How Does Music Enhance Reading?

Whether you regularly rock out to AC/DC or are more into Mozart’s melodies, there’s no denying the power of music. 

From exercise to sleep, music can have a powerful impact on many of our everyday activities — and reading is no exception. Just as the right soundtrack can elevate a scene in a film, the right music can elevate a moment in a book no question. But how?

Just what impact does music have on us when we read? Does music help reading? What happens to us psychologically when we cosy up with our favourite book and a good playlist?

In this blog, the book experts at Victoria Freudenheim explore the fascinating relationship between music and reading, touching on everything from concentration to imagination.

A greater focus when reading 

As much as music can be a distraction, if you choose the right playlist, music can bring about intense levels of focus and concentration, making it perfect for reading.

Particularly if you’re planning on reading in a noisy or busy area, playing some music in your headphones can be excellent for blocking out distractions and keeping you focused on the pages in front of you. Some people prefer to opt for instrumental music that does not contain lyrics to avoid getting distracted by singing or humming along.

If you’re planning on a reading marathon, music can help here too. Listening to songs with regular, rhythmic beats or calming sounds can help to reduce mental fatigue and make more extended reading sessions easier.

Fuller immersion in the story or genre

Listening to music can be especially useful if you’re reading fiction, on account of its ability to elevate the emotional tenor of a story. Matching the kind of music you’re listening to to the style or genre of book you’re reading is an excellent way to facilitate a fuller immersion in the story. Not only are the words you’re reading evoking certain feelings, but the sounds you’re listening to are too.

If you’re reading a romcom, for example, you might want to queue a few heart-warming songs. If it’s a coming-of-age narrative, then indie tunes might be better — whatever really gets you into the world of the story you’re reading.

In recent years, some books have even started being published with accompanying playlists printed on the opening pages, so that readers can listen along while they read (like The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, for example), making for a deeply immersive sensory experience. Keep an eye out for accompanying playlists, search for some that others have made, or make your own!

Improved memory and information retention

Turning now to non-fiction, if you’re reading to study or cram for a test, music can help there too. Listening to music has been shown to improve things like memory, concentration, and the ability to retain and recall information, due to the associations that our brains make when we hear certain things while reading.

If music can help us both better visualise and retain information about a text, it’s a clear winner for memory.

Encouraging a faster pace

If you’re looking to cover more ground when reading, music is a fantastic option to improve your reading flow. If you’ve ever listened to music while on a run or when out for a walk, you may well have found yourself matching your stride to the beat of the song you were listening to. Well, the same concept can apply when reading.

In a recent psychological study, the effects of background music on English reading comprehension were measured using eye-tracking techniques, to reveal that participants read texts quicker when listening to fast-tempo music than those listening to slow-tempo music.

If you consider yourself something of a slow reader, try allowing music to lend you a helping hand in speeding up your pace. Pop on a playlist with a slightly faster pace (we’d recommend no lyrics to reduce distraction and cognitive overload) and settle into reading at a quicker speed. If you’re someone who frequently nods off when reading, listening to energising, mood-boosting music is an excellent way to combat this.

Before pressing play…

Now that we’ve uncovered the main ways in which can enhance the reading experience, here are some expert tips for picking the perfect playlist to read along to:

• Keep that volume down. While it’s tempting to turn your headphones to max volume and lose yourself in a fantasy playlist while reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, no amount of fantasy fiction is worth an earache.

• Don’t be afraid to search. On Spotify, in particular, there are thousands of incredibly niche playlists out there that avid readers have made. So, you’re bound to find the perfect vibe for your reading session — even if you’re skimming through American Psycho on a sun lounger.

• Keep it instrumental if you can. While there’s nothing wrong with singing along to the latest chart toppers, save your karaoke til after you’ve finished reading. You’ll thank yourself 100 pages later.

Keep on reading with Victoria Freudenheim

Whether you’re into Korn or Chopin, there’s a book to suit every taste at Victoria Freudenheim. Browse through our latest reviews to find a book you fancy reading, or browse by genre — we’ve got everything from crime to fantasy and everything in between. 

Lastly, for more interesting bookish content about the joys of reading, keep up with the Victoria Freudenheim blog.