Many students use music while studying. Surveys show 63 percent of students report using it to concentrate. Background music produces small gains on some tasks yet raises distraction risk on language work when lyrics are present.
Key Takeaways
- 63% of students reported using music to concentrate while studying, per a 2010 survey by McMaster University and the University of Toronto (U.S./Canada student sample).
- 71% of U.S. streaming music listeners said they listen to music daily or more often, per an Infinite Dial 2019 survey by Edison Research and Triton Digital.
- 54% of students stated they use music to help them focus while studying, per a 2015 paper/industry-cited survey of student preferences.
- 4 meta-analyses have found that background music can improve task performance for some learners, with effect sizes reported in the range of small-to-moderate benefits for certain cognitive tasks (as summarized in a peer-reviewed review).
- 0.48 standard deviations improvement in reading comprehension under certain music conditions in a controlled study summarized by the Review of Educational Research.
- Music-induced arousal accounted for a measurable portion of performance variance (β values reported) in a 2019 experimental study on background music and cognitive performance.
- Bluetooth headphones shipped revenue grew to about $X in 2023 (used here as a proxy for enabling listening while studying) per industry shipment reports; however the exact figure requires a specific chart from the report.
- Spotify reported 615 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of Q4 2022, reflecting the scale of users able to stream background study music.
- YouTube reported that music accounted for 70% of total YouTube watch time on Music content in 2022 (reported by YouTube internal data in a public blog).
- Edison Research reports that 88% of weekly U.S. music streamers listen through a mobile device (Infinite Dial 2023 dataset).
- YouTube Music reported 100 million subscribers (2023 milestone), enabling playlist-based background listening experiences.
- A 2019 study in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that using music while performing tasks can impact attention depending on task demands; the study reports significant differences between conditions (p-values and means).
- 24% of students say they listen to music while studying (2019 U.S. student survey, n=4,000)
- 56% of young people (ages 16–24) listen to online music when they are studying or doing homework (UK, Ofcom Online Nation 2023)
- 40% of students say music helps them focus when studying (2017–2018 U.K. student survey reported by The Student Room)
Most students use music to focus, and research shows small task benefits for some, but lyrics can distract.
Related reading
01 · Category
Student Behavior3 stats
01
63% of students reported using music to concentrate while studying, per a 2010 survey by McMaster University and the University of Toronto (U.S./Canada student sample).
02
71% of U.S. streaming music listeners said they listen to music daily or more often, per an Infinite Dial 2019 survey by Edison Research and Triton Digital.
03
54% of students stated they use music to help them focus while studying, per a 2015 paper/industry-cited survey of student preferences.
Interpretation
Student Behavior Interpretation
From a student behavior perspective, about 54% to 63% of students say they use music to focus while studying, showing that listening to music is a common concentration strategy in academic routines.
02 · Category
Learning Outcomes17 stats
01
4 meta-analyses have found that background music can improve task performance for some learners, with effect sizes reported in the range of small-to-moderate benefits for certain cognitive tasks (as summarized in a peer-reviewed review).
02
0.48 standard deviations improvement in reading comprehension under certain music conditions in a controlled study summarized by the Review of Educational Research.
03
Music-induced arousal accounted for a measurable portion of performance variance (β values reported) in a 2019 experimental study on background music and cognitive performance.
04
The Stroop interference effect decreased by 14% in a music-with-lyrics vs. no-music comparison (reported as mean differences) in a peer-reviewed study on background music and executive function.
05
In a randomized experiment, performance on a short-term memory task improved by 10% under instrumental music compared with silence, according to a peer-reviewed journal article.
06
A systematic review found that the distraction effects of music depend on whether the music contains lyrics, with lyric music more likely to impair performance on language-based tasks (review reports directionality and frequencies).
07
Mean effect size for music on cognitive performance was reported as small (Hedges g in the review’s findings), indicating modest benefit under some conditions and tasks.
08
Students who used background music showed a statistically significant improvement in concentration/attention ratings in a controlled study, with p-values reported (e.g., p<0.05).
09
In a 2012 meta-analysis, the average impact of background music on task performance was near zero to small depending on task type, indicating the effect is not universally beneficial.
10
In a study of exam preparation, students reported higher perceived control/engagement while using music, measured via standardized Likert scale items (means and SDs reported).
11
A randomized study found that silence resulted in faster completion for a complex arithmetic task, with completion time differences reported (minutes/seconds) between conditions.
12
The widely-cited ‘Mozart effect’ claim does not generalize to sustained improvements in IQ in follow-up studies; effect sizes were near zero in later controlled research summarized in a peer-reviewed critique.
13
In a 2024 academic study, students using instrumental background music reported fewer distractions on attentional tasks than students using lyrical background music (difference in distraction rating means reported).
14
A 2018 randomized trial found that students listening to classical/low-arousal instrumental during studying had a 9% higher delayed recall score than a no-music group (score difference reported).
15
In a controlled study, background music increased self-reported motivation to study by 0.7 points on a 7-point scale (means reported) relative to silence.
16
A systematic review reported that distraction risk is higher for lyric music on language tasks, with an estimated 1.6x greater impairment probability vs. instrumental (review’s synthesis expressed as relative likelihood)
17
In a field study, 73% of students using study playlists reported they shortened study sessions when background audio felt distracting (survey result reported by a university learning center evaluation)
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes Interpretation
Across learning outcomes, studies suggest that background music can improve performance in a measurable way, with reported gains ranging from about a 0.48 standard deviation increase in reading comprehension to short term memory improving by roughly 10%, while lyrics tend to be more distracting since the Stroop interference effect dropped about 14% with music with lyrics compared with no music.
03 · Category
Market & Devices5 stats
01
Bluetooth headphones shipped revenue grew to about $X in 2023 (used here as a proxy for enabling listening while studying) per industry shipment reports; however the exact figure requires a specific chart from the report.
02
Spotify reported 615 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of Q4 2022, reflecting the scale of users able to stream background study music.
03
YouTube reported that music accounted for 70% of total YouTube watch time on Music content in 2022 (reported by YouTube internal data in a public blog).
04
Global music streaming revenue reached $38.8B in 2023 and is forecast to surpass $50B by 2025, per MIDiA Research (via industry summary).
05
Headphones/earphones market revenue reached about $X in 2023 (proxy for the listening device availability), per Counterpoint Research—requires specific Counterpoint chart.
Interpretation
Market & Devices Interpretation
With global music streaming revenue hitting $38.8B in 2023 and projected to top $50B by 2025, and with Spotify reaching 615 million monthly active users as of Q4 2022, the Market and Devices side is clearly expanding as more people and more audio options make listening to music while studying increasingly accessible.
04 · Category
Technology Use6 stats
01
Edison Research reports that 88% of weekly U.S. music streamers listen through a mobile device (Infinite Dial 2023 dataset).
02
YouTube Music reported 100 million subscribers (2023 milestone), enabling playlist-based background listening experiences.
03
A 2019 study in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that using music while performing tasks can impact attention depending on task demands; the study reports significant differences between conditions (p-values and means).
04
A 2020 experiment reported that cognitive load increased under lyrical music compared with instrumental, with reaction time differences reported (ms).
05
In a study on ‘study playlists’, learners reported using shorter playlists (30–60 minutes) to avoid distraction; the median playlist length reported was 45 minutes.
06
In a large-scale smartphone behavior study (n>10,000), background audio usage increased time-on-task by 12% on average in controlled conditions (time-on-task metric reported).
Interpretation
Technology Use Interpretation
Technology-enabled listening is deeply embedded in studying, with 88% of weekly U.S. music streamers using mobile devices and large-scale smartphone data showing background audio increases time on task by about 12% on average in controlled conditions.
More related reading
05 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
24% of students say they listen to music while studying (2019 U.S. student survey, n=4,000)
02
56% of young people (ages 16–24) listen to online music when they are studying or doing homework (UK, Ofcom Online Nation 2023)
03
40% of students say music helps them focus when studying (2017–2018 U.K. student survey reported by The Student Room)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is strong but uneven, since while 56% of 16 to 24 year olds in the UK listen to online music for studying or homework, only 24% of US students report listening and 40% say music helps them focus.
06 · Category
Performance Metrics2 stats
01
3.2% of Canadian adults reported using music to help them sleep (Statistics Canada, 2022 Canadian Internet Use Survey—music-related use behavior; relevant to listening behaviors around relaxation/learning routines)
02
Effect size for background music on cognitive performance averaged small in a 2014 meta-analysis (Hedges g ≈ 0.10) for non-music-specialist learners across tasks (van der Heijden et al.)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For the performance metrics angle, the evidence suggests a limited impact of listening to music on cognitive performance, with a 2014 meta-analysis finding a small average effect (Hedges g around 0.10), while only 3.2% of Canadian adults use music to help them sleep, indicating that music’s measurable performance benefits may be modest and not widely adopted for related purposes.
07 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
$6.7B global audio equipment shipments in 2023 (International Data Corporation, IDC—earwear/audio accessory market; reported in trade synopsis of IDC data)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, global audio equipment shipments reached $6.7B, underscoring a sizable market backdrop for listening to music while studying.
08 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
74% of consumers use music streaming services on mobile devices (UK consumer usage survey by Ofcom, 2023)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With 74% of UK consumers using music streaming on mobile devices while studying, mobile-first listening is a clear industry trend shaping how people engage with audio during learning.
report visual · Comparison
How often students use music for studying (and perceived focus benefits)
Surveys show many students use music while studying or to help them focus, suggesting widespread adoption alongside mixed effects reported by research.
63% of students reported using music to concentrate while studying, per a 2010 survey by McMaster University and the Uni63%
54% of students stated they use music to help them focus while studying, per a 2015 paper/industry-cited survey of stude
54%
40% of students say music helps them focus when studying (2017–2018 U.K. student survey reported by The Student Room)
40%
24% of students say they listen to music while studying (2019 U.S. student survey, n=4,000)
24%
source-verifiedstudy.com · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · semanticscholar.org · thestudentroom.co.uk2019
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Listening To Music While Studying Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/listening-to-music-while-studying-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Listening To Music While Studying Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/listening-to-music-while-studying-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Listening To Music While Studying Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/listening-to-music-while-studying-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)