The popularity of lo-fi hip-hop music has skyrocketed over the past few years, and it is now one of the most popular genres on royalty-free music services like YouTube and Spotify. It is especially common among secondary school and university students who are looking for relaxing music to study and concentrate on. Both hemispheres of the brain are engaged while listening to lo-fi cool rhythms, which eliminates noises that could be considered distractions and results in increased productivity and attention.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
The soothing rhythms and mellow melodies of Lofi beats help you stay calm, focused, and productive. They block out distractions, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve concentration and cognitive performance. And because you’re more focused, you produce more dopamine, which makes you happier and increases your productivity. This is why many people choose to study or work with lo-fi music.
Lofi beats are typically laid-back, ranging from 60 to 85 BPM. This is a comfortable range for most people. You can find a variety of Lofi beats on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and other popular streaming platforms. Some examples include the popular channels Lofi Girl and Chilled Cow. They both have a large selection of “lo-fi hip-hop music (beats to relax or study) tracks and playlists.
A lofi beat can be in any key, but the most common is a minor key, as it feels more calm and relaxing. A mellow bass line is also essential for creating a calming sound, but don’t forget to add some variety with riffs and other instruments. You can also experiment with different effects, such as reverb, delay, or distortion. These effects will change the mood of your song and give it a unique sound. However, be careful not to overdo it with these effects, as too much can be distracting.
Lifts Your Mood
Listening to mellow, non-lyrical music with a consistent rhythm activates both brain hemispheres and helps you focus on selective tasks. It reduces your levels of the stress hormone cortisol and allows you to build a safe mental space free from distracting sounds or thoughts. This can improve your mood, lower your blood pressure, and heart rate, and boost your creativity.
You can create your own lo-fi hip-hop beats with a few simple tools. First, find a chord progression that you like. You can use a real instrument or MIDI, but it’s best to have some knowledge of music theory, especially chord progressions that are common in jazz songs. You can also sample a record or a song on YouTube, but be careful about copyright violations.
Once you have your chord progression, you can use it to generate a drum loop that fits the song’s overall sound. Lofi hip-hop has a distinct sound, so you need to make sure the drums are dusty and old-school. You can even experiment with different styles to see which one works better for your song.
The popularity of Lofi hip hop rose when the YouTube channel Chilled Cow (now Lofi Girl) created a live stream called “Lofi hip hop radio: beats to relax or study to”. Before YouTube management made a mistake and shut it down, the video had more than 13,000 hours of continuous streaming. It has since received about 300 million views. This shows how many people rely on this genre of music for studying and relaxation.
Helps You Concentrate
The mellow beats and calming sounds of lo-fi hip-hop are great for studying because they can help you focus. Studies have shown that music can boost your concentration by reducing stress and anxiety, lowering your heart rate, and changing the chemistry of your brain. This helps you learn more and remember things better.
Lofi hip-hop is a genre of music that uses low-quality audio and imperfections to create a relaxing sound. It draws inspiration from artists like J Dilla, Madlib, and MF Doom, who use old-school techniques to develop their beats. It also incorporates elements of ambient, trip-hop, and neo-soul music.
This style of music is especially popular during the pandemic because it’s soothing and calming, and helps you focus. Many online channels have been created to host constant live streams featuring a variety of lo-fi hip-hop artists. These channels have been incredibly successful; before YouTube management shut it down, one channel had 13,000 hours of nonstop live streaming!
You can listen to these channels on your computer or mobile device, and you may find that they work better for you than traditional streaming services. You can even stream a playlist or album of your favorite artists! You might find that listening to the same song over and over helps you concentrate more.
Improves Memory
When working or studying, it’s important to be able to focus. This means eliminating distractions and finding the right environment for your mind to work in. The right music can help you relax and boost your productivity.
Whether you’re up late finishing an assignment or trying to concentrate while the kids are home, lo-fi hip-hop beats may be just what you need to stay focused. The genre’s purposeful imperfections, low tempo, and musical sampling add a soothing jazz effect to help you calm down and focus.
“Lo-fi hip-hop is a style of music that uses a mix of old and new sounds to create a unique sound. The genre takes inspiration from classic boom-bap and hip-hop, with added effects like vinyl crackle and tape machine warble. It also incorporates sweeping sounds, ambient textures, and Foley to give the beats an organic feel. For enthusiasts seeking a distinct auditory experience during their professional workouts, explore the rhythmic blend of “Scientific Music For a Professional Workout” To enhance focus and motivation.”
While long-term studies aimed at substantiating the Mozart effect have produced mixed results, research does suggest that listening to relaxing music can improve cognitive performance, including information retention and memory. [3] Although it’s not clear if this is due to the specific nature of the music or its effects on heart rate variability, researchers agree that non-lyrical music can promote relaxation and concentration.
In the era of pandemics and ever-increasing workloads, staying focused and productive can be difficult. Whether you’re working from home or at the office, there are always distractions around you. But if you listen to the right music, you can focus and get more done in less time.