Music in the Office: Advantages and Disadvantages

We all have our individual tastes in music and listening to our favourite songs can have a strong influence on our mood. Music can evoke memories, thoughts and even make us feel happy or sad, but what effect does it have on our productivity at work? In this article, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of listening to music in the office, and even provide some pointers on the types of songs that could lead to better performance at work.

Advantages of Music in the Office

In a survey done by Totaljobs in 2016, 79% of employees said they would benefit from listening to music at work. In this section, we will look at all the advantages that can come with listening to music in the office.

1. Productivity

Science and research have shown that music can boost productivity, particularly when taking on repetitive tasks. The office is full of distractions, and music can help shut this out and keep you focused. According to Dr Lesuik, a psychologist from the University of Miami, workers that listen to music complete tasks quicker and are more creative than those who don’t.

2. Relaxation

Someone who is stressed often makes decisions quickly, whereas someone who is calmer might take time coming up with a more logical approach to tasks. This is how the relaxing effect of music can be beneficial in a working environment. Listening to a song you really like also releases dopamine. It’s dopamine that can improve your mood, alertness and make you feel less tired.

3. Concentration

Music is also said to aid your concentration by suppressing distractions around the office. It can help you control your soundscape and be an indication for colleagues that you’re busy and don’t want to be disturbed. Improved concentration can help you when doing simple or more complex work, replacing external interruptions with a song you like.

4. Emotional management

Our emotions can also impact the type of day we have at work. If you’re feeling sad or stressed, this can have a negative effect on your productivity and concentration. Music in the office can be inspirational, encouraging positive thoughts and improving motivation. This is particularly important in a public space where it might not be appropriate to act out any frustrations. Music can also provide a sense of company if the office is quiet or you’re working alone.

5. Helps manage internal interruptions

External distractions like phone calls or loud conversations aren’t the only things that can cause you to lose focus. Many of us are guilty of the odd daydream or good stare out of the window. Music creates a diversion, so you don’t engage with these other distractions that can make you lose your flow.

Disadvantages of Music in the Office

While there are many benefits of music in the office, there are also certain disadvantages that should be considered if you’re thinking about drafting up a work playlist.

1. The wrong music can create a distraction

Certain types of music could be a distraction depending on the listener. Inspiring music could lead people to daydream, or romantic music could cause people to focus on memories rather than work. These distractions may be less severe than a noisy office environment, but choosing the right music could help further improve productivity and concentration.

2. The mind can become too stimulated

Creative centres are stimulated through the forced abstract thinking caused by music, but this can also mean the mind can be too stimulated. Some forms of information need to be absorbed through the conventional method of understanding, being overstimulated can make it difficult to retain this type of information. This means music might not always be a good thing depending on the task you are doing.

3. Music can make the mind forgetful

The final disadvantage of music in the office is, at times, it can make the mind forgetful. Listening to music when working could cause you to forget where you are with a project or to complete work without remembering what you did. This can make quality control difficult because you might not always remember what you wrote down or how you completed a given job.

What Is the Best Kind of Music to Listen to While Working?

If you’re looking for music in the office that could help improve your own or a team’s productivity and concentration, we have a list of genres that could be the answer.

1. Classical Music – Helps foster an atmosphere of professionalism and can energize or relax depending on the song.

2. Neo-Classical – This modern wave of classical music can be extremely relaxing and can help cure stress and increase productivity.

3. Ambient Music – Is useful at blocking out distractions but doesn’t encroach on whatever it is you’re thinking about at work.

4. Music Without Words – Music with words can be very distracting consciously and subconsciously. Music without words which includes ambience or natural sounds is there to leave space in the brain for other activities.

5. Soundtracks – Film, TV or video game soundtracks are designed not to take too much focus away from what you’re watching or playing. This can apply to your work too.

Music in the Office Policy

If you’re a business owner looking for a second opinion on whether to introduce a policy on music in the office, we hope this article has been a helpful guide. Totaljobs research also stated that 38% of workers said they’re not allowed to listen to music at work. This could be a mistake for business owners, the positive impact of listening to music in the office outweighs the negative, although it’s worth considering the types of music people are listening to. We advise providing employees with information on the best genres of music to listen to for improved productivity and concentration.

That’s everything you need to know about music in the office. It also highlights the importance of having the right work environment in order to reach your full potential. If you feel your workspace needs a little something, you can find desks, office chairs and other furniture on our website.