Skip to main content


I had to pause my music to write this post, because anything with lyrics pulls me into the song and out of what I'm working on!

And that's something I've wanted to ask you: when you're trying to focus on work, do you put on music WITH lyrics or WITHOUT lyrics?

#Productivity #Focus

BONUS: Post your favorite "focus" tracks or albums here and tag us. We're making playlists 🎧

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I'm not sure this could be considered as lyrics, but the best "you need to focus" album for me is Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way, Baby
This entry was edited (9 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Without lyrics – for the same reason as you.

BTW, I usually tune to LoFi Girl Channel.

in reply to Karna

@karnasubarna Nice! LoFi Girl is one of my go-to sources, but I also made a couple old school mixtapes with some of my favorite instrumental downtempo tracks. We'll be sharing that soon!

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Depends on the work. If it's got to do with words together and texts - definitely no lyrics (or lyrics in languages I don't unterstand a single word). But with anything else lyrics are no problem.

btw: Listening to music with lyrics while reading fiction in my sparetime has to be in the same language the text I read is. Otherwise I don't remember what I read a minute ago :)

in reply to Hypatia

@Hypatia You can listen to music with lyrics while reading a book? That's some kind of superpower...

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Night Drive by Timecop1983 is one of my goto albums to focus. It’s not completely without lyrics, but there aren’t many, and it works for me. I think there is also an instrumental-only version.

timeslaves.bandcamp.com/album/…

Unknown parent

Pax Ahimsa Gethen
@truls46
Same. I used to listen to music while working occasionally, but in recent years have usually found it too distracting, with or without lyrics.
in reply to Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Interesting! I can manage to listen to instrumental music if I'm working in a spreadsheet or doing something more administrative that doesn't require writing. But the second any level of creative writing is required -- even writing an email -- I normally need silence, too.

~Jason

This entry was edited (9 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

any of the live Radiohead shows on YouTube. This is the best for me:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=DWuAn6C8…

in reply to Phil

@phils First of all: excellent music taste! But you possess concentration skills I will never have -- I'd be too compelled to *watch* or at the very least sing along 😜

~Jason

@Phil
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

that’s why I ripped the MP3 and loaded them into PocketCasts to listen PC or mobile. :)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

For me it’s very dependent on my “vibe” and mental capacity for the day. If I need lyric-less music and I’m feeling chill lo-fi it is. If I’m feeling hype then Polyphia, Chon, Animals as Leaders, and Coven type music it is. Otherwise my lyric containing music is all over the place. Some days it’s pop-punk, emo, and alternative rock. Some days it’s heavy metal, other days Folk and indie rock, or edm, or just about anything really. :thunderbird: :neofox_laptop: 🎧
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I need to sit down and make some of my own playlists. For the most part I pick an artist or genre and let Tidal make a station for me. Which I love for discovery but I should really have some showcases of my favorites from artists and genres.
in reply to Micah Ilbery

@micah It's pretty easy to get hooked on that discovery algorithm, though. Finding new music is always an adventure.

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

If I am writing, mostly no music, but sometimes Japanese ambient or really repetitive dub reggae. However, the music can't help but get into the writing.
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

ooh, my three general categories are:

- Instrumental chill music, especially if I am writing/working with words

- Music I’ve heard a million times, like some 2000s pop-punk (works with pretty much any work, because I can tune it out)

- New music discovery, which I enjoy if I’m working on more boring/repetitive tasks not involving writing

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

It's complicated, and lyrics really aren't important. 😆 I usually have a catchy tune anyway, so I often put on that very track so I can surf the mental wave. Or I need some unobtrusive background noise, but then, it's often not music at all, but some old-fashioned linear TV in the background, something I don't really care about. On very rare occasions, I pick music that really clashes with whatever tune is stuck in my head, but that only works for certain kinds of creative tasks, getting myself into some kind of "anti-flow", trying not to get too comfortable. 😅
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

definitely prefer stuff without lyrics when working, but there are some exceptions.

I discovered the album Ember by Kubbi this month and absolutely love it! A very zen blend of electronica and chiptune.
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCB…

This entry was edited (9 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

music designed to be in the background is mostly ok. For instance dance music like techno. Fiddle tunes are sort of similar, but I get distracted listening to them because I might want to learn them. The "learn a new tune" task beckons.
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I never listen to lyrics, so to me it doesn't matter.

In fact, if I concentrate and listen to the actual lyrics, it can ruin the song for me because sometimes I just don't like the words.

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

If you're on Spotify, I made a Music For Coding To playlist specifically without vocals. (I've been told accountants also like it, and call it Music To Excel To?!)

open.spotify.com/playlist/5Ype…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I had a phase of listening to music while programming. It felt energising and I'd get in a rhythm. Mostly game music, because there's fewer lyrics. Darren Korb's tracks for the Supergiant Games games (especially Transistor) are awesome!
in reply to IBBoard

@ibboard Oh my goodness, the Transistor soundtrack is AMAZING. I could listen to 'In Pieces' on repeat forever.

~Monica

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

"battle without honor or humanity"

and for an ADDED bonus, DJ John - "Jukebox Hero Project"

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I'm listening mostly English songs, but I'm not a native speaker and it Is hard to me to understand lyrics, so for me is singing like another music instrument.
This entry was edited (9 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

... with lyrics. But in a language I cannot speak. It used to be French. Before I started learning it.
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I use music without lyrics to help me concentrate. Lyrics are always distracting.
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I'm fine with lyrics unless I'm trying to absorb information.

One of my "go to" focus on work albums

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZU…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

In my last job the radio was playing all the time and I learned to tune it out after a while. Personally I only listen to music when it's lighter work and not too focus-intensive. I find instrumentals distracting as well because I hear the names of the notes as they play so I'll have this beautiful track playing and my mind will be like "E F# G# E B G F#" in the background.
in reply to Agavi

@evaack Are you a musician? In that case, sometimes even the most mundane background music risks being a distraction!

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Not in a professional capacity but I feel that! It's not even just music it's the melody of birds chirping, rustling leaves...anything but the task on hand 😀
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I have the same problem. I usually listen to the playlist Hackers Coffee on Spotify. But also sometimes on french jazz as I don't understand french making it less distracting than languages I do understand.
in reply to Milly

@aanee Listening in different languages is already a recurring response. Wasn't expecting that, but what a creative solution!

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

music without lyrics. I find the “beats to think to” playlist from Spotify (or actually an old version of it that I exported to Apple Music) hits the sweet spot and helps me get in the zone and focus. Works for many colleagues too who I recommended it too.

One of my favorites:
music.apple.com/nl/album/dust-…

in reply to Roelant

@thunderbird And if I’m not in the mood for bounce/want something calmer, than some quiet classical music (preferably piano), such as Ludovico Einaudi, Yiruma or one of the suitable Apple Classical playlists (Piano Chill, Calm Classical, etc) where I actually discovered those artists in the first place.

(And yes, my taste in music is actually quite eclectic 😄).

in reply to Roelant

@Roelant @thunderbird@mastodon.social 'In A Time Lapse' is an absolutely beautiful album, and something I found from one of those same playlists!

~Monica

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

@truls46

I do often listen to music while doing housework, because I hate it and *want* the distraction. But not while working on the computer.

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

you can check my #ListenBrainz stats (courtesy of @metabrainz ).

As you can see, mostly electronic and instrumental but with some metal and punk when I'm in a coding spree and need an extra oomph.

And the last year I have listened quite a lot to L(oo)ping by #Rone and the Orchestre National de Lyon. Instrumental.

youtu.be/ix1qgFfR9_s

listenbrainz.org/user/itorres/…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

No lyrics for me either. I used to listen to Pandora's Journey channel on YouTube. My old video games MP3s I downloaded when I was a teen do the job as well 🤓
in reply to Maël / Akin

@maelmorin I've recently been listening to random Halo and Final Fantasy soundtracks (specifically the Piano Collections) and they're great for focusing up!

youtube.com/watch?v=6-dt1ZXxZ6…

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I find the genre, artist or album doesn't really matter. The more familiar I am with the song, the more likely it is it'll become background music and I can focus on work. My recommendation is Carpenter Brut's 'Trilogy', for all my fellow 80s dark synth fans out there.
in reply to Sam Howell

@5am Thanks for the recommendation!

It's fascinating how different our tendencies can be when it comes to focusing. The more familiar I am with a song, the more likely I am to be drawn into it.

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

just put any Russian Circles album and you are set for a boost on productivity 👌😁
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Without.
What I need varies, but for focus I find nothing really beats a pink nose generator.
Gregorian chant also works. Plainsong works ok if I haven't listened to it in a long time, but if it's in a language I understand eventually I'll start picking out words, at which point it stops working.
(I studied Latin but I never got to where I could understand it being spoken.)
This entry was edited (9 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I usually go for something without lyrics if I want to focus. The Super Meat Boy or Hotline Miami soundtracks are very good for that. If I'm not in the mood for that kind of music, I'll put on metal with hard to understand vocals. 😅
For any other occasion, i.e. low brain consumption work, I'll put on whatever metal or hardrock album comes up on shuffle. 🤘
in reply to M. Forester

@mforester Great call on those particular game soundtracks. I haven't listened to them intentionally, but played the games way back when and the energy is perfect!

~Jason

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

For focus music, I lose myself in this Plastikman x Endel 12 hour epic. There's a Part 2 just as long available as well.
youtube.com/watch?v=mfqcgALDLL…
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I usually listen to music with lyrics when I am not doing anything and soundtrack when doing something. Also, "No time for caution" when doing serious stuff :p
Unknown parent

Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox
@nGFX Tell us more about Punk on 11...
@nGFX
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Play Bad Religion, Social Distortion, or any other Punk band and turn volume to 11.

😏

Makes all the difference ... and you don't hear the neighbors as a bonus.

in reply to nGFX

@nGFX AHHH! I thought it was a channel. OK, can absolutely get behind that.

~Jason

@nGFX
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I have one pipeline for processing words in my brain. If music has lyrics, it occupies it. If I need to concentrate, then this process also requires access to this pipeline. So it's one or the other.
But music without lyrics does not require it, so it's fine. Sometimes even helps by cutting out noise from around.

My favorites:

  • Soma FM Groove Salad internet radio
  • Diablo 2 and Torchlight 2 soundtracks by Matt Uelmen
  • Kurzgesagt soundtrack by Epic Mountain
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

No lyrics. My current playlist is dark coding music. In the past I have listened to movie sound tracks for background music.

open.spotify.com/playlist/3YQC…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

I do listen to music when I work, almost exclusively "space ambient". Definitely no lyrics. A good example is Stellardrone: stellardrone.bandcamp.com/trac…
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

usually I put on music that I don’t really like, lyrics or not. Just enough to keep my brain distracted from wandering but not enough to get me karaokeing
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Without. Usually LoFi, but anything with a steady beat that isn't going to make me start singing along (even if it's just "dadada").

Something smooth, relaxing and that easily fades into the background.

LoFi girl is a hot favourite.

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

How inappropriate would be to say that sometimes I listen to my own music and link it here as a "focus" track to make it into the Thuderbird's playlist?

mirlo.space/midnight-reveries/…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

When having to focus a lot I really love listening to my FLACs of Death - Leprosy
such a good album 😻

Generally any extreme subgenre of metal / punk rock works pretty well, if the lyrics are being screamed/growls its less distracting.
The brain™ can just scream along in the background so the part of the brain working on the task in the foreground doesn't get distracted :autism: :loading: 🧠

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Normally I like total silence. But if there are disturbing noises (which usually is for some time) I go with non-lyrics electronic chillout.
Best for me is Study with Miku Part 1-3: open.spotify.com/intl-de/artis…
(it's on YouTube too for free and official)
There really is not much music I can listen to when working. Also music from "Space Night" works.
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

If I want to be in the zone, it's got to be something I know cold. There are a lot that work for me, but 3 good ones are:
* Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
* Any Kleptones up to Uptime/Downtime
* Any of David Byrne's covers playlists, including the Fatboy Slim curated Beatles covers.
This entry was edited (8 months ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

My “force myself to be productive” playlist is just this one track on an endless loop: “Ping Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op” from Mark Mothersbaugh’s score for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

youtu.be/XTyZD0XFixs?si=vQt3Cu…

in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

Music in a language I don't know, preferably with some energy. Punjabi folk metal is a fine choice - Bloodywood's Machi Bhasad or Rang De Basanti are favorites