Listening to music while studying is one of the most discussed student habits. Some students can\u2019t revise without background music, while others need silence and noise-cancelling headphones just to read one paragraph. So, does music actually help us study, or is it just a distraction dressed up as productivity?<\/p>\n
What the Science Says:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPros-<\/strong><\/h5>\nMusic can boost mood, and sometimes performance<\/strong><\/h5>\nA consistent finding across cognitive psychology is that music can elevate mood, which in turn can improve motivation and persistence. Thompson, Schellenberg, and Husain (2001)<\/a> found that upbeat music increased arousal and mood, which correlated with improved performance on certain cognitive tasks. In other words, feeling good can help you study better.<\/p>\nFamiliar music may be less distracting<\/strong><\/h5>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> found that unfamiliar music is more disruptive than familiar tracks because novelty demands attention. This might explain why some students loop the same playlist for months; it becomes background noise rather than a cognitive obstacle.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\nCons-<\/strong><\/h4>\nLyrics can interfere with reading and memory<\/strong><\/h5>\nIf you have ever tried to write an essay while your favourite artist passionately sings emotional lyrics, you already know where this is going…<\/p>\n
Salam\u00e9 and Baddeley (1989)<\/a> demonstrated that music with lyrics disrupts verbal working memory, especially during reading and memorisation tasks. This happens because the brain uses the same cognitive resources to process song lyrics and written material, meaning the two compete for attention.<\/p>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\nMusic can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\nSun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPersonally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n
After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\nInstrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\nAnother strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\nHealthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\nHere are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\nMusic is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
Music can boost mood, and sometimes performance<\/strong><\/h5>\nA consistent finding across cognitive psychology is that music can elevate mood, which in turn can improve motivation and persistence. Thompson, Schellenberg, and Husain (2001)<\/a> found that upbeat music increased arousal and mood, which correlated with improved performance on certain cognitive tasks. In other words, feeling good can help you study better.<\/p>\nFamiliar music may be less distracting<\/strong><\/h5>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> found that unfamiliar music is more disruptive than familiar tracks because novelty demands attention. This might explain why some students loop the same playlist for months; it becomes background noise rather than a cognitive obstacle.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\nCons-<\/strong><\/h4>\nLyrics can interfere with reading and memory<\/strong><\/h5>\nIf you have ever tried to write an essay while your favourite artist passionately sings emotional lyrics, you already know where this is going…<\/p>\n
Salam\u00e9 and Baddeley (1989)<\/a> demonstrated that music with lyrics disrupts verbal working memory, especially during reading and memorisation tasks. This happens because the brain uses the same cognitive resources to process song lyrics and written material, meaning the two compete for attention.<\/p>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\nMusic can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\nSun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPersonally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n
After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\nInstrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\nAnother strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\nHealthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\nHere are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\nMusic is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
Familiar music may be less distracting<\/strong><\/h5>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> found that unfamiliar music is more disruptive than familiar tracks because novelty demands attention. This might explain why some students loop the same playlist for months; it becomes background noise rather than a cognitive obstacle.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\nCons-<\/strong><\/h4>\nLyrics can interfere with reading and memory<\/strong><\/h5>\nIf you have ever tried to write an essay while your favourite artist passionately sings emotional lyrics, you already know where this is going…<\/p>\n
Salam\u00e9 and Baddeley (1989)<\/a> demonstrated that music with lyrics disrupts verbal working memory, especially during reading and memorisation tasks. This happens because the brain uses the same cognitive resources to process song lyrics and written material, meaning the two compete for attention.<\/p>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\nMusic can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\nSun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPersonally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n
After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\nInstrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\nAnother strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\nHealthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\nHere are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\nMusic is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
<\/h3>\nCons-<\/strong><\/h4>\nLyrics can interfere with reading and memory<\/strong><\/h5>\nIf you have ever tried to write an essay while your favourite artist passionately sings emotional lyrics, you already know where this is going…<\/p>\n
Salam\u00e9 and Baddeley (1989)<\/a> demonstrated that music with lyrics disrupts verbal working memory, especially during reading and memorisation tasks. This happens because the brain uses the same cognitive resources to process song lyrics and written material, meaning the two compete for attention.<\/p>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\nMusic can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\nSun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPersonally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n
After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\nInstrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\nAnother strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\nHealthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\nHere are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\nMusic is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
Lyrics can interfere with reading and memory<\/strong><\/h5>\nIf you have ever tried to write an essay while your favourite artist passionately sings emotional lyrics, you already know where this is going…<\/p>\n
Salam\u00e9 and Baddeley (1989)<\/a> demonstrated that music with lyrics disrupts verbal working memory, especially during reading and memorisation tasks. This happens because the brain uses the same cognitive resources to process song lyrics and written material, meaning the two compete for attention.<\/p>\nPerham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\nMusic can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\nSun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\nPersonally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n
After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\nInstrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\nAnother strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\nHealthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\nHere are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\nMusic is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
Perham and Currie (2014)<\/a> also showed that listening to music can reduce reading comprehension, particularly when the music contains vocals. Singing along definitely counts as multitasking, just not the productive kind.<\/p>\n Sun et al. (2024)<\/a> investigated the impact of background music on reading comprehension among university students and found that reading accuracy was significantly lower when participants listened to music with lyrics compared to studying in silence. The study showed that lyrics compete with the brain\u2019s language-processing systems, which can reduce comprehension and make it harder to fully understand written material.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Personally, I have tried studying with music many times, with confidence. Unfortunately, it usually ends with me singing along instead of focusing on my revision, great for morale, not so great for exam preparation.<\/p>\n After accepting this reality, I found a couple of strategies that genuinely helped:<\/p>\n Instrumental music, lo-fi beats and ambient soundtracks give my brain background noise without hijacking my attention. Research supports this approach, as instrumental music creates less interference with verbal processing than music with lyrics.<\/p>\n Another strategy that worked surprisingly well was listening to gamma wave audio, which can easily be found on YouTube. Gamma brain waves (approximately 30\u2013100 Hz) are associated with attention, memory and learning.<\/p>\n Sharpe et al. (2020)<\/a> found that gamma frequency stimulation influenced mood, memory and cognitive performance. Unlike music, gamma wave audio does not include lyrics, melodies or emotional triggers, making it less distracting during focused study.<\/p>\n Healthline (2020)<\/a> also explains that gamma waves are most active during tasks requiring high-level concentration and information processing. In practice, this felt less like background noise and more like controlled mental focus, without the temptation to sing.<\/p>\n Here are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkkGlVWvkLk<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vLEek3I3wac<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tAIiXRZNh9E<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Music is not a miracle productivity hack, but when used intentionally, it can support mood, motivation and focus. Whether you prefer lo-fi beats, classical music, gamma waves or complete silence, understanding your own learning style matters far more than the playlist you choose.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for the perfect study soundtrack, Kortext has created an Exam Jams playlist on Spotify, designed to help you stay focused and motivated during revision: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/158j3kFHJNEnKMh3RrQPe0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”26px” custom_padding=”0px|||381px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”tiktok” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ background_enable_color=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]tiktok[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kortext ambassador Maryam explores whether listening to music while studying actually helps, or just leads to an accidental karaoke session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":34378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Music can reduce reading comprehension accuracy<\/strong><\/h5>\n
My Take:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Music without lyrics<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Gamma waves<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Final thoughts:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Kortext<\/span> study has had an upgrade!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kortext.com\/student-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/platform-updates-HUB-in-blog-image-scaled.webp\")
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