Music for writing

I’m a big fan of myNoise.net. I also have their iOS app, which is pretty damn awesome too. https://apps.apple.com/be/app/mynoise/id813099896

I’ve also mentioned them here: [url]Music for writing - #42 by JimRac]

Best,
Jim

I absolutely can not write with music that has lyrics. It’s worse if I know the song because I’ll sing along, but even if I’ve never heard it before, my brain automatically starts listening. I have to use instrumental. When I used to work a creative day job I often listened to Spanish guitar playlists because they were lively and kept me awake without distraction. Now that I have a NON creative job my creativity is saved for my writing. Lately I’ve really been enjoying music from Ambient Worlds. I especially love the Winterfell clip, but I’m fond of several of the Harry Potter clips as well.

I strongly recommend this album, especially if you like to write at night. Give it a try.

youtube.com/watch?v=zABG-oJzkJ0

If you can handle more atmospheric arrangements with lyrics, something like Enya only mostly acapella, check out YouTube musician Jula Westlin’s acapella playlist of covers.

Unfortunately her videos include a lengthy amount of post-music chatter, so if her music works for you and you’re looking to get into the flow you’ll have to look for her music elsewhere, but this should be enough of a sampler for you.

Wow, she’s talented

Me personally, I love music. Maybe too much to have any playing whilst writing as my mind gets drawn towards it. Silence is my best partner when writing.

Me too!

But silence is too quiet for me. My middle ground is MyNoise.net and the MyNoise app. :slight_smile:

Ooh, never seen that before, might have to have a play. :mrgreen:

Some great suggestions here. I love peaceful ambient music to write to, of any genre.

But is it just me that also likes to write to youtube coffee shop background noise? There are a few out there, and you get a favourite, it lasts for an hour - perfect for drifting away to and waking up an hour later a thousand words down the track!

This is favourite at the moment - youtube.com/watch?v=BOdLmxy06H0 - helps to have decent noise cancelling headphones, and you’re really there.

Believe it or not, some of my most productive ‘in the zone’ moments happened while writing in a crowded McDonalds. Somehow, within that smorgasbord of human white noise, it becomes easier for me to find focus.

Best,
JIm

Jesse Cook - Nuevo Flamenco/Rumba

tinyurl.com/ybu6byky

and
tinyurl.com/y94dwqk8

Armenian Duduk music

tinyurl.com/y7hazbju

I don’t know the second, but I really love the first … but not for writing to … while cooking, doing the washing up, doing a crossword …

:slight_smile:

Mark

I like emotional music and things that give a punch or hit (like trailer music) because I believe it helps write fast-paced prose. I too struggle with music that has lyrics, unless they fit perfectly for what I’m writing. So, without further adieu, here is my list:

Twelve Titans Music
AudioMachine
Dwayne Ford
E.S. Posthumus
Enya
Epic North
Epic Score
Epic Soul Factory
Generdyn
Hans Zimmer
ICON Music
Thomas Bergersen
Immediate Music
Les Friction (instrumental versions)
Lorenzon Piggici
Position Music (multiple albums with composers)
Really Slow Motion
Secret Garden
Skyrim soundtrack (various soundtracks in general)
SubPub
Svrcina
Tenth Dimension (aka Sencit Music)
Two Steps From Hell

This is just a start, but if you don’t know half or even 1/3 of these people, enjoy the eargasms that will follow!

Lately, I’ve found that the soundtracks from The Expanse and Westworld have been helping me.

The soundtrack for the German silent movie called People on a Sunday is superb.

youtu.be/OfMoB27CxAQ

I mention this as one who rarely listens to music while writing, but also - to be honest - as someone who had a small hand in the production of the soundtrack.

Santoor music by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Very gentle and mellow, perfect background music.

youtube.com/watch?v=N_TawCkw9B8

youtube.com/watch?v=1JJOAYwov_E

youtube.com/watch?v=I4LP3ziNTlU

youtube.com/watch?v=IAU69jFtJtU

Ancient Greek Music

youtube.com/watch?v=UoQUy9po5bk

youtube.com/watch?v=VkPlNQ4ap1o

Agree that lyrics put me off, I listen to any jazz - the more arrhythmical the better,

Ethiopian Instrumental Classical Music youtube.com/watch?v=kjCCeSmZQXg

Ethiopian sacred music (vocals) youtube.com/watch?v=9w5Ct5LfV8I

I literally always listen to this podcast
youtu.be/5qap5aO4i9A

A virtuoso Chinese classical musician doing covers of Western music on a Guzheng.

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