The Concentration Playlist
By Sophia Westover, Contributing Editor
With the distractions of working from home, it’s hard to find your groove—whether you’re surrounded by kids or a student trying to get work done amongst noisy roommates. Here’s a working list of the best concentration and focus playlists and apps that help us tune out and tune in.
Music
“keep calm and focus with ambient and post-rock music”
“For those of us who suffer from ADHD and need music to keep your focused and motivated... I gotchu!”
3. Focus Flow
“uptempto instrumental hip-hop beats.”
“Minimalism, electronica and modern classical to concentrate to.”
5. Focus Now
“Classical music is the most common scientifically-cited way to improve focus. Focus Now provides four hours (woah) of “Piano music to hone your thought process.”
“The perfect study beats, twenty four seven.”
“Enhance your concentration by traveling through different brainwave frequencies until you reach peak awareness in Gamma state.”
”A daily selection of chill beats - perfect to help you relax & study 📚”
“Clock in from the comfort of your own home with 8 hours of music to carry you through the day.” This one works better for those of us who need a catchier tune to listen to while working.
10. Classical Focus.
“Enhance your focus with classical music.”
11. Cafe Sounds.
“Background noises from a cafe/coffee shop.”
12. Back-ground Music.
Chill, Quiet, Conversational
13. Creative Office.
“Music for when you are IN THE ZONE. Carefully selected background music for creative work. Curated and no big beats or disturbing bad sounds. Ambient productive bliss”
14. Office.
Office background sounds.
“Dais founders Gibby Miller & Ryan Martin share experimental, electronic and ambient tracks that have been in heavy home-office rotation. Explore our shop: Dais Records”
16. Office Noise.
Apps
1. Brain Wave™ 35 Binaural Series: This app allows you to play binaural beats under your music (don’t worry, it won’t interfere with the sound). With categories like “morning coffee, focused and alert, critical thinking” and “ concentration,” this is a great way to boost your concentration and energy while working and still have the option to listen to your own music.
2. Focus Booster: This app uses the "pomodoro technique”— a fancy word for breaking up your work time into chunks with small breaks. It helps you manage your time and use it efficiently by timing your 25-minute work periods broken up by a 5-minute break.
3. SoundCurtain by Future Acoustic: SoundCurtain helps you drown out noisy work environments— or these days, household distractions— by playing white noise which adjusts to the sound levels around you.
4. Noisli: This app provides a number background noises to choose from to mask distracting sounds to “ keep you sane, improve your focus and boost your productivity.” This one is available as a mobile app and a Chrome extension— whichever works best for you.
5. Coffitivity: Do you miss working in the environment of a coffee shop? Seems weirdly specific, but this app plays background noises from a coffee shop for those of you who need a more bustling work environment.
6. Brain.fm: This one offers a variety of sounds, not only for working but also sleep and meditation— two key components to working efficiently throughout the day.