Your high school teachers probably told you that you can’t listen to music and study! But is that really true? In fact, while some types of music might be distracting, there are also potential benefits that include:

One type of music to definitely avoid is fast and loud music which has been shown to reduce reading comprehension. So turn down the volume and avoid anything with a racing beat [1]. In addition many students avoid listening to music with lyrics while studying as they find their attention switching to the lyrics rather than the material they are studying. This has been confirmed by a number of studies such as one by Souza and associates that found that listening to music with lyrics resulted in worse performance on verbal and visual memory tasks compared to those in the silence condition [2]. The study also found that those in a reading task who listened to instrumental music did better than those who listened to music with lyrics.

Although some types of music have been shown to be distracting, is there any evidence that other types of music might have a benefit? Beginning in the 1990s, there was a lot of hype about the Mozart Effect where listening to Mozart would supposedly lead to a general boost in mental abilities. Many parents bought classical music compact discs (CDs) for their children, or received them as gifts, with the belief that it would lead to lasting changes in intelligence. However, studies started to be published that failed to find any evidence of a specific Mozart effect. One meta-analysis published in 2010 concluded there was no evidence of a Mozart effect [3]. Nevertheless, interest in the effect of background music on cognitive performance continues.

A more recent meta-analysis published in 2023 found a small positive effect on learning tasks from listening to classical music [4]. In contrast, no such effect was found for pop music or jazz. It doesn’t mean those other genres were harmful, just that no positive effect was identified. An earlier meta-analysis suggested that background music might have a negative effect on reading and memory [5], but this does not seem to be supported by the latest analysis. Ultimately, if there is any negative effect, it is likely to be so small that it isn’t worth worrying about.

Some musical genres to consider as suitable background music include:

If you find that the genre you’ve chosen doesn’t fade into the background while studying, then it might be time to pick a different genre.

In conclusion, feel free to listen to music if it helps you study. Anything that makes study sessions more enjoyable is likely to boost productivity in the long run. Just avoid anything with lyrics or with a fast tempo. Also don’t play the music too loudly.