mastodon - Link to source

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

#productivity #focus
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Hypatia

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 Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Cassidy James

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

mastodon - Link to source

ʙwɑnɑ нoɴoʟʊʟʊ

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

mastodon - Link to source

Aaron Prisk

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…


Ember

Sdílejte svá videa s přáteli, rodinou a celým světem.
YouTube
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Agavi

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 Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Roelant

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-…


'Dust & Echoes' van Spektre op Apple Music

Nummer· 2014 · Speelduur 6:31
Apple Music - Webspeler
in reply to Roelant

mastodon - Link to source

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 😄).

@Kristian Cunningham
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Ignacio Torres

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/…


Rone : L(oo)ping - ARTE Concert

#LOOPING #RONE Avec L(oo)ping, Rone nous embarque dans une expérience à part. Un projet hors norme réalisé par Louise Narboni, mené avec l’Orchestre National...
YouTube
#listenbrainz #rone @MetaBrainz
in reply to Maël / Akin

mastodon - Link to source

Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

@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


Final Fantasy: Complete Piano Collections

Tracklist (Trying to get video chapters working, if anyone knows why I can't see it LMK)0:00:00 Eternity Memories of Light & waves - X-20:06:21 J-E-N-O-V-A -...
YouTube
@Maël / Akin
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

FeralRobots

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 (1 year ago)
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

M. Forester

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 Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

A.B.

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…

Part 1: Plastikman x Endel: 24 hours of Deeper Focus | AI-powered soundscape | @beatport Live

Download the Endel app for a fully personalized experience based on your own location and inputs: https://endel.page.link/beatport Richie Hawtin aka PLASTIKM...
YouTube
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Etam

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

mastodon - Link to source

Fey✨

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

mastodon - Link to source

Ryo

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.

Spotify – Mobile Web Player

Spotify
in reply to Thunderbird: Free Your Inbox

mastodon - Link to source

Mike Pirnat

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…


Ping Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupPing Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op · Mark MothersbaughThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou℗ 2004 Disney Enterpr...
YouTube
⇧