By Bella Ramos, Marketing Intern

Classes are in session, and so are study sessions! And as assignments and exams begin to roll in, creating a space to study can be difficult with all the noise around campus. I find it easier to study with music: it can even help reduce stress and improve mood as well.

Whether you’re solo or with a group, studying while listening to music has been shown to be a great means to maintain motivation and focus. Students are able to improve their studying experience with music: it all depends on your preference for music. Keep in mind that particular types of music have the potential to distract or help you focus, so feel free to set up your study workspace, make yourself comfortable, and explore these top five studying playlists on Spotify, along with a bonus study playlist!

Deep Focus Keep calm and focus with ambient and post-rock music, 185 songs, about 8.5 hours

As the top study playlist on Spotify, this playlist is perfect for those study sessions where you need to destress and concentrate on your work. This playlist stays true to its name: you may find yourself completing your work more productively while listening to these tracks.

Brain Food Hypnotic electronic for studies and a relax, 100 songs, 7 hrs 27 min 

Coming up as number two for the top studying playlists, this playlist creates a reenergizing environment for your mind: literal brain food for your study session. The electronic-based songs in this playlist pair nicely with the minimal lyrics; it can push your studying motivation even further than you thought.

Intense Studying Focus-enhancing piano for your study session, 202 songs, 9 hrs

This playlist is ideal for holding your focus when studying: the piano behind these tracks is captivating and powerful if you’re looking for an extended amount of time dedicated to studying. Additionally, this playlist is great to listen to while completing writing assignments: the lyricless tracks draw your attention to developing your thesis rather than recalling the words to familiar songs.

Instrumental Study A soft musical backdrop for your studies, 367 songs, 15 hrs

The variety of musical instruments used to accompany the piano in this playlist may keep your study session interesting: especially when studying for those upcoming exams! I found this playlist quite relaxing while studying at the Union because it drowned out all the noise.

Chill Lofi Study Beats The perfect study beats, twenty-four seven, 500 songs, 18 hrs

With over 18 hours worth of listening, this playlist is sure to grab your attention for hours on end. The chill beat along with the varied quality degradation creates a unique atmosphere for solo or group study sessions!

Movie Scores to Study to 116 songs, 5 hr 30 min

This playlist is a personal favorite of mine while studying and on occasional walks around campus. This is primarily because of the film scores within this playlist: I love films and listening to their scores, so it fits my preference for music to hear while studying and doing other assignments. There are some familiar songs from familiar films like “Up,”  “La La Land,” “Interstellar,” and more. Make sure to check out this playlist and see if you recognize these scores while studying!

Sources to check out:

https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/students-who-listen-to-music-while-studying-have-a-higher-gpa-poll/ 

https://www.vaughn.edu/blog/best-study-music-and-benefits/ 

https://themindsjournal.com/what-is-lofi-music/ 

For more study playlists on Spotify, check out this Illinois Online blog post: https://online.illinois.edu/articles/online-learning/item/2019/11/15/top-5-study-playlists-on-spotify