Music is a great addition to add to the background of a study session, but if you’re playing your favorite Top 40 hits, you’ll find yourself singing along rather than getting work done. Luckily, we’ve rounded up a list of iPhone and Android apps that are perfect for streaming music that will keep you focused.
1. Lofi Radio
If you’re looking for nice beats and calming instrumentals, then lo-fi music is the way to go, and Lofi Radio may be the app for you. Enjoy an aesthetically pleasing rolling cityscape and a variety of lo-fi tunes. The app operates as a radio, so there is no skip option. However, you can pause the music and bookmark particular songs that you enjoy.
LofiRadio also offers a timer that you can set for up to 59 minutes to help you fall asleep to music, although it’s worth noting that certain actions, such as starting a timer, will cost you a credit. You get 10 credits to start and can earn more credits by watching ads.
Lastly, Lofi Radio offers curated Spotify playlists and mixes if you’re interested in even more lo-fi outside the app. It’s a great starting place to get introduced to a variety of lo-fi beats.
Download: Lofi Radio for iOS (Free)
2. Lo-Fi Clouds Radio
Lo-Fi Clouds Radio is another great music streaming app that offers a variety of lo-fi music and soft jazzy tunes that automatically play for you in an adorable cloud music player. While you get the ability to skip through song offerings, and pause and play, you won’t be able to save any specific songs.
You can also set a timer for yourself where the music will automatically stop after a certain time. This is useful if you want to listen to some calming music before drifting off to sleep, or if you want to keep yourself focused until the music stops. This timer goes up to 24 hours and 59 minutes, so your music needs will be met.
Download: Lo-Fi Clouds Radio for Android | iOS (Free)
3. IDAGIO
Classic instrumental music is perfect for staying focused and stimulating your brain. If your find this genre is useful for your productivity habits, then IDAGIO is the perfect app for you. This music streaming app is designed completely for classic music, offering a range of classical and contemporary composers.
Like many music streaming apps, with IDAGIO you’re able to discover new songs, create playlists, follow artists, and more. Some of IDAGIO’s unique offerings include allowing you to browse music based on composers, ensembles, soloists, conductors, instruments, genres, and time periods.
If you’re looking for a specific ambiance, you can pick between a variety of different moods from the mood ring. You can also set up a sleep timer that goes up to 60 minutes, or until the end of an album or playlist.
While IDAGIO offers premium subscriptions, the free subscription is more than enough to unlock the library of songs, if you don’t mind a few ads sprinkled in occasionally and no downloads.
Download: IDAGIO for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
4. Focus@Will
If you’re willing to spend a little on a subscription, then Focus@Will is worth signing up for. It offers a seven-day free trial to decide whether the service is right for you.
Using a personalized questionnaire, this app tailors functional ambiance and music to suit your focus needs and preferences. You’re able to start flow sessions with curated music channels, save tracks that you like, and control your listening with three different paces: Ease, Flow, and Motion. These work sessions can be timed for up to
four hours, or you can start free flow sessions that last for however long you need them to.
If you’re not looking for music at the moment and would prefer some textured sounds, Focus@Will also offers a few channels that provide different noise atmospheres. These include soundscapes such as coffee shops, drums, or white noise.
What’s useful about Focus@Will is the seamless flow between each track that allows for a smooth listening experience. These sounds are also curated, in comparison to other streaming apps. You can also download up to five hours of music from your current channel for Offline Mode. This makes focused music accessible when you’re on the go.
Download: Focus@Will for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
5. Focus Music by Brain.fm
Another premium app worth giving a try is Focus Music, by Brain.fm, which offers science-backed soundscapes that are meant to stimulate your brain for greater focus and productivity. You can choose from different sessions to Focus, Relax, Sleep, or Meditate and enjoy timed sessions with functional music.
If you’re using this app to improve your focus, you can choose music that helps with Deep Work, Creative Flow, Study & Reading, and Light Work. This offers a variety of curated music to keep you on track according to how focused you need to be.
You can set the duration for each session to 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes and also set the intensity for the app’s neural-tuning technology. If you hear a song you like, you can add it to your favorites and download it, or skip any songs you dislike.
Download: Focus Music by Brain.fm for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
6. Musi
If YouTube is the app you usually reach for when you need some studying music, then Musi is a companion app worth taking a look at. With Musi, you’re able to play music from YouTube without needing to keep your screen on. You can create your own playlist of music videos or listen to premade playlists for any occasion, including studying.
There are ads present within the app that you can pay to remove, but if you don’t mind them you can enjoy the music for free.
Download: Musi for iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
Tune In and Get Focused
With our list of streaming study music apps, you’re sure to find one that will help keep you focused and productive. With everything from lo-fi to classical to scientifically crafted soundscapes, the possibilities are endless for what you can try. Grab your favorite set of headphones, open up any of these apps, and enjoy a musical study session.