If you’re like many people trying to kick up their own businesses, it’s hard to stay motivated. It’s also hard to stay focused during those moments when you literally just want to get up and take a walk. Believe it or not, music can help.
Take it from someone who does a lot of long sessions of work from home. Getting the right tunes on your stream can make life much easier for you. These are the ones that can help you boost productivity and keep you sane during crunch times.
Lo-fi Hip Hop
Lo-fi hip hop is the most popular modern music genre to study or work to these days. It’s easy to see why. Lo-fi hip hop offers a very laid back, mildly repetitive, and deeply ambient sound that can be customized with different flairs.
For example, my favorite subgenre is Asian lo-fi, which you can hear on this channel above. There’s also medieval lo-fi and a couple of others. Studies show that lo-fi hip hop can help you focus and retain knowledge better. So, it’s a naturally smart pick for studying and work sessions.
Chill
Chill, also known as Chillhop, is a slightly more relaxed version of lo-fi hip hop. Slightly more sentimental yet upbeat, there’s a little bit of a debate on whether chillhop is a subgenre of lo-fi or not. Chillhop adds a little more hip hop and jazz into the mix.
One would assume that chillhop has a similar effect to lo-fi hip hop. From what I’ve noticed when I work, it really does your brain good. With that said, it has its haters. A classic article in The New Yorker called it “apathetic music to make spreadsheets to.”
Ouch.
Coffee House Jazz
Coffee House Jazz is a new nickname for softly-played, totally instrumental smooth jazz. It gets its name from the fact that it sounds like music that was once played in Starbucks and similar coffee houses. (Can’t you just feel the coffee pouring in this video?)
Jazz is another genre scientifically linked to better studying, lowered stress, and increased creativity according to Night Is Alive. No wonder it’s so popular with artists and beatniks.
Classical Music
Brahms, Bach, and Mozart are just some of the names in this genre. Without a doubt, classical music is the original study music. It’s been around for around 300 years and has numerous studies backing up its ability to make people focus and retain knowledge better.
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea today, classical music’s lasting power is proof that it’s good work music.
Bossa Nova Music
Bossa Nova is not (originally) the track style that you see proliferating on YouTube. It was originally a form of jazz that originated in Brazil during the 1950s. Depending on who you ask, Bossa Nova also can include American artists like Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow.
This music genre is great work and study music because it’s relaxing, fairly neutral, and worldly in a sophisticated, elegant way. People love the acoustic and tropical flair it offers. I personally enjoy the way it sounds. It’s great for workers who need music to decrease their anxiety.
Trip Hop
If you lived through the 90s, you probably recognize this genre. Trip hop, like classic Bossa Nova, is a music genre that has lyrics. Unlike Boss Nova, the music is from the 1990s and tends to incorporate jazz, noir, turntablism, and electronic beats.
Because trip hop is often slow tempo, this neo-noir music can be great for a study session or an arts session. It’s edgy enough to work well for graphic designers, writers, and other creatives, too.
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