Music survey - Need your input!

Hey.

I need some help with a research project I’m running. This is just the preliminary phase. Here’s a list of tracks from YouTube.

Listen up. I need you to go listen to this music—or at least some clips of it if you can manage that. Then tell me which tracks actually work for you when you’re grinding through deep work, like reading, studying, or prepping lectures. Give it to me straight.

Also, let me know which tracks you guys are vibing with. Hardcore. They aren't cut out for this kind of thing, if they even exist at all.

If you don't want to sit through these long recordings and just want to jump to the parts that actually matter, let me know. Just drop a comment with the timestamp for the sections you find useful or the ones that miss the mark.

Just number the tracks before the links if you're gonna reference them. Drop your replies here or just shoot me a DM.

Thanks. 🙂

1. Track.

2. track

3. track

4. Track.

5. Track.

6. track

7. Track.

8. track

9. track

10.Track.

I gave the first 4-5 minutes of every track a listen.
Tracks 3 and 10 are definitely the winners.
On number 8, there’s a solid stretch starting at 4:35 that carries through to about the 9-minute mark—after that, though, it just goes downhill into this super annoying section.😁
Number 4 is incredible, but honestly, if God wills it, I might actually marry her🤣, so it’s probably not the best vibe for studying.

Numbers 2 and 9? Total earworms in the worst way.
Actually, all the irritating tracks have something in common. And honestly, I find them grating in general, not just when I'm trying to focus on work.

5. is honestly perfect for me—it’s great for just listening, but it also serves as this solid backdrop when I’m deep in thought or doing some serious intellectual heavy lifting.
9. is just as good when I need to focus or put in some mental effort; it isn't grating or distracting like those energy drinks 😁

6. is usually wonderful, but if I'm being honest, it just doesn't quite hit the mark for me when I'm trying to study.

1. track - absolutely grating. I couldn't even make it past the two-minute mark before I had to shut it off.

2. track - It’s fine, I guess. But it’s too playful for me to actually focus on studying.

3. track - Good for falling asleep, maybe. Not for studying.

4. track - I love this one, really. But honestly? It's a terrible choice for getting work done because it just drags my mind back to old memories of when I used to play... 😬

5. track - Only lasted two minutes. After that, the boredom and the sheer irritation were just too much.

6. track - This works for studying. And look, I’m a huge fan of Bach in general. 😍

7, 8, and 9. tracks - Didn't even get through the first two minutes of the first one. Had to kill the music. Just incredibly annoying and dull.

10. track - Strictly for sleeping. 😁

Eric Gray2 said:5. is honestly perfect for me—it’s great for just listening, but it also serves as this solid backdrop when I’m deep in thought or doing some serious intellectual heavy lifting.
9. is just as good when I need to focus or put in some mental effort; it isn't grating or distracting like those energy drinks 😁

6. is usually wonderful, but if I'm being honest, it just doesn't quite hit the mark for me when I'm trying to study.

Honestly, number 2 is way worse than number 9.🤣

David Scott7 said:1. track - absolutely grating. I couldn't even make it past the two-minute mark before I had to shut it off.

2. track - It’s fine, I guess. But it’s too playful for me to actually focus on studying.

3. track - Good for falling asleep, maybe. Not for studying.

4. track - I love this one, really. But honestly? It's a terrible choice for getting work done because it just drags my mind back to old memories of when I used to play... 😬

5. track - Only lasted two minutes. After that, the boredom and the sheer irritation were just too much.

6. track - This works for studying. And look, I’m a huge fan of Bach in general. 😍

7, 8, and 9. tracks - Didn't even get through the first two minutes of the first one. Had to kill the music. Just incredibly annoying and dull.

10. track - Strictly for sleeping. 😁

So yeah, those are the ones that actually work for me when I'm hitting the books.😁

Honestly, I don't mind any of them, but I’ve always been more of a silent study type. It's just easier to actually lock in when things are quiet. When there's music playing, my brain ends up splitting its attention between the material and the track, which totally kills my focus.

I generally prefer studying in total silence because I’m an active listener when it comes to music, so having it on just splits my focus. That said, if I'm just drilling vocabulary or grinding through some exercises while learning a new language, I can handle some background noise.

1. track - works well as background music

2. track - irritating; I barely made it to the five-minute mark

3. track - soothing, actually quite good for studying

4. track - no, it brings up too many associations for me, so it’s a distraction... even though I do love it normally

5. track - no, I can't quite put my finger on why, but just... no. Not really. I lasted until two minutes in

6. track - I love Bach, but not for studying; it just doesn't fit the vibe I need to focus

7. track - it's fine until it starts picking up speed around a certain point, but even then, it isn't so bad that I couldn't finish some tasks to it

8. track - usable for studying; I listened until the six-minute mark

9. track - no, it's annoying. From 1:37 onwards, it becomes unbearable for studying—mostly a no from me

10. track - it's alright; wouldn't be my first choice, but it could work

4. is undoubtedly the finest, even by my previous standards. 😍
3. might suffice, I suppose, in a limited capacity.
6. and 9. are equally impressive, though they seem better suited for light activity around the house rather than focused study.
1. is quite irritating to me.

Everything works for me except 2 and 4.
Number two feels way too rushed—honestly, it’s just grating.
And four? I can't help but link it to other stuff. It's more about vibes than actual studying.🤣

I had this playing in the background while I worked.

1. - A bit too taxing to listen to while multitasking.
2. - Too distracting; the tempo is sluggish and that recorder sound is just grating.
3. - Works for me.
4. - Works for me.
5. - This one works...
6. - Same issue as number 2, minus the fruit thing.
7. - Not really. The first two minutes are exhausting, then once it picks up, it’s suddenly too fast... just couldn't find the sweet spot. I listened for about five minutes.
8. - No. It’s far too slow and drains my energy while I'm working. I stopped at 2:40.
9. - Works for me, listened for about five minutes.
10. - Works for me, listened for about seven minutes.

Out of the ones that worked, numbers 5 and 10 were my favorites...

boringcoffee
A bit irritating—those high frequencies tend to "clip" the audio out of nowhere.
3. calming
4. It’s soothing—until I recall "The Silence of the Lambs." 😁
It encourages creative work.
The volatility is getting a bit much for me.
7:00 PM—prime time for hitting the books.
It’s soothing for a moment—until the fruit comes along and ruins everything.
9. Sleep-inducing.
10. Sounds fair enough. 🙂

1. This one works for me
2. Not really my thing—it’s way too intense and overwhelming
3. I love this one; it's super chill and mellow
4. Doesn't work for me; it's actually too powerful to just be background noise
5. Totally my vibe! It’s perfect, light, and so relaxing
6. I like this one
7. Nah, it's moving too fast for me
8. Works for me
9. Not for me; it gets a bit too fast and heavy at times
10. I'm a fan

My favorites are definitely 5 and 3.

I listened to these longer ones for about five minutes before just skimming through to the end.

1. It doesn't work for me; I can't focus while it's playing.
2. Not a fan. The shifting tempo and dynamics break my flow at work.
3. It’s okay, though certain parts feel a bit too sedative.
4. Passable.
5. Excellent.
6. A bit overdone.
7. Some parts are fine, but the sudden tempo shifts ruin it for me.
8. Some sections work, but those erratic changes make it impossible to concentrate—so, no.
9. Occasional distractions make this a "no" from me.
10. For some reason, it just doesn't land.

Number 5 is easily my favorite. Numbers 1 and 2 are the biggest distractions.

1. Great for background noise,
2. It's alright, I guess.
3. Boring.
4. Forgettable. Honestly, if I heard this playing in the background, I wouldn't even realize it was there.
5. No.
6. Not bad, could work.
7. It's fine; doesn't bother me.
8. No,
9. It's good.
10. Absolutely—yes.

Honestly, with any of those options, I wouldn't even be able to focus on a local newspaper, let alone sit down and actually study

When I'm trying to get stuff done, I need something steady and unchanging—like the constant hum of a desk fan, you know?

The fourth, ninth, and tenth.

1. Absolutely gorgeous, so relaxing.
2. Honestly? Just irritating.
3. Smooth, polished... very chill.
4. That iconic, soothing D major composition by Bach that everyone knows and loves.
5. It’s Bach in minor, sure, but for some reason, it just rubs me the wrong way. Why is that?
6. A bit dull.
7. Feels claustrophobic. 😁
8. Pleasant, quite unobtrusive.
9. This one gets on my nerves—way too many tempo changes... ugh... it actually makes me cringe.
10. Lovely orchestration; a really easy listen.

To be honest, none of the options on your list actually suit me for intellectual work.