It’s no secret that people turn to music for various benefits. While people have been listening to music to help them relax and focus while studying or working for as long as recorded music has been around, a new genre has emerged as a favorite soundtrack for focused students in the post-COVID world.
What is LoFi Music?
LoFi music—sometimes called Lo-Fi, LoFi beats, LoFi hip-hop, or chill-hop—is a genre of music with roots in both hip-hop and jazz. It gets its name from the phrase “low fidelity,” which, in musical terms, generally refers to a low-quality recording because it doesn’t faithfully replicate the recorded sound. There is noise and distortion present, and sometimes, the artists misplay certain notes. The same applies to current LoFi music, but the distortions are intentional.
That doesn’t mean that LoFi is a distorted mess—not by any stretch—instead, it’s a genre characterized by warm sound, repeated hip-hop beats, and jazz-inspired lines. LoFi has no lyrics, and the instrumental music tends to repeat similar patterns. LoFi artists often add noise that you’d find from tape-recorded music or vinyl records, and there’s usually a touch of fuzz or background noise.
Benefits of LoFi Music
LoFi is a favorite among students for a reason. The music style has a number of key benefits that make it ideal for studying or just getting work done, and those benefits are backed by science.
Music can reduce stress and improve mood. This isn’t just because you like the artist you’re listening to. In one study, researchers found that listening to music boosts levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. [1] So, it stands to reason that listening to relaxing music, like LoFi, will have the same effect. Stress is also associated with a decreased ability to focus and remember details, making relieving it essential to getting much of anything done.
According to a famous 1994 study, music can boost brain activity and increase the type of performance needed for logical reasoning. This is perfect for studying or working on difficult problems. There is even evidence that listening to background music enhances learning. [3]
Music will help drown out eternal noise and help you focus on the task at hand. It also stands to reason that listening to music helps block out distractions, especially if you’re listening with headphones. It’s even theorized that LoFi is better for this because there aren’t any lyrics or stand-out notes to pull you out of your work.
Finally, science suggests that listing to calming music before bed can help promote healthy sleep. While this won’t necessarily help you work at the moment, getting a good night’s sleep has countless benefits. [4]
Resources:
1- Moraes MM, Rabelo PCR, Pinto VA, et al. Auditory stimulation by exposure to melodic music increases dopamine and serotonin activities in rat forebrain areas linked to reward and motor control. Neuroscience letters. 2018;673:73-78. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2018.02.058
2- Rauscher FH, And Others. Music and Spatial Task Performance: A Causal Relationship. ERIC. Published online August 1, 1994. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED390733
3- Lehmann JAM, Seufert T. The Influence of Background Music on Learning in the Light of Different Theoretical Perspectives and the Role of Working Memory Capacity. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017;8(1902). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01902
4- Cordi MJ, Ackermann S, Rasch B. Effects of Relaxing Music on Healthy Sleep. Scientific Reports. 2019;9(1):1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45608-y
