This page does not recommend music. Memorising new material is the task music hurts most. Read on only if quiet is not an option.
TempoNot recommended
LyricsNo lyrics, ever
VolumeSilence if you can
Why it works
Memorising fills your working memory
Holding words or dates in mind uses nearly all of your working memory. Music takes a slice of that capacity, so you hold less. The research in this area leans towards silence.
If the room is loud, there is a second best
If you are memorising on a train rather than in a library, silence was never on the table. Sound without melody — rain, a fan, white noise — beats music here.
How to use it
Try it off first. Ten minutes in silence and you will feel the difference.
If you must, use sound without melody. Rain beats the lo-fi on this site for this one task.
Review is different. Once it is in your head, running through it again with music on is fine.
When to turn it off
Cramming right before an exam especially favours silence. The less time you have, the more each interruption costs.
Questions
I memorised with music and blanked in the exam
Context may be why. If the soundscape you learned in differs from the silent exam room, your retrieval cues are gone. Learning in conditions like the test is safer.
So when do I use the music on this site?
Problem sets, coding, first drafts, repetitive work — anything where you are turning over what you already know. Not when you are putting new things in.
All music here is original work by onemore. Free to listen. These tracks are commercially released through a distributor, so please get in touch before using them in a video or stream.