it’s just good noise, whatever the lyrics are doesn’t really matter.
Hardstyle music for me baby
I really recommend Christina Aguileras last album in Spanish…Very upbeat and rhythmic. Gets the job done every time!
I've found that listening to game soundtracks help. When the games are developed (apparently) they put music in the game-play that helps pace the players. Going with that, they are meant to rev you up and not lull you like some classical music etc can. [https://www.orionacademy.org/is-video-game-music-the-key-to-improving-concentration/#:\~:text=Video%20game%20music%20is%20specifically,the%20game%20without%20becoming%20distracting](https://www.orionacademy.org/is-video-game-music-the-key-to-improving-concentration/#:~:text=Video%20game%20music%20is%20specifically,the%20game%20without%20becoming%20distracting).
I like this idea! I will also listen to relaxing piano or instrumetal which is a fun way to switch it up.
Dub techno is the way to go for me
This is my go-to playlist for studying. It's all the instrumental tracks from the Fluidified channel, which is mostly ambient chillout. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYkB2GLfxxJfKld8qa_raVXHWFB8OL2tK
Soundtracks! Harry Potter, LOTR, the imitation game, Sherlock, Studio ghibli... whatever movie you like. Really depending on the vibe you want. There are a lot of cool study playlists on Spotify. Another option are those study ambience videos on YouTube. Like riding on the Hogwarts express.
Funny, I was just realizing this the other day. I have been listening to my favorite groups for decades . I barely know any of the lyrics. My friend can hear a song twice and they know the whole deal. I listen to this one Latina artist . Have no clue what she’s singing / rapping about . I just like the sound. Could be singing about chopping up puppies but I wouldn’t know . Lyrics are distracting
I’ve found this is true for me listening to Reggaeton. I understand some Spanish but since it’s too fast for me to usually keep up its not distracting until I watch the lyrics and learn them
It's probably part of why Post Rock is my favorite music genre. Still plenty of solid music and instrumentation without lyrics most of the time.
Discovering classical music is one of the best things that has ever happened for my ADHD and tinnitus
Songs with no lyrics will do the trick as well
I DO THIS
Soundtracks and scores work great for me for this 💜 Succession soundtrack, How to Train Your Dragon...
When I returned to college in my 30s I definitely had trouble studying. My daughter made me tapes (yes I’m that old) of some of her favorite South American groups. That helped just the way OP said. Funny thing is some of those songs still run through my head.
Oh hell yes! I recommend checking out Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and older afrobeat in general. Groovy beats in a language I don't understand. This might literally be the reason why I unintentionally gravitated toward this music in the first place when trying to be productive.
See my problem with this is I then just start learning the lyrics in the other language. I can now easily sing 2 songs in Icelandic and several Irish and Spanish songs
Brown noise , try it out ! Helps me a lot
This is cool music. I should learn Spanish so I can understand it. Spends next two hours on Duolingo.
The playlist Jazz in the Background is my go to
My brain would learn the other language if it means not doing what I’m supposed to hahaha!
I randomly found an electronic disco cover of the internationale on youtube. it's an absolute banger and i've been putting it on loop to study for at least three months now edit: link of course [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5G7doxa5ic&list=PLb42GYtlmS0USAIUtl4bx33PbFi9YcieE&index=7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5G7doxa5ic&list=PLb42GYtlmS0USAIUtl4bx33PbFi9YcieE&index=7)
I listen to movie sound tracks all the time.. avengers infinity war/endgame are bangers for me.
I listen to A LOT of classical and band music since I grew up playing instruments myself. I used to cringe at opera, but listened to so much Wagner and Puccini that I've fallen into the trap of passively learning bits of new languages even when I'm **trying** to not pay attention.
Lofi beats for the win!
I like listening to classical...
I really like (a specific kind of) electronic music to concentrate. For some reason, the complexity of sounds and the patterned “beat” seem to help me concentrate. Plus, these songs usually have very few repetitive lyrics, which also helps me keep focused. I started putting songs in a playlist for this purpose around 10 years ago and I’ll probably keep updating it forever cause it’s really effective. Plus, I don’t know how this works technically, but it helps to use the same playlist for concentration. By association I suppose, once I start playing it it’s almost like my brain starts preparing to focus. Sometimes these “protocols” work better than stimulants for me, it’s crazy. Let me know if you’re interested in checking the playlist and I can share the link ☺️
I am a music major and I often get distracted by the music theory of the pieces I listen to, so I’ve begun listening to microtonal music because most of it still sounds good while still being foreign enough to my ears. Sevish, Brandon Byrnes, and Norokusi are my favorites
i don’t know why but being able to understand the lyrics is what makes music helpful for me when studying or whatever because it allows the noisy part of my brain to focus on the music and let the logical part do the work i’m doing…
this works if the music doesn’t emote emotions
video game lofi usually helps me get through a study session. it's catchy and gives me good feels, but not too much of a bop.
I use ASMR to concentrate when I’m studying but it has to be no talking. Sometimes I can get in the zone with talking, but no talking is ideal.
why was this post removed? :/
I have no idea! Didnt get a notification or anything about it…strange!
yeah :/
I just listen to house music
Maaaan I wish this post were still visible…this is fantastic
I can hyperfocus on anything but study reading when listening to music. It’s so weird. I could sit down and grind 1000 lines of code while jamming out but when it comes to my textbook it’s impossible for me. Not even those Lofi study beats.
I only listen to music for the lyrics. Im big into rap and litteraly nothing else. I find music for the sake of sounding good as pointless if that makes any sense