What music do you listen to while writing?

Goldberry

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I like to listen to Enya, Loreena Mckennitt, Gregorian chant, and generic celtic-new age stuff.
 

Demochan

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I've found that the melody of the music affects the tone and pace of my writing alot. Like writing a melancholic scene comes naturally with melancholic music, but I guess that's what to be expected.

I write mostly on my laptop, so I love to have something playing from my headphones but... Everything with lyrics tends to distract me, so I listen to a lot of instrumental stuff. Some jazz too, but lately:
-SmileTron (somewhere between glitch and synth, atmospheric stuff)
-StarScream (Melancholic, chiptune-inspired instrumental rock)
-Anamanaguchi (instrumental video game rock? really hyperactive and nostalgic.) Pg.lost and sleepmakewaves sound nice too, found these just recently on Spotify.
 

blacbird

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Absolutely none. I find any kind of musical background distracting. I get caught up in the listening experience, and that takes over my attention and thought in a way completely destructive to my writing.

Oddly, or perhaps not oddly, I can be productive in a white-noise environment, where the sound is essentially random and not stuff that grabs my attention. In fact, pure silence sometimes makes me antsy.

But everybody has preferences. That's what works for me.

caw
 

Nina Kaytel

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I use Immediate (trailer) music and soundtracks. (I am unsure how to put this) I don't like having music that has lyrics or anything other than a choir singing. Example: Epica- Cry for the Moon is a no go, but Fate- from Evangelion 2.2 is.
 

Phoebs

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I'm the same way. Music really helps me zone out--in a good way. If I'm doing math or something I absolutely need music to keep focused. It's like natural ADHD medication.

I think the key for me is to start off with songs that don't have too many lyrics because when I'm first starting to zone out, I'm still really easily distracted.

So I'd probably start out with some El Ten Eleven songs because those are all bass and drums, so really chill and not too much to distract me.

Also Asleep on a Bus Near Lowell (by Crushed Stars) and Inside Your Head by Eberg have kind of moderate amounts of lyrics so once I've been writing a while I can listen to that.

At this point, I can listen to almost anything as long as I like it.

I'm totally obsessed with Lorde's album (Pure Heroine) so that would be next, followed by some Monsters and Men, Aunt Martha, and assorted rappers/pop/R&B (e.g. Eminem, Drake).

I have a really eclectic music taste but when it comes to writing it's all about keeping the more exciting stuff for when I'm already in the zone.
 

EricJames

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When I'm writing I'm kind of both living the story in my head and watching it the same time as a movie, so this is usually the soundtrack:

All of 'In Rainbows' by Radiohead
'Seven Devils' by Florence & The Machine looped over and over (yes I'm weird like that)
An album that's like one continuous song broken up called '7 Ep' by Deadmau5 (not at all what you would expect, it's a very ambient piano orchestration type of album)
The album 'Anything in Return' by Toro Y Moi
'Haunted' by Beyonce
And another entire album 'Bankrupt' by Phoenix
 

Diana W.

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I just recently started listening to classical music. I've found it helps make my words flow. I haven't sorted out a playlist yet, but it'd probably be something by Tchaikovski or Chopin, depending on the mood of the scene I'm writing.
 

Maze Runner

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I just recently started listening to classical music. I've found it helps make my words flow. I haven't sorted out a playlist yet, but it'd probably be something by Tchaikovski or Chopin, depending on the mood of the scene I'm writing.

I don't listen to music when I write, but it would seem that Classical would be the way to go. Whenever I happen to hear something Classical, I ask myself why I don't listen to it more often and the answer quickly comes, Oh yeah, 'cause I don't know anything (much) about it, and really wouldn't know where to start.

I'd love for someone (you, Mr. Write?) to start a thread on Classical music, the composers, the eras, the orchestras, the conductors, soloists, etc- I'd love to learn about Classical Music 'cause I know I'm missing out.
 

vicky271

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This depends on the story. I make individual lists for each of my series, and sometimes I look for dramatic music to get myself pumped up as I write!

I like to use several artists, I will list a few

1. Susan Boyle
2. Carrie Underwood (i love it when she would sing with Whitney Houston).
3. Christina Perri
4. Piano Music
5. Some Classical :)
(NOTE the rest of the music is Kpop)
6. Big Bang
7. SS501

I limit my kpop. A lot of the music I like is romantic centered, and I don't like overdosing my story with a lot of romance.

My playlist can go on and on; besides this I find dramatic music from movies or other games to listen to :)
 
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Diana W.

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I don't listen to music when I write, but it would seem that Classical would be the way to go. Whenever I happen to hear something Classical, I ask myself why I don't listen to it more often and the answer quickly comes, Oh yeah, 'cause I don't know anything (much) about it, and really wouldn't know where to start.

I'd love for someone (you, Mr. Write?) to start a thread on Classical music, the composers, the eras, the orchestras, the conductors, soloists, etc- I'd love to learn about Classical Music 'cause I know I'm missing out.


I'm no expert on Classical music either. I started out watching videos on YouTube. There are videos of music from most of the great composers. I started out looking for "Popular Classical Music" videos then I started seeking out music from individual composers. Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovski, Chopin etc. Classical music is much like any other type of music. Some you will love, some you will find boring. It's worth giving it a try, though.

There are also Classical music radio stations you can try. I won't start a thread because I really don't know that much about the genre of music overall, I only know what I like.
 

oooooh

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I don't listen to music when I write, but it would seem that Classical would be the way to go. Whenever I happen to hear something Classical, I ask myself why I don't listen to it more often and the answer quickly comes, Oh yeah, 'cause I don't know anything (much) about it, and really wouldn't know where to start.

I'd love for someone (you, Mr. Write?) to start a thread on Classical music, the composers, the eras, the orchestras, the conductors, soloists, etc- I'd love to learn about Classical Music 'cause I know I'm missing out.

There's a really great answer about that on quora.

This is a super helpful list if you have a song in mind but don't know the name. I once had an entire dream set to In The Hall of the Mountain King, and it drove me crazy not knowing the name. That list saved me, haha.
 

Maze Runner

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I'm no expert on Classical music either. I started out watching videos on YouTube. There are videos of music from most of the great composers. I started out looking for "Popular Classical Music" videos then I started seeking out music from individual composers. Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovski, Chopin etc. Classical music is much like any other type of music. Some you will love, some you will find boring. It's worth giving it a try, though.

There are also Classical music radio stations you can try. I won't start a thread because I really don't know that much about the genre of music overall, I only know what I like.

There's a really great answer about that on quora.

This is a super helpful list if you have a song in mind but don't know the name. I once had an entire dream set to In The Hall of the Mountain King, and it drove me crazy not knowing the name. That list saved me, haha.

Just saw these responses right now. Thank you both for the direction.
 

msza45

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My favorite album to write to is Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros -- Global A Go Go.
 

Simran

It all depends on what I am working on at the time. Sometimes I get caught up in the lyrics too and that doesn't help. Usually easy listening, R&B, Hindi music, etc.

Love listening to Navin Kundra, John Legend's All of Me, Lionel Ritchie ...
 
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asyouwish

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I like to make playlists for my books (with music and/or lyrics that capture the mood of the plot). So when I'm working on something in particular, I just listen to my playlist and I'm instantly in that "world".

Sometimes I also go on 8tracks and look for fanmixes with similar themes as to what I'm writing.

I absolutely cannot write without music.
 

patskywriter

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Sometimes absolute silence, sometimes jazz (Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon), smooth jazz (Earl Klugh, Yellowjackets), Brazilian (Os Cariocas, Gilberto Gil), salsa (Celia Cruz, Sonora Ponceña), kwaito, Celtic, K-pop, anything with a nice groove, strong melody, and keep-it-moving energy.