Lofi Music

This informative article by Shani Grounds will explain the secret science behind the hidden musical treasure, lo-fi music, and why many students are using it to their advantage today.

the science behind lofi music

By Shani Grounds

what is lo-fi music and where did it come from?

The acronym lo-fi stands for “low fidelity,” a music production style that has been around since the 1950s. During this age, many young people would use any recording equipment available to them. Therefore, lo-fi music could be described as “low quality music,” or “unprofessional” due to technical flaws such as repetitive distortion, fuzziness, hum, background noise, and tape skip sounds. According to Charlie Wooley, the founder of The Tenth Man Blog, the Beach Boys, which were a rock band popular in the ’60s, had a strong influence on the lo-fi music movement. Their later albums mainly consisted of low fidelity recordings, but were unsuccessful and virtually unappreciated. However, many indie artists throughout the ’80s and ’90s used the unique works of The Beach Boys as inspiration, proving that The Beach Boys’ influence on modern music is more recognizable than many believe. These underground indie artists quickly emerged to popularity, and low fidelity music was instead referred to as DIY music, or “Do It Yourself” music. From the 2000s to now, lo-fi can be described as “chill-out music,” with many current artists using high tech equipment to generate nostalgia, or to create soothing and natural background noises such as rain and birds chirping. It is important to note that one single artist did not create or popularize lo-fi music solely by themselves; many different artists and groups from different ages have contributed to its growth and evolution.

Album cover of Surfin' Safari By the Beach Boys

how popular is lo-fi music?

Lofi Girl's animation of a girl studying

Lo-Fi music is rapidly growing in popularity. YouTube channels, such as Lofi Girl, The Bootleg Boy, and Chillhop Music all have millions of subscribers. One YouTube channel that stands out in particular is Lofi Girl, the most popular lo-fi music channel, with more than 9 million subscribers. Lofi Girl also has its own 24-hour radio station on YouTube called “beats to relax/study to”, which has tens of thousands of people listening steadily.

Some theorize that the COVID-19 pandemic is a major reason for lo-fi music’s rise in popularity. More students are participating in virtual and online classes than ever before, forcing them to find ways to adapt to this new situation. Many students have found that lo-fi music provides somewhat of a calming and comforting escape from the stress caused by the pandemic. These students listen to lo-fi music in order to focus on studying and completing coursework.

what is the science behind lo-fi music?

Many lo-fi music channels have one thing in common: they all claim to improve concentration and productivity during study sessions. But how accurate is this statement? One potential reason as to why lo-fi music may improve academic performance is the lack of vocals in this genre of music. Maria Witek is a professor of music at Birmingham University and has co-authored a study on what type of music causes a pleasurable response in listeners. Witek claims, “The best kind of music to listen to while working should have no vocals, because lyrics tend to be distracting.” The music should also be slow, repetitive, and easily predictable, with ambient background sounds such as rain or other “natural” sounds to help block out distracting noises such as chattering. Easily predictable music, if it includes looping or sustained sounds and tones (which are all elements at the heart of lo-fi music), gives the listener a sense of comfort and security. These characteristics will also “promote the right level of physiological and attentional arousal in listeners, acting as a stimulant without distracting from the task,” according to Witek. This means that too much arousal, which can be caused by vocal-heavy and hi-fi (high fidelity, or high quality) music, tends to be more distracting than lo-fi sounds, because the listener’s mind is too busy processing the music rather than focusing on the task at hand.

in conclusion...

What makes lo-fi music so different from other genres is the fact that it, in its most modern form, exists solely on the internet and social media platforms such as YouTube and Soundcloud. It is a genre that continues to rapidly grow in popularity, alongside the internet’s growing usage. It is also one of the few music genres that has been scientifically confirmed to improve academic performances and concentration, along with classical music. So, grab those headphones and listen away to some soothing lo-fi during your next study session!

The bootleg boy's raining in playlists

Lofi Girl's study session playlists

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