We’re all guilty of listening to that same favourite song over and over again until we grow tired of it. If you’re like me, music is a crucial component to a productive study session. Whether it’s non-lyrical electronic music, relaxing classical music or upbeat dance songs, listening to songs that make you happy can make any task a lot more manageable. Lately, I’ve been finding myself listening to the same playlist time and time again, and music slumps like this can make for a boring day. If you’re finding yourself in dire need of a change in pace (or tempo, in this case), check out some of these tips to discover new ways to listen to music that will have you dancing through the day.
Make Use of Playlists Tailored to You
If you don’t already use Spotify, I highly recommend you do so. While paying for a membership gives you a lot more freedom in your music listening experience, everyone is eligible for a free account. Being a student with a constant supply of tuition and textbook fees coming my way, I get by perfectly fine with the free version. The cool thing about Spotify is that the more music you listen to, the more Spotify learns about your taste. That one new song you can’t stop listening to? Spotify will have ten more songs lined up that are just like it. Even better, Spotify provides you with six different “Daily Mixes” that are playlists made up of all the songs you love, plus a huge selection of others just like it. I’ve discovered some of my favourite new songs and artists from this feature, and I highly recommend you check it out.
Let YouTube Take the Reigns
YouTube is another great way to stumble across great songs you didn’t even know existed. Simply type in your current go-to song or artist and pick a music video to listen to. Next, turn on the “autoplay” option to the right of the screen and click back onto your study notes. After your song is over, YouTube will automatically start to play similar music videos that other users who listened to your song also clicked on. I tend to be guilty of only listening to one or two popular songs that I like from a particular artist, and fail to delve much deeper into their albums. This is a great way to let other popular songs from your favourite artists autoplay to help you discover more great tunes – and even entire albums!
Be Open-Minded
I listen to primarily upbeat pop songs, but I realized I was always attracted to songs with a more relaxed, indie-style feel to them. I decided to start checking out more indie bands and playlists and just like that, I was hooked! It’s easy to get set on your favourite genre and be hesitant to check out any other styles of music. A good way to combat this is try going to coffee shops or other places in your free time that play a different style of music from your own. You may just find that you associate those positive memories of grabbing an amazing latte with your friends with that cool new genre that was playing in the background. The world of music is your oyster!
Of course, music is only one study strategy. Check out these tips on how to keep studying efficient and interesting. Good luck resisting that urge to rock out in the middle of the library!