Music is more than just background noise or a nice way to drown out your chatty co-workers. The right kind can have a profound impact on your productivity as an individual and when you work as part of a team.
It’s one of the great triumphs of human creativity, but does listening to music actually help you be more creative, productive and collaborative at work? Thanks to science, we have some answers.
A study from 2005 found that when employees didn’t have music playing while working, their productivity took a dive, the quality of their work declined, and they were just generally less happy and positive people. And nine out of 10 workers perform better when listening to music, according to a study that found 88 per cent of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81 per cent completed their fastest work when music was playing.
These good vibes extend to team performance as well. Researchers from Cornell University in the US explored how music affects employee performance in a series of lab experiments. They found that certain types boosted the cooperative behaviours of people working in teams. When happy, upbeat tunes were played (think “Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves), team members were more likely to contribute to the group.
A host of other studies supports music as a tool for building teams and helping people feel closer to each other. In one, adults who listened to rhythmic songs while cooperating to complete a task performed better than those who listened to non-rhythmic ones or white noise. Another found that music is tied to our sense of belonging in groups and positive associations with group members (like when my whole office spontaneously burst into song when “Bohemian Rhapsody” came on one Friday).
Not all music is created equal when it comes to workplace productivity, though. Research shows that certain types of music help us in different ways. Here’s how to curate your own productivity playlist for when you want to be creative, make the time fly or simply get things done.
1. For simple tasks, go with what you know
When you need to do some repetitive work, don’t get too crazy with your playlist. To power through routine tasks like checking emails or inputting data, choose music that makes you happy and that you know you like.
2. Instrumental is best for learning
The saying that Mozart makes you smarter holds true here. For jobs that require more concentration, songs without lyrics are best. “For more immersive and mentally tasking jobs, classical or instrumental music has been shown to enhance mental performance more than music with lyrics,” writes Jory Mackay in an article for Quartz. Lyrics can cross wires in the brain, especially if your task involves reading or writing. Mackay does have a caveat: If something requires intense attention, you might be better ditching the music all together to avoid any distractions.
3. When you need to be creative, crank up the Miley Cyrus
Just hear me out on this one. Pop and rock songs have been found to create a heightened sense of excitement that hits the creativity sweet spot. Why? These types of music tend to fall between 50-80 beats per minute, which helps get the mind in a place called the alpha state wherein you are calm, alert and your concentration is heightened, says Dr. Emma Gray of The British CBT and Counselling Service in London. If pop divas aren’t your thing, just remember: it’s not the genre that matters. Dr. Gray says it’s the number of beats per minute that has the most to do with getting your mind in the right place.
4. When you need a pick-me-up, look for a slow build
To hit the right note, look for songs that start gently and build over time, send a positive message and have a strong beat – at least 100-130 beats per minute. If you can’t think of music for this one, don’t worry. Spotify enlisted the help of a music psychologist to come up with this playlist of 20 songs that are sure to get you moving. There are some old favourites (“Walking on Sunshine” makes another appearance here), plus some unexpected ones.
5. Above all, when you’re doing work you love, just go for it
When it comes to doing work you know and love, your music should follow suit. Its true magic to influence behaviour for the better comes into play when you listen to it while doing something you’re an expert at – even if that’s surgery.
I’ve also found music useful during long conferences. It seems to ‘clear the air’ for participants when they return from a break in proceedings.
Although I’ve never used it in the workplace I reckon it would have a similar ‘refreshing’ effect – so long as it wasn’t overused.