Lofi music, drawing in millions of listeners on YouTube and popular streaming platforms, is a musical genre characterised by purposeful imperfections, a low tempo, and musical sampling, which blend together to create a soothing jazz effect. While the word “imperfections” may scare some people, lofi’s characteristics have been shown to improve concentration and creativity, by boosting cognitive ability and reducing anxiety – essential ingredients for productivity success!
Improving focus
Studies reveal high-intensity music is distracting. This is where lofi music comes in. The low-tempo drum loops that are unique to lofi music, cause the brain to relax, and heart rate to settle. This cancels out other distracting and inconsistent environmental noises, including loud traffic, workplace noise, and annoying housemates, which drain precious brain power! This is also known as the attention drainage effect, a 1973 theory of attention.
Boosting information retention
Memory recall research on a group of university students found those who listen to lofi music have significantly better information recall and memory than those who do not, suggesting lofi music may be a valuable tool for boosting productivity for students and working professionals alike. According to the study, lofi music usually contains no, or very few lyrics, which has been linked to better information recall and retention.
Reducing anxiety and improving mood
If that wasn’t enough, the “happy hormones’ – serotonin and dopamine – may be increased in lofi listeners, which is helpful for student study sessions, boosting memory retention, and reducing work/school-related anxiety. The low music tempo with repetitive drum loops (predictable soft bass beats) ranging from 70 to 90 beats per minute, may also serve to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which are known physical symptoms of a calm body.
Another mood-boosting quality of lofi music is music sampling, which involves artists “sampling” bits and pieces from popular music, video games, and movies to create a nostalgic soundscape. Listening to these familiar sounds could trigger the brain to link positive past memories of songs, movies, video games, etc., to the present, improving mood even in monotonous study or work sessions. The added musical “imperfections”, such as the soft sounds of cassette players, vinyl records, and CDs, also tug at the heartstrings of vintage music lovers, adding to that comforting feel.
The hundreds of lofi music options are proof of its popularity, and when considering it’s fabulous health and wellness benefits, lofi music is the perfect addition to your playlist.