What kinds of music actually boost productivity? (Prostock-studio/Shutterstock)
In a nutshell
- Researchers tested four types of audio during a cognitive task: “work flow” music, “deep focus” music, pop hits, and office noise. Only the work flow music, characterized by steady rhythm, simple melodies, and moderate variations, improved both mood and performance.
- 76% of participants listening to work flow music showed improved mood and got progressively faster at the task while maintaining accuracy. These benefits worked regardless of a person’s baseline anxiety levels.
- The more the music improved someone’s mood, the better they performed, suggesting that feeling good and working well are connected. This aligns with the “arousal-mood theory” of how music affects cognitive performance.
WASHINGTON — Anyone who’s ever put on headphones to concentrate at work knows that the right music can help you get in the zone. But with endless playlists promising to boost focus and productivity, which type of music actually delivers results? A new study cuts through the marketing hype, revealing that while certain types of background music can enhance both mood and task performance, not all focus-oriented music delivers on its promises.
The relationship between music and productivity has long fascinated researchers and workers alike. As mobile devices and streaming services make music more accessible than ever during work hours, understanding these effects becomes increasingly important. Previous studies have shown mixed results—while some music appears to enhance memory and attention, other types can be distracting, especially when containing lyrics or complex musical elements that compete for our attention.
This latest study, published in PLOS One found that specially composed “work flow” music helped people think faster and feel better while completing challenging mental tasks. This wasn’t true for other types of background audio, including minimalist “deep focus” tracks from a streaming platform, current hit songs, or simulated office noise (think distant conversations, gentle keyboard typing, and subtle ambient sounds you might hear in a calm office environment).
The secret lies in the specific musical formula: moderate tempo, clear rhythm, and simple melodies without lyrics. Unlike “deep focus” tracks or attention-grabbing pop hits, work flow music strikes a careful balance, providing enough musical structure to maintain engagement without becoming distracting.
Researchers from various American universities set out to test how different types of background audio affected people’s ability to concentrate and perform well on a task that requires a lot of attention. The study recruited 196 participants through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform, randomly assigning them to one of the four audio conditions.
While listening to their assigned audio for 10 minutes, participants completed a classic psychology test called the flanker task, which measures selective attention and processing speed. The task required them to quickly respond to a central arrow while ignoring distracting elements on either side, sometimes identical arrows pointing the same way, sometimes opposing arrows, sometimes neutral squares, or sometimes crosses that signaled not to respond at all.
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What made the “work flow” music special? It featured several distinct characteristics that set it apart from typical background music. The tracks maintained a moderately fast tempo with clear, steady beats that didn’t overwhelm the listener. The melodies and harmonies were simple and predominantly used major keys, avoiding complex variations that might demand attention. The overall sound featured a balanced mix of frequencies below 6000 Hz, and the music included moderate dynamic changes rather than sudden shifts in volume or intensity.
In contrast, the “deep focus” music was more minimalist, with slower tempos, less defined rhythms, and more restricted sound frequencies. While both types of music aimed to enhance concentration, their approaches differed significantly. The work flow music seemed to find an optimal balance, engaging enough to lift mood but not so complex that it competed for attention. Pop hits, on the other hand, introduced varying genres, lyrics, and musical complexity that could potentially pull focus.
Only participants listening to work flow music showed significant improvements in both mood and task performance. These listeners reported feeling better after the task and got progressively faster at responding accurately as time went on. About 76% of participants in the work flow condition reported improved mood, while less than half of participants in other conditions experienced mood benefits. Notably, these benefits held true regardless of participants’ baseline anxiety levels—good news for anyone who struggles with stress affecting their work performance.
Perhaps most intriguingly, bigger mood boosts correlated with bigger performance gains in the work flow group, suggesting that the music’s emotional and cognitive benefits went hand in hand. In simpler terms, the more the music improved someone’s mood, the more their performance improved over time, suggesting that feeling good and working well were closely connected in this context.
The study also revealed interesting findings about musical preferences and familiarity. While the deep focus music was rated as pleasant to listen to, it didn’t yield the same performance benefits as work flow music. Surprisingly, participants found the work flow music less familiar than other conditions, suggesting that novelty wasn’t a barrier to its effectiveness.
Pop hits, despite their popularity and ability to increase arousal, showed no significant benefits for either mood or performance. The office noise condition, which served as a realistic baseline, similarly showed no notable effects.
These results align with an established theory called “arousal-mood theory,” which suggests that music can enhance cognitive performance by simultaneously elevating both energy level and positive emotions. The work flow music appeared to hit this sweet spot, while other audio conditions may have missed the mark in one way or another.
The research team specifically investigated how these effects might vary based on individual differences. They found that people with higher sensitivity to musical rewards (those who generally experience stronger emotional responses to music) tended to respond faster overall during the task. This suggests that some individuals might be particularly well-suited to using music as a work enhancement tool.
As streaming platforms continue expanding their focus-oriented playlist selection, this research provides a framework for understanding which types of music might actually enhance productivity. Rather than relying on playlist labels alone, workers might benefit from seeking out music that balances rhythmic engagement with simplicity—supporting mood and performance without demanding attention.
Plugging Into Work Flow Music
What Makes Music “Work Flow”?
Work flow music combines specific musical elements designed to support focus and productivity:
- Moderately fast tempo (around 119 beats per minute)
- Strong, steady rhythm with clear pulses
- Simple melodies using primarily major keys
- No lyrics
- Balanced energy level – not too calm or too intense
- Moderate dynamic range without sudden volume changes
- Even distribution of sound frequencies below 6000 Hz
Finding Work Flow Music
While the specific tracks used in this study came from a therapeutic music app called Spiritune, similar music can be found through:
Commercial Sources:
- Focus@Will
- Brain.fm
- Various “focus music” playlists on major streaming platforms
Look for tracks labeled as:
- “Productivity music”
- “Focus flow”
- “Work enhancement”
- “Concentration music”
Pro Tips:
- Avoid music with lyrics while doing verbal tasks
- Look for instrumental tracks between 8-15 minutes long
- Test different styles during low-stakes work to find what works best
- Keep volume at a moderate level where it sits in the background
- Pay attention to how different music affects your productivity
What to Avoid:
- Songs you know well enough to sing along to
- Tracks with dramatic changes in tempo or volume
- Music that triggers strong emotional memories
- Complex classical pieces that demand attention
- High-energy tracks that might be overstimulating
The key is finding music that provides steady, predictable structure without commanding too much attention; something that can fill the background of your mental workspace without taking center stage.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The study recruited 196 participants through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four audio conditions: work flow music, deep focus music, pop hits, or office noise. They completed a six-minute flanker task, a well-established test of selective attention and cognitive processing speed. The study used a between-subjects design, meaning each participant only experienced one audio condition. Before the main task, participants completed questionnaires measuring musical sophistication, sensitivity to musical reward, and baseline psychological distress. They then underwent a headphone screening test and adjusted volume to comfortable levels. The flanker task presented arrows pointing left or right, with participants needing to quickly identify the central arrow’s direction while ignoring flanking arrows that could point in the same or opposite direction. The task lasted 6 minutes, with mood measured before and after using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS).
Results
Only the work flow music group showed significant improvements in overall mood and progressively faster response times while maintaining accuracy. About 76% of work flow listeners reported improved mood, compared to less than half in other conditions. The work flow group also rated their audio experience as moderately groovy and pleasurable, though interestingly they found it less familiar than other conditions. Statistical analyses showed these benefits were independent of participants’ baseline anxiety or depression levels.
Limitations
The researchers note several limitations: The online format meant less controlled conditions than a laboratory setting, the time scale was relatively short compared to real work tasks, and the flanker task, while standardized, is simpler than most real-world cognitive challenges. Additionally, most participants performed very accurately across conditions, potentially creating a ceiling effect that made it harder to detect differences in accuracy between groups.
Takeaways and Discussion
The study suggests that music can enhance cognitive performance through both emotional and arousal-related mechanisms, but only when it has specific characteristics – namely, strong rhythm, simple tonality, and moderate dynamism. The correlation between mood improvement and performance gains in the work flow group provides new evidence for how music might optimize cognitive function through emotional regulation.
Funding and Disclosures
The study was funded by a grant from the company that provided the work flow music tracks. Two of the authors served as advisors to this company. However, the researchers note that the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or manuscript preparation.
Publication Information
This study, titled “Effects of music advertised to support focus on mood and processing speed,” was published in PLOS One on February 12, 2025. The lead authors were Joan Orpella, Daniel Liu Bowling, Concetta Tomaino, and Pablo Ripollés, representing institutions including Georgetown University Medical Center, New York University, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function.
