Self Management - Staying Focused with Free Music Online

Photo: Al- Fassam

Music holds a kind of magic over human beings. Not only does it make Friday nights at noisy bars more interesting, it can make your work day better too. Listening to the right kind of music can keep you sharp and focused on work much longer than usual. Cultivating and maintaining mad-hot creative flow is easier than ever with the sources for free music over the internet.

In the following article we’ll explore not only where to find music online, but also how to avoid some of the common pitfalls that turn music into a productivity killer. So plug in those headphones or turn up those speakers, and let’s get this show on the road.

Science, Smey-ence

Let’s start at the beginning. When sound hits the auditory nerve, a chain reaction begins in the…

Hold on a minute. The science behind music on the subconscious is simultaneously fascinating, partially confusing, and a topic better covered somewhere else. The good news is you don’t have to understand why it works in order to use it to your advantage.

Ask yourself

Finding the right music to boost your productivity can take some time. So to help get you there faster, ask yourself these questions.

• Do lyrics distract me? If you’re unsure, here’s a quick way to answer this question: when you’re trying to read, do voices and conversation distract you? If it does, then songs with a lot of lyrics aren’t for you. For some people conversation doesn’t bother them. If you’re one of these people, I envy you.
• Do songs I know distract me?The quickest way to get into a zone is to listen to upbeat music you know and love. But that zone isn’t always the right zone - singing along, tapping your foot, and dancing in your seat is a sure way to kill productivity. This one you’ll have to try out yourself. If you find yourself in the wrong zone, it’s time to turn off the iPod and utilize some of the links below
• Which music genre keeps me focused?Your favorite genre isn’t necessarily the best for staying focused on your work. Play around a bit, and experiment with different tempos, instruments, vocals, and melodies. You might even find different types works best for different activities (for example, I find jazz the perfect compliment for writing but not for designing).

You won’t know what works best for you until you try it, but by now you should have a good idea of what to start experimenting with first. Carry on, and I’ll show you some good places to get the tunes going.

Where to go for Streaming Music

Music is not limited to your personal library or iPod hard drive. The internet is bristling with music at your fingertips, and the following resources are some of the best places to find the perfect music to boost your productivity.

• Pandora (www.pandora.com) Input one artist you like on Pandora, and it will start playing music by a similar artist. And with a simple thumbs up/thumbs down rating system, Pandora can further refine your music stream. It is a great way to hear music within a genre, streaming seamlessly between tracks.
• HypeMachine (www.hypem.com) or SongZA (www.songza.com) HypeMachine is an aggregator, combing the internet for free music from blogs. The autoplay from one track to another is both a curse and a blessing. The occasional switch in genre can be distracting, but it can also be a good way to find new artists. SongZA works the same way, so try out both to see which interface you prefer.
• LastFM (www.lastfm.com) LastFM is similar to Pandora, in that it takes your listening habits into account, and suggests new music for you. Additionally, it keeps a history, which can be helpful to have when you find your ideal zone. More popular than Pandora, it also offers full artist profiles.
• Local Radio Station Most stations now offer streaming audio through their website. There may be occasional ads, and your music selection isn’t up to you, but if there’s a station that really fits you, it may be worth checking it out.
• Purevolume(www.purevolume.com) and OthersTake this last entry is a catch-all for all the music-community sites out there. Most have ‘best tracks of the day’, which can be a good way to find new artists. The detractors is that these sites often cater to one genre, and they do not always support streaming from one artists to the next.

Productivity Killers

Finding the right music to listen to is only half the battle. Your fine-tuned working machine can be quickly derailed if you succumb to the distractions. Not all streaming music sites are created equal. Here are a few to use with caution, or just flat out avoid.

• YouTube (www.pandora.com) YouTube is for videos, but that doesn’t stop it from having a enormous, readily available, collection of music on tap. But the chances of it becoming more of a distraction make it too unreliable to use it as a productivity tool.
• Myspace (www.hypem.com) Myspace is the granddaddy of productivity killing. Between auto-playing youtube clips, multiple music players, and a lack of making your own playlist, this one is a no brainer. Just stay away.
• AOL or Billboard Both sites offer popular songs, as well as streaming transitions between tracks. But just like Myspace, their website has a number of distractions. Your favorite artist did an interview? Releasing a new cd? The sites are made to keep you clicking in circles. To put it plainly, there’s better places to find music online.
• LastFM (www.lastfm.com)Wait, isn’t this site good? Yes, provided you use it correctly. The addition of band profiles are a goldmine for distraction. Tour dates, links to official sites, etc. It may not be on the same distraction level as Myspace, but misused it can tank productivity just as quickly.

Ultimately its up to you to find out what works. And hopefully this article has given you a good idea of where to go to get you focused and keep you in the zone. Music is incredibly powerful, so don’t pass up the opportunity to it to your advantage.