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Finals are just around the corner, and it’s that time of year again for endless hours in Earl Gregg Swem Library, complete avoidance of dining hall food and most importantly, your favorite study music playlist on repeat.
But is the music you listen to truly the best for getting the most out of your study session?
A survey conducted by The Flat Hat reveals that most students at the College of William and Mary listen to music that is not beneficial for effective studying and retention.
While the research on study music is not conclusive, there are consistent findings and trends that support the idea that the type of music affects how much information one retains.
Research indicates that classical music is the best type of music to listen to while studying. A 2007 study found that “classical music, specifically, can help your brain absorb and interpret new information more easily.” Another model found that instrumental music is preferable because it’s less strenuous on the brain.
“Lyrics are auditive texts that burden the phonological loop (part of working memory responsible for auditory manipulation), leading to a larger decrease in learning performance compared to an instrumental song,” the researcher said.
However, most students are not listening to classical and instrumental music; The Flat Hat’s survey revealed that many students at the College are listening to artists like Hozier, Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, Clairo and Gracie Abrams instead.
It is understandable why students might gravitate towards these artists. They all offer calmer, slower songs that are not too distracting. However, some students listen to artists like Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX, whose music is the complete opposite, typically featuring fast and upbeat songs.
Either way, neither type of music is optimal for effective studying. Our survey also revealed that even if students do not think it is extremely influential, they are still listening to music for the majority of the time they spend studying. As the graph below shows, over 50% of students listen to music 60 to 100% of the time they spend studying.
As a result, they may not realize its hindrance on cognitive performance and keep the music playing for longer than recommended. The second graph below illustrates that over 55% of students listen to music for more than 60% of their study sessions. The final graph shows that over half of the students believe listening to music while studying is at least 60% effective in optimizing their productivity and information retention. While some students listen to instrumental music, most included in the data do not.
One probable reason for this is that listening to music has been shown to boost mood and relaxation. Research has found that music can stimulate the release of dopamine, “a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, which can increase motivation and engagement.”
It is no wonder, then, that when students must spend grueling hours doing homework, they will choose music that puts them in a good mood and motivates them.
Unfortunately, listening to music with lyrics is harming their working memory, which is essential to processing information. A 2023 study from the Journal of Cognition found that music with lyrics “hindered verbal memory, visual memory, and reading comprehension,” while instrumental music “did not credibly hinder or improve performance.”
Other studies have also linked classical music to relaxation. A study at the University of San Diego compared changes in blood pressure between individuals listening to classical, jazz or pop music.
“Those listening to classical [music] had significantly lower blood pressure when compared to those listening to other musical genres or no music at all,” the study said.
When you listen to music with lyrics, you divide your attention between the lyrics and your work, reducing cognitive capacity to successfully process the material. As a study from the Frontiers in Psychology highlights, it becomes an unnecessary burden on your working memory, which is essential to manipulating and understanding information.
Since the majority of students listen to music while they are working, a beneficial solution could be switching to quieter classical or instrumental music. Most popular pop artists have songs that have been made into instrumental versions. These can be a suitable alternative because they will provide a mood boost with a familiar tune that you enjoy, while also allowing you to remain focused.
Curious about what classical music to try? Participants in our survey said they enjoy Hans Zimmer, John Powell, Beethoven, John Williams, Ramin Djawadi and Lo-fi music. Several of these composers wrote the movie scores for films like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Inception and Interstellar, among others.
So, as you head into finals, it is important to consider how you are maximizing your study session. It is evident that to have the best focus and performance, classical music is the way to go. Classical and instrumental songs are best equipped to support focus and memory retention, while lyrical pop and rap tend to hinder cognitive performance. You want to give yourself every advantage before your finals, so it may be worth asking yourself if your study music playlist is working for or against you.
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