How to Utilize Your Music Playlist to Improve Productivity

Deepti Pathak
Sep 11, 2019
4 min read

Updated: Jun 27, 2020

We all know that music is a huge part of human life. The gentle keys, lyrics, and groovy beats affect our mood and emotions in more ways than one.

Music can be used to lift us up.

It offers a delightful break from reality.

And music can also help us concentrate.

Numerous studies have shown, time and again, the positive effect that music can have in the workplace. And it isn't all that surprising, either. Music fills up a room - and thus, it can make even the dreariest cubicle filled offices feel livelier. This effect then directly lightens the people who are working, making them feel more in tune with the work they are doing.

In today's age of Spotify and Shazam, brilliant and inspiring music is just a tap away. You can listen to your playlists anywhere, anytime. And that is precisely why you need to know how you can utilise them in ways that can help you get the most out of your workday.

Read on to know more;

1. Listen To Music That Sets Your Mood

There is an undeniable ease and flow that comes to us when we go about doing a task with some sweet music playing in the background. We feel more positive and even the most repetitive tasks can feel a little less heavy.

A study conducted by Kevin Kniffin, a scientist at Cornell University showed that happy music contributes positively to cooperative behavior.

A mundane day can be turned around into one filled with motivation with the help of the right kind of music. And once you get a hold of the music that works for you, you will notice how it pushes you to do better each day.

2. Work Music Should Help You Focus

The whole point of listening to music in a workplace is to enhance your ability to focus. That, in turn, helps you be more productive. To ensure that happens, you can take certain measures while creating your work playlist.

For starters, you can pick the music you have already listened to a few times before. This will help you because you won't be suddenly distracted by a certain note or part of the song. Next, look for songs with minimal variations. This suggestion is based on the findings of a study done on the effects of ambient noise on creative cognition. A consistent sound level (around 70dB) will help you more. You can try out a few genres beforehand so that you know what works for you.

In another study conducted by an expert on music in the workplace, Anneli B. Haake, it was found that the 300 employees felt an increase in "inspiration, concentration, stress relief, and managing personal space."

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3. Let Go Of Distractions

The next time you go to a cafe or a retail store, pay attention to the music. You will notice that the music they play is soft and light, and it effortlessly blends into the background.

That is the perfect kind of music for an office. Remember that a work playlist should not be too groovy, otherwise you are bound to be easily distracted by it.

It has been demonstrated that the on and off chatter and noise that occurs in a workplace is way more distracting and obstructive than steady music.

If you know that you cannot play music out loud in your office, that does not mean you don't get to listen to it at all. You can carry a pair of earphones or headphones with you - and that automatically gives you more volume and genre control.

4. Your Playlists Should Make Sense For The Work You Do

One study concluded that if your daily tasks at a job are fairly repetitive, music can help you increase productivity. But there's a catch.

The music you select must be in sync with the kind of work you do as well. For example, if you are a dentist, it makes sense to prefer classical music over, say, a rap album.Classical music can range from Bach to Mozart and Vivaldi.

If you are required to write and draft things on a regular basis, listening to songs with captivating lyrics can serve to be counterproductive - they will distract you. You must understand the pace at which you work, and choose the music for your playlist accordingly.

5. Be Responsible With Music

Having read this article, there is one thing you must remember in the end. Even though music helps you do a better job, let's not forget that you are still at a professional space.

There are certain codes of conduct that we need to be respectful of, at all times.

Hence, though you can listen to the music you love, learn to be considerate of others around you. Play it at a low volume, select appropriate songs, and remember to use earphones or headphones. Because no one wants to be interrupted in the middle of a workday and have to ask you to turn down the volume.