With deadlines coming up, more and more people can be found confined to their bedrooms or transforming the library into their living space. This calls for study music, but the typical study playlists on Spotify, I find, are either too instrumental, or make me more sleepy than motivated. Since I’m the kind of person who needs some kind of background noise whilst I work, I thought I’d create a playlist on Spotify with some of my best study tracks. I’ve chosen a range of different songs so there’s something for everyone – you might even find a new favourite artist in this list! To make your life easier, I’ve included the link to the playlist at the end of this article which features my favourites listed in this article, plus many, many more.
we’ve never met but can we have coffee sometime by In Love With a Ghost
I’ll start with something light and very background-y. In Love With a Ghost is an independent artist who records ordinary sounds (spoon clinking against the mug, rain against the windowsill) and mixes them with instrumentals and random vocals to create something atmospheric and experimental – and it’s perfect for studying. It’s the kind of lo-fi music you’d expect from the 3-hour ‘music videos for studying’ on YouTube, but each song by In Love With a Ghost is like a carefully crafted little piece of musical wonder. Plus, their album artwork and song names are super cute as well.
Slight Night Shiver by M83
Lots of study playlists include songs with added background noise to make you feel like you’re in a café, near an ocean, or in the middle of a meadow. This track reminds you of the feeling of an endless journey through the night, walking along the highway, and looking up at the stars. It’s an atmospheric song like no other, so I strongly suggest you give it a listen whilst you’re putting pen to paper. If you’re into instrumental music, Ramin Djawadi (creator of the music for Game of Thrones) and Angelo Badalamenti (creator of the music for Twin Peaks) are some genius composers that evoke deep feeling with every single note.
I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Daniela Andrade
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for acoustic covers, and it’s incredibly calming to listen to well-known songs rearranged – kinda makes your heart feel at peace. Daniela Andrade creates some amazing covers, but other similar artists you may want to check out are Kina Grannis and Sleeping At Last, both of whom are featured in the playlist. Dean Lewis also does a gorgeous acoustic version of Chemicals and Nelly Furtado shows off her smoky vocals in an acoustic cover of Crazy (originally by Gnarls Barkley).
The Choice by Gustavo Santaolalla
This may be because I’m a video-game nerd, but I feel the instrumental soundtracks of story-based video games are hugely underappreciated when it comes to calming music. This particular track comes from The Last of Us, but there are also beautiful pieces from Firewatch and many others. The playlist also features the introductory piece from Stardew Valley, a game that everyone associates with warmth and happiness because of its soft and cheerful music.
City of Stars from La La Land
Again, this is probably because I watch too many movies, but many of the songs included in my various study playlists were made for movies (or became popular because of them). It’s hard to deny that Ryan Gosling’s vocals aren’t anything but beautiful, and this one song changed my whole perspective on the movie. Falling by Julee Cruise is one of the many atmospheric songs from Twin Peaks, a TV series I could talk about for paragraphs because the music makes it. The instrumental piece Didn’t You Love Anything by Craig Armstrong, made for Me Before You, has piano so breath-taking it may almost stop you from working. Almost.
Human by Jon Bellion (Acoustic)
Jon Bellion’s music is characterized by a precise beat and energetic vocals, but the acoustic arrangements flip the whole concept over. You’re then left with something that is the essence of human (no pun intended). I’ve only included one other acoustic version of Bellion’s in the playlist (only one, simply because otherwise I’d include all of them), but it’s worth checking them out if you’re a fan of intricate vocals, gentle piano, and beautiful cello. Beautiful acoustics by Christina Perri and James Arthur can also be found in the playlist.
Saw You In a Dream by The Japanese House
It’s tricky trying to find original songs that don’t have overpowering instrumental parts or an overly-energetic beat, but I’ve included some artists with smooth vocals that are sure to put you on the right track for studying. The Japanese House is one of them, but I’ve also included artists like Katie Melua, Dodie, Lorde, Troye Sivan and Ed Sheeran.
Ok, now that I’ve imparted my musical wisdom upon you, it’s time to get back to studying. A reminder before we part, though: it can be easy to overwork yourself, so make sure to take regular breaks and balance your day with things you enjoy as well!
Find my ultimate study playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7b2IXYdIvJGuAdvk5RKYU4?si=sGNDdszrQwCP6HFYtxMShA