Does Music Really Help With Concentration?

By Chelsea Natale, 2027

Published 1/27/2026

Many students today use music as a way to help with focus during activities such as studying, doing homework, or just trying to concentrate on a task in school. To those who use music during school related tasks, the use of music seems to help with concentration, leading to productivity. But, studies from colleges such as Texas A&M have found that using music in hopes of better concentration doesn’t help with concentration at all.

Because the brain is trying to simultaneously process a song and school related content at the same time, it can be hard for the brain to multitask. Cognitive psychiatrist Brian Anderson states that “human beings are not capable of truly multitasking because attention is a limited resource, and you can only focus so much without a cost”. The harder it is to try to focus on two separate tasks at once, the less success a student will have. To make it easier to remember information during a test period or during a school day, it is best to replicate the conditions that will be happening in the classroom during that time frame. 

Texas A&M University’s College of Liberal Arts take on the matter states that, “Although listening to music can make studying more enjoyable, psychologists from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences have found that this popular study habit is more distracting than beneficial”. According to the college, music can hinder students from being able to retain information. But, music without words can have a better effect for retaining information since there is less to concentrate on.

While some continuously listen to music while trying to complete a task, it is important to remember that what is happening is meaningful so the information needed can get across. Every student learns differently though, so one's way of retaining information might differ from their friends. It’s all about finding the right study habits and the right music that will help with concentration and comprehension of material.