Does Music Improve Work Efficiency?

Updated on: April 15, 2024

Do you sometimes have trouble focusing when working or studying SQL? Do you ever lack motivation? I have the perfect solution for you: music for learning SQL! I am excited to tell you about how the right tunes can significantly enhance your efficiency and concentration.

Music can soothe the savage beast, they say. It can also inspire action. In general, music is an important element of human life. Most activities are just more enjoyable with background music. However, listening to music while studying or working is a bit different.

You might prefer to work in absolute silence while a noisy, chaotic environment inspires your coworkers and helps them focus. Weird, right?

Are you having trouble with a new task? Are you procrastinating? Is it hard to focus on working with the database when everything around you is loud? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this article is perfect for you.

I'll help you decide whether it is a good idea to listen to music while you work or study.

Support While Working and Studying

Both work and learning (including learning SQL) require concentration.

There are many ways to learn effectively. Although, in the era of the coronavirus pandemic, learning may take a different form. But don't worry, we've long said that it's much better to learn SQL at home with online courses.

Not only do you have peace of mind but also you can learn at your own pace. If you want to start learning SQL, Kamila will tell you how. Also, Rebecca will show you 12 ways to practice SQL.

Each of us might have problems with starting new tasks. If we’re around other people, even the slightest murmur can break the rhythm. It can be easy to become distracted.

Employees’ duties should be fulfilled efficiently and effectively, but also in comfortable conditions. So, what contributes to distraction, and what helps employees to focus?

Listening to music while working differs from company to company. Some bosses are convinced that music is only for fun and entertainment. But work can also be fun, especially with your favorite music.

A dose of good music can have similar effects as a short walk, a series of stretches, or a cup of espresso. Isn't that amazing?

When you listen to music, the brain releases dopamine, the hormone responsible for feeling happy. This could mean that listening to music at work could fuel you throughout the day.

Listening to music at work, If your work environment disrupts your concentration, music can help you become a productivity beast. When you are focused, your tasks can be performed with the highest level of commitment.

If you do the same or similar things every day, you might benefit from listening to music while working. Work ceases to be monotonous when it's accompanied by an energizing soundtrack!

Research proves that employees who perform similar tasks daily concentrate more when listening to music. This means that they commit MUCH FEWER ERRORS. This contributes to a significant increase in efficiency.

Moreover, another study found that a significant proportion of programmers working without music work more slowly, and the quality of their work is lower.

Which Music Genres Are Best for Productivity?

Classical Music

It’s timeless and has the biggest effect on brain receptors, stimulating cognitive functions and assisting in making decisions. It can also give a kick!

Epic Music

Mainly accompanying computer games, its task is to influence emotions. Have you ever heard of a gamer who isn’t motivated to go through another mission? This is how epic music works!

Electronic Music

A dose of pure energy, electronic sequences move you from behind your desk to ULTRA in Miami. Except, instead of you dancing, your fingers are dancing on the keyboard! ??

Jazz Music

This smooth music inspires creativity and helps you to forget about the world around you.

Rock Music

I love this one the most. Close your eyes for a moment, and visualize yourself taking on a task that affects all of humanity. Boom! Guitar sounds permeate from head to toe. Can you feel this power bursting through you?

And does music affect productivity in the case of e-learning? The answer is DEFINITELY YES!

According to this article, e-learning authors should include soundtracks for their courses. The tracks should be adapted to the content of the course, stimulating creativity, concentration, and different thought processes.

The conclusion is that music can help you work and learn more effectively! Working with databases or learning SQL doesn't have to be difficult, especially with a perfectly selected soundtrack.

Impact on Your Workflow

I will now present a simple case study that will allow you to visualize the influence of music on your workflow. This is based on my own observations and experiences.

Imagine you are given a new task. To execute it, you need to write SQL queries. When working with a database, concentration is desirable, right?

Your colleagues are having conversations next to you. Someone is hitting the sides of a cup with a spoon to mix their tea. The coffee machine is ridiculously loud.

These sounds don’t make your task any easier. You'd like to press the MUTE button and concentrate on the task at hand.

When working with a database, writing queries forces you to think logically and clearly. Noisy surroundings might disrupt the concentration needed to do this.

The situation changes when you put your headphones on. You wrap yourself in your favorite sounds and forget about your surroundings.

Everything disappears: colleagues stressed about deadlines, the sounds of excitement about achieved targets, and that damn coffee machine that froths milk so loudly.

All that's left is you, the monitor screen, and the database waiting for your queries. Now that the distractions are drowned out by the music, you focus on your task!

Vibing to writing SQL queries sounds HIGHLY EFFECTIVE!

Source: tenor.com

Music Helps With Learning SQL

I know how hard it can be to start learning anything. First, you need to figure out if it is worth spending your time on. So, establish a prioritized list of skills that you need to acquire.

Learning a new programming language? Creating a competitive enterprise for SpaceX? Creating basic SQL reports? You should first invest in your hard competencies.

I’m guessing you already know why you should learn SQL. There are many perks of learning SQL. It can be your ticket into the IT industry.

So, how do you motivate yourself to learn?

Do you have a favorite type of music that gets you on your feet faster than a cup of strong coffee? What do you listen to after a stressful day? What type of music helps you achieve better results at the gym? YOU NOW KNOW THE ANSWER.

I’ll tell you what helped motivate me to learn SQL. I have a long list of favorite tunes that I always listen to before doing an important task. I’m a fan of aggressive guitar riffs: the harsher the sounds, the more pumped I feel.

When I started my adventure with SQL (I used LearnSQL.com!), I was a complete novice. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to motivate myself to learn without the proper music track. After all, before every university exam, I had a good dose of Slayer...??.

While many types of music might motivate you to learn, how it affects your concentration might be a problem. Listening to unfamiliar music is not recommended for learning and remembering new things. It's best to listen to songs you know well so that they won't attract much attention.

I have prepared a killer playlist for you. If you like dynamic music as much as I do, you most likely know most of these songs (though you may have forgotten about them!). Check out the playlist below. These songs will give you a big productivity boost and help you learn SQL!

Music can inspire you to learn, help you concentrate, and be the perfect motivational coach.

Will you be interviewed for a job where SQL knowledge is required? My friend Rebecca has written an article that will surely help you prepare for the interview. And let the playlist attached above motivate you to action!

Where To Find Good Tracks

Please know that this part IS NOT SPONSORED! I found the most popular music streaming sites and apps for you myself so that you have an overview of where to look for inspiration and motivation. I won’t get a dime for it (although if one of the sites wants to toss a coin to an author, I won’t refuse ??).

Here are the four most popular music sources in the US:

1. Spotify: This is the best option, both for the free and premium packages. It is available for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as in browsers and computer applications. It provides a gigantic number of songs from all genres of the world. The only drawbacks are the lack of live streaming and the standard quality of the tracks. The monthly package costs $9.99.

2. Apple Music: This application works perfectly on Apple devices and is certainly a suitable option for fans and users of devices with a bitten-apple logo. It's fully integrated with Siri, which can play just the song you want! There are over 60 million songs available in Apple Music. every Apple user will find something for himself. As with Spotify, Apple Music's monthly package costs around $9.99.

3. Tidal: Do you care about having the highest sound quality? Do you want to feel like you’re at a concert? This is the perfect solution for you. For $19.99 per month, you get access to Hi-Fi quality uncompressed songs. This is a real treat for audiophiles!

4. Deezer: As is the case with Tidal, you have the option of purchasing a package that will guarantee you high-quality music. Most likely, the music resources on Deezer will be sufficient for you, though the library is not as impressive as that of Spotify. The application interface is simple, which makes the operation intuitive. Even technophobes can handle it. The price of a monthly subscription with HD quality songs is $14.99.

Learn More Effectively With Music!

So, what is the answer to the question posed in the title? It's DEFINITELY WORTH listening to music while working and studying.

Learning SQL can become easier, more enjoyable, and more effective when you play some good music, even if the course is as multidimensional and elaborate as SQL from A to Z. If you only need to learn SQL basics, your favorite songs will help here, too.

P.S. While writing this article, I was listening to Black Sabbath and Metallica. 

ROCK ON!