I like everything downtempo. Like lofi or even oldies.

How about you?

Brian Eno's Music For Airports provides just enough distraction to keep the mind from wandering and not enough distraction to prevent the brain from thinking. I've listened to it countless time, sometimes just for pure relaxation.

I like music made specifically for study/relaxation as I think it is really calm which is effective in improving my focus.
However it really depends on what I'm writing - if I'm plotting adventure, I might try more "happy vibe" type music than if I was penning the cliffhanger of a murder mystery.
Personally I listen more to sounds more than actual music (eg; fire crackling or waterfall noises)

My favourite relaxation/happy vibe/sounds music videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFqv-dyuDtw (relaxation study music)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubnDMTUui1Y (happy vibe music)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgHKb_7884o (fire crackling noises)

, I prefer absolute silence, hence most of my work has been done in the dead of night. Occasionally, a song I hear out of the blue, might trigger a chapter or two, but I can't pinpoint anything in particular.

I don't listen to music when I write but I do love music. Many of the books I've written include music in some form, either references to music or characters who are also musically inclined.

I suspect it won't give me high marks for taste, but it works for me...

Metal.
The more extreme, the better. Especially like pure instrumentals.

Dennis Wolf wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:12 am Metal.
The more extreme, the better. Especially like pure instrumentals.

Wow! I'm too easily distracted to be able to write or focus with anything but classical playing lightly. I play the drums and even music with percussion is distracting. I cannot iamgine listening to metal and being able to think about what I'm writing. I'm jealous of your ability to focus.

My go to music for relaxation and a clear head is something like Native American wind flute. One of my favorites is R. Carlos Nakai.

Chris OConnor wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:04 am

Dennis Wolf wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:12 am Metal.
The more extreme, the better. Especially like pure instrumentals.

Wow! I'm too easily distracted to be able to write or focus with anything but classical playing lightly. I play the drums and even music with percussion is distracting. I cannot iamgine listening to metal and being able to think about what I'm writing. I'm jealous of your ability to focus.

My go to music for relaxation and a clear head is something like Native American wind flute. One of my favorites is R. Carlos Nakai.

Yes, sometimes I change it up, but most of the time I listen to metal when writing and even at work.. If anything, it makes me tensed up and focused.
Nothing special really. Given most of the time my works are tense stories and some of them have violence and stuff, the extreme fast, bass heavy music actually helps.

On that same note, there are slower instrumental pieces that serve quite well for calmer things.