Studying can be pretty boring—not to mention a mental and physical burden—if done in complete silence. In order to lift this burden and make study sessions a bit more lighthearted, many people listen to music while studying. However, there are so many other sounds you can listen to that will boost your focus, both while studying and while on a break. Here are four great alternatives to conventional study music that are both productivity-boosting and pleasing to the ear!
1. BTS Piano Soundtracks (Smyang, etc.)
If you’ve been keeping up with global culture and music in the past decade, chances are you’ve heard of the Korean boy group, “BTS,” which quickly rose to fame in the past few years. Their music ranges from loud and dynamic to soft and gentle, and they never fail to make listeners emotional. The popularity of their work has inspired many artists to create covers of their music in various different styles. One of the most popular cover artists is Smyang, a popular YouTuber who transforms all of BTS’s songs into calming, poignant piano pieces.
Though Smyang releases individual tracks and albums (you can find them on Spotify!), since his releases came out, many people have organized them into longer compilations, which really come in handy if you don’t want to manually click around every three minutes. These compilations also vary in length. For example, this is a compilation spanning a whopping seven hours, but there are also shorter compilations lasting three hours, 1 hour, and 30 minutes. You also always have the freedom of listening to albums or individual pieces, if that’s what you prefer.
These piano tracks are incredibly soothing and come in handy to serve as study music. While not quite lo-fi and not quite classical, BTS’s piano covers usually hype music, achieve a great blend of multiple genres, and help you slow down your rhythm and really concentrate on your work. Expect to see an improvement in your work quality and thoroughness while studying to Smyang’s BTS piano covers!
2. Nature Noises: Rain, Jungle, etc.
While many people choose to listen to music while studying, maybe there is a certain style of “music” you have been overlooking: the natural music of the Earth! Sounds of nature not only help you get your work done, but also give you a refreshed feeling that helps you lengthen and deepen your focus and productivity. There are many different styles and compilations online, such as videos playing sounds of the jungle, rain, and more. Next time you sit down to your studies, try playing sounds of nature in the background.
3. Airport Ambience
Are you a traveling addict? In the past year, many of us have been suffering from wanderlust and being stuck at home due to the pandemic. As a result, a lot of people have discovered that they are really missing the environment of train stations, airports, and other travel sites. If you’re like me, a bit of muted background noise will help increase your focus and motivation to work. There are many different options online, including a whopping seven hour long airport ambience video, as well as actual airplane noises that include the captain’s announcements and the little seatbelt and no smoking “ding” noises. Next time you’re planning to get some work done, try putting on some airport ambience in the background!
4. Coffee Shop Jazz Tunes
Coffee shop vibes are most welcome and popular among large groups of people. Many people love to work in coffee shops and small cafes, with a nice cup of coffee by their side as they type away on their computers. This, however, is obviously not always achievable. Perhaps going to a coffee shop to work is not available to us at the moment. Fortunately, there are many coffee shop videos online! These videos range from jazz tune compilations to general coffee shop noise. Play one of these videos in the background the next time you’re settling down to work to put yourself in an optimal working mood.
From a student’s perspective, and even someone who has already graduated and is working a job, “study music” is a must. It helps lighten the emotional and physical load, and it can always lift our spirits up. It’s a good thing that these study tunes are right at your fingertips – just a click away from YouTube, Spotify, and elsewhere. No matter what kind of study tune works best for you, take full advantage of it, and watch your productivity and work quality improve!
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash