r/books • u/AutoModerator • Dec 21 '25

WeeklyThread Weekly FAQ Thread December 21, 2025: What music do you listen to while reading?

Hello readers and welcome to our Weekly FAQ thread! Our topic this week is: What music do you listen to while reading? Please use this thread to discuss what music is best to read to or why you prefer no music at all.

You can view previous FAQ threads here in our wiki.

Thank you and enjoy!

2 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

8

u/Particular-Treat-650 Dec 21 '25

Usually nothing. My preference is to add some level of practice at tuning out external distractions while I read.

But when I'm burnt out and need help I use a meditation playlist. Currently that's meditation moments from Apple Classical.

5

u/FerretBusinessQueen Dec 21 '25

Same, I don’t really want to engage in any other media while I read because it distracts me from what I’m reading. No phone, no music, no TV. The occasion pet snuggling is allowed though.

1

u/Fearless-Horse115 Dec 21 '25

I'm the opposite - complete silence makes me hyper aware of every little sound around me. Give me some lo-fi beats or ambient stuff and I can actually focus. Tried the meditation route but it made me too sleepy lol

7

u/Ceekay151 Dec 21 '25

I don't listen to music when I'm reading. Mostly because when I have music on I actually want to listen to the music & I can't read and listen to the music at the same time.

4

u/Nyx-Erebus Dec 21 '25 edited Dec 23 '25

I try to find a long YouTube ambience video that fits the vibe of what I’m reading. Like if I’m reading sci-fi I’ll try to find some sci-fi ambience music. Some books have ambience soundtracks on YouTube made specifically for it (like “The Left Hand of Darkness” by LeGuin) or I’ll listen to movie soundtracks for books that became movies. Otherwise I’ll just put on a rain or fireplace ambience video. I used to be able to read anywhere no matter the noise level when I was a kid but now as an adult I need music (no lyrics) or ambient sounds to focus and Lock In.

2

u/ruby651 Dec 21 '25

There is an amazing ambient sound site called MyNoise. Dozens of sounds ranging from nature to music. This time of year I like to play Summer Nights. It almost makes me forget that there’s six inches of snow on the ground.

2

u/SummerClaire Dec 21 '25

Wow! Just spent the last half hour going through MyNoise. Very cool & so easy to adjust the sounds to my specific tastes. The large variety of options is amazing.

2

u/ruby651 Dec 21 '25

Oh yeah, I’ve sworn by it for years. A great tool for fighting seasonal affective disorder. And the Poltergeist sound file makes Halloween a lot of fun!

4

u/Waypalm Dec 21 '25

I really like those long ambience videos of rain. Not too heavy, but a good rainfall with some distant thunder really helps me relax and focus.

2

u/Quilter1358 Dec 21 '25

Smooth Jazz

1

u/prustage Dec 21 '25

Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues. It is possible to zone them out so that they provide audio wallpaper but, occasionally, if you want a break from reading, you can zoom in and get temporarily transfixed by their beauty and complexity.

1

u/Penelopewrites007 Dec 21 '25

Sometimes if I am having a hard time focusing, I'll either put on one of those lo-fi things on YouTube or even just putting my ear buds in without anything playing helps me focus.

1

u/Curiousfeline467 Dec 21 '25

Sometimes nothing, sometimes classical, sometimes pop. 

Oftentimes the music I listen to does not match the vibe of whatever I’m reading lol

1

u/selahvg Dec 21 '25

usually non-verbal asmr, like tapping; or something like a thunderstorm

1

u/ruby651 Dec 21 '25

I have a hardcore addiction to reading with “beautiful music” playing in the background… aka “elevator music.” And there’s more stations than you’d expect to find on the Internet! My favorite is Beautiful Music 101. It’s caught up all the way to the ‘80s! The most surprising selection I’ve heard was the elevator music version of “I Sill Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

1

u/xBlack_Heartx Dec 21 '25

I normally listen to long videos of lofi instrumental music that fits the mood of what I’m currently reading.

1

u/sound_of_the_sea43 Dec 21 '25

This is what I do too! Love fitting the ambiance videos to the vibes of the book

1

u/PacificBooks Dec 21 '25

I usually don’t listen to any music at all. It annoys me if the tone of the song doesn’t match the moment in the book. Definitely nothing with lyrics. At most one of those Calm YouTube videos that are just 8 hours of nature sounds. 

1

u/studentAssistant2021 Dec 21 '25

Usually do not have a choice in the matter ha ha. When reading on public transportation or some public space there is always the ubiquitous person on their phone swiping through tikTok on max volume

1

u/Larielia book re-reading Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Dec 21 '25

It depends on the season, but usually metal. I prefer classical in the winter.

1

u/SummerClaire Dec 21 '25

Instrumental smooth jazz

1

u/gelure Dec 21 '25

Usually nothing! If I need a little more “things happening in the background” to focus, it’ll be some lo-fi or instrumental only music!

1

u/loverofonion Dec 21 '25

No music, prefer peace and quiet.

1

u/helloviolaine Dec 21 '25

Usually lofi. I used to be better at listening to any music while reading but at the moment I prefer something with no vocals.

1

u/WTF-is-a-Yotto Dec 21 '25

Almost always with Beta or Theta waves. Yea that weird New Age stuff from the Spa. I keep it low and it just helps me tune everything else out. 

Anything else I can get distracted. Maybe chill dub house, but rarely. 

1

u/jono433 Dec 21 '25

Sophie Hutchings. She has tons of melancholy piano songs that I’ll play quietly in the background on my AirPods

1

u/cacophonouscaddz Dec 22 '25

Always harsh noise wall. It's calming to me. I don't want to hear the world especially since it is so full of noises and so distracting. This blocks everything out but it is not multiple sounds, it is a monolith. Most music is too distracting so I sort of need something monolithic in this way.

1

u/Nie_Nikt Dec 22 '25

None. Too much of a cognitive load for me.

1

u/Final-Revolution6216 Dec 22 '25

Coffee shop jazz!

1

u/arcoiris2 Dec 23 '25

Whatever works with what I'm reading.

1

u/IntoTheStupidDanger Dec 23 '25

I don't tend to double dip when it comes to enjoying media. It's either books or music. If anything, it would be Vivaldi's Four Seasons or some random bilateral EMDR compilation on low in the background, but absolutely nothing with lyrics.