Music is everywhere — on our commutes, in the background of our homes, and increasingly, in our workplaces. Whether you’re curating playlists on Spotify to match your mood or relying on ambient sound to drown out distractions, music has become a fixture of modern work life with more and more workplaces allowing employees to wear headphones as they work. But is it actually helping us work better — or could it be quietly undermining our focus?
In our recent study, my colleagues and I examined this question across three investigations, using surveys, experiments, and daily work diaries. We found that while music can indeed enhance performance and focus in small doses, too much of it can backfire — especially for those who struggle with self-regulation.
Across two experience sampling studies and one lab experiment, we found an inverted U-shaped relationship between music listening and task performance. That is, performance improved as employees listened to a little more music than usual — but declined when they listened for too long. The reason? Music — particularly the kind we enjoy — is cognitively demanding. It pulls our attention away from work, especially when it’s played for extended periods.
But the story doesn’t end there.
We found that this decline in focus and performance was much stronger among individuals who believed that willpower is limited. For these employees, exerting effort on one task drained their ability to stay disciplined on another, making them more susceptible to distractions as the workday wore on. In contrast, individuals who believed they had abundant willpower were more resilient: they stayed focused even after extended music listening. These findings raise a simple but important question for anyone trying to thrive at work: Is your music helping or derailing your focus at work?
Here’s how to strike the right balance.
Tips for Employees
Implications for Managers
What Does This Tell Us About Working Well?
Music is not inherently good or bad — it’s a tool. Like any tool, its effects depend on how it’s used and who’s using it. Our research shows that listening to music at work can support performance and focus, but only up to a point. And for employees with lower self-regulatory beliefs, even a little too much music can chip away at their ability to stay on task.
Helping employees develop awareness about their limits — and the psychological resources that shape them — is central to fostering a workplace where people can truly work well
Full Citation: Scott, B. A., Awasty, N., Li, S., Conlon, D. E., Johnson, R. E., Voorhees, C. M., & Passantino, L. G. (2024). Too much of a good thing? A multilevel examination of listening to music at work. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001222
Nikhil Awasty is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management at the University of New Hampshire.
