Does music help you study? What research says about lyrics, classical and noise

Whether music helps you study has a short answer: a little, on average, if you choose it well. A 2023 review of 47 studies found a small positive effect of background music on learning, but music with lyrics and music while you read tend to get in the way. Here is how to use music so it helps rather than distracts.

Does music help you study or distract you?

Background music has a small positive effect on learning overall, but it depends on the task and the music. A 2023 meta-analysis, which pooled 71 results from 47 studies, found a small benefit in favour of background music. It also found:

• A medium positive effect when music was played before the test of what people had learned.
• A small positive effect for remembering facts.
• A small advantage for classical music over other genres.
• Signs that age can change how much music helps.

An earlier 2010 meta-analysis came to a more mixed view. Averaged together, the effect of background music was close to zero. Looking closer, music disturbed reading and had small negative effects on memory, but it improved mood. The authors thought the good and bad effects cancelled each other out. So music is not a study booster, and not a disaster either. It is a tool that works for some tasks.

Is music with lyrics bad for studying?

Yes, for most people lyrics make it harder to concentrate. In a randomised trial of 102 people aged 20 to 24, background music with lyrics had a significant negative effect on concentration and attention compared with music without lyrics. A likely reason is that words compete with the words you are reading, writing or thinking, and a voice is hard to tune out.

If you love music with words, keep it for breaks or for routine tasks like tidying notes. For reading, writing and learning new ideas, switch to instrumental.

Is classical music good for studying?

Classical music is a good choice, and the 2023 meta-analysis found it had a small advantage over other genres. Part of the reason is likely simple: most classical music has no words, and much of it has a steady flow. Choose quieter, slower pieces. Loud, dramatic music with big changes in volume can pull your attention just like lyrics do.

Other lyric-free options work on the same principle:

Sound	Why it can suit study
Classical	No words, steady flow
Lofi	Repetitive beat, no words, easy to ignore
Ambient soundscapes	No melody to follow
White, pink or brown noise	Masks chatter and sudden sounds

There are no good studies on lofi by name, so treat it like any other instrumental music. For noise, see our guide to white noise for studying.

What is the best music to study to?

The best study music is quiet, steady and without words. Four simple rules help:

1. No lyrics. This is the clearest finding in the research.
2. Low volume. Music should sit in the background, under your thoughts.
3. Familiar. Music you already know is less likely to surprise you and grab your attention.
4. Even tempo. The 2010 meta-analysis found the tempo of music tends to set the tempo of what you do, so very fast music can push you to rush.

Some people prefer tones made for focus over music. Our guide to binaural beats for focus explains how they work and what the evidence shows.

Is it better to study in silence?

For hard reading and new material, silence is often better. The 2010 meta-analysis found that background music disturbs reading. When you need to hold complex ideas in your head, any extra sound takes a little of your attention.

Silence is not always possible, though. In a shared flat, a library or a café, steady sound without words can be better than chatter. Masking is the idea here: a soft, even sound makes sudden noises stand out less. Try a simple test: study the same kind of material for 25 minutes with music and 25 minutes without, and see which version you remember better the next day.

How do you set up music for a study session?

Pick your sound before you start, keep it lyric-free and low, and give it a set length. Blocks of 25 to 50 minutes with a short break in between are a common pattern. In Shimmr, the Scattered → Focused Shift glides from Theta up to Beta over 10 to 30 minutes, and soundscapes like Focus Flow and Deep Work have no words to follow. You can add your own instrumental music under a session in the mixer, and it all works offline with the screen off. If you revise late before a test, read how sleep before an exam helps you remember more.