Can music enhance productivity, or does it distract from deep focus? New insights suggested the impact may depend on the balance between familiarity and surprise.
Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology examined how different types of music influenced productivity during work. The findings showed the impact of predictability and novelty in music on cognitive performance, as Fast Company reported.
The researchers found that predictable, familiar music boosted the participants’ ability to process and retain new information. Music with unexpected, atonal elements, however, created challenges, disrupting cognitive clarity. However, novelty in music also has its advantages. Music with surprising or unpredictable elements may prevent boredom, especially during long tasks.
“These early studies reveal that music can both help and hinder our memory, depending on its familiarity and structure,” Yiren Ren, a sixth-year doctorate student at the university’s School of Psychology and the lead author of two research papers on how music influences cognitive performance, said in a statement.
Ren recommended music with lyrics in a foreign language — or no lyrics — for tasks like composing messages, where verbal processing is critical. Ultimately, while music can amplify productivity, the absence of music might sometimes be the most effective option for optimal focus, the findings suggested.
Scientists have been looking at the role of music on productivity for decades. One meta-analysis found that background music negatively impacted reading ability and memory. Yet other studies showed that music can improve cognitive performance.
Many people listen to music while working, and some songs are emerging as particularly popular for this purpose. Take one admittedly less scientifically rigorous study from January. Academic aid platform EduBirdie analyzed 50 of the most popular productivity playlists on Spotify to see which songs were the most popular among those looking to get work done.
The single most popular by number of playlists (six) was “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, followed by a three-way tie (four playlists) between “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars, “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood and “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo.
A similar study in November from TollFreeForwarding.com looked at 4,000 work-focused Spotify playlists and turned up a different list. The top five songs were, respectively, “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd and “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles.
Overall, most consumers stream music at least some of the time, according to this year’s installment of PYMNTS Intelligence’s “How the World Does Digital” study. The report, which drew from a survey of more than 67,000 consumers across 11 countries, showed that 60% of consumers stream music at least once a month. Plus, 27% do so every day.
Employers are looking for ways to create workplace conditions that foster greater productivity. Take, for instance, those implementing smart pods to designate spaces for privacy within shared offices. Then there are technology providers such as Comfy and Groove providing tools to bridge the gap between remote and in-office work.
As music continues to be a popular companion in the workplace, its effects on productivity are becoming clearer. Whether it helps or hinders focus seems to depend on the balance between predictability and novelty, and different types of tasks may require different kinds of music. With a growing body of research, it is evident that music’s role in enhancing or disrupting productivity is far from one-size-fits-all.
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