Listening to music while studying can help some people to focus. It can also create an atmosphere that motivates studying. However, it has been proven that it is easier for the brain to focus while listening to music with little to no lyrics. When you listen to music and try to focus, your brain jumps back and forth between the two tasks. Your brain will spend a longer amount of time listening to the music when the song contains more lyrics or a more prominent sound, making it difficult to study. Everyone has their own preference, but my favorite music to listen to while studying includes film scores, classical music, and ambience.
Any film score can be great for studying, depending on what type of films you enjoy watching. Some popular scores come from different genres of film, such as period dramas. The scores of films such as Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, or Victoria can be studious and relaxing. Dystopian series can also provide scores that are great for studying such as Star Wars or The Hunger Games. If you prefer fantasy series such as Harry Potter or Twilight, you may enjoy listening to those types of scores. Film companies can also produce amazing scores, such as Walt Disney or Studio Ghibli.
Classical music is also great for studying, and many playlists combining different orchestrations can be found online. Classical ballet music is also a great place to start, including classic ballets such as The Nutcracker or Swan Lake.
Another tool for studying includes listening to ambience as it can transport you into a different atmosphere or environment. From places including the ocean, the forest, or the city, many YouTubers or other artists will compile overlapping sounds and music to help you feel as though you are really at your desired location. Others will create an ambience to match the tone of specific movie scenes or situations. For example, you could find an ambience that matches a Harry Potter house common room to study in.
An alternative to ambience is more cinematic music created by music artists. For example, Sleeping at Last is an artist who overlaps instrumentals to create cool and soothing music that people can easily use while studying as well. Even if the music is not used in a film you are familiar with, the sound helps you to feel as though you are the main character, motivating you to reach your goals.