Guide / 01

Can music really help with stress?

Short answer: it can help you relax, a little or a lot depending on you and the music. Here’s what seems to matter.

What people notice

Most people know the feeling: put on something calm and familiar, and the day gets a bit quieter. Studies of music listening and stress generally point the same way, with listeners often reporting feeling calmer and more relaxed, though results vary and the effects are usually modest. Music is a good tool for taking a break. It is not a cure.

What makes a track calming

• Slow and steady. Unhurried tempos with an even pulse are easier to settle into.
• Soft attacks. Notes that bloom rather than snap. Sudden hits pull your attention back up.
• A steady level. No big jumps between quiet and loud.
• A warm sound. More low and mid tones, fewer bright, sharp highs.
• No words to follow. Instrumentals leave your head alone.
• Music you like. This one may matter most. Music you dislike won’t relax you, however “calm” it is.

Those are exactly the things each track on this site was measured for before it was allowed on the calm shelf.

How to listen so it helps

1. Give it your attention for at least the first track, instead of using it as background to more scrolling.
2. Keep the volume low to moderate.
3. Pair it with something physical: sit back, drop your shoulders, look out of a window.
4. Give it time. Ten minutes is a good start; twenty or thirty is better if you have it.

When it isn’t enough

If stress is constant, or it’s getting in the way of sleep, food, work or people, music isn’t the answer on its own. Talk to a doctor or someone you trust.

Questions

Is lofi good for stress relief?

Calm lofi can be: it’s usually instrumental, mid-tempo or slower, soft and steady. Picking the calmer end of lofi, as this site does, helps.

Does the type of music matter?

Yes, but your own taste matters too. Slow, soft, steady, warm and wordless music tends to relax most people, as long as they like it.