Lo fi chill for studying: The 3 playlists to make homework easier

We’ll be lying if we say we’ve never Googled “lo fi chill for studying” several times in a week. “Lo fi” stands for “low fidelity,” a type of sound recording — that uses distortion, hum, background noise, or limited frequency response — that is distinct from live recordings.

Whatever it’s made of, playing lo fi chill for studying makes us relax, focus, and ultimately, study better. Research says this is because these “flaws” trigger our cerebrum — i.e. the uppermost part of the brain — thus helping us focus.

Another survey found more than four out of five (86%) of listeners report feeling more productive.

Speaking to Hyde.edu, student Haley Bounds ’18 says lo fi chill for studying music can keep her focused while she completes her assignments. “Sometimes,” she says, “I actually lose track of time doing homework or reading my books.”

Below we take a look at some playlists you should add to your favourites list:

Lo fi chill for studying radio – beats to relax/study to

A perennial favourite, YouTube’s LoFi Girl is a tried-and-tested winner with the power to turn you into a superhuman academic with unrivalled concentration power. With about nine million subscribers, her videos consist of lo-fi hip hop beats paired with peaceful anime cartoon visuals — tune in for the best study time.

3 a.m. [lo-fi hip hop / jazzhop / chillhop mix] (Study/Sleep/Relax music)

This mix has lo-fi hip hop, jazzhop and some vaporwave (a subgenre of electronic music). Compiled by Feardog on YouTube, it has garnered nearly nine million views since 2017. “This is a very chill mix with relaxing beats which will help you study and concentrate on your work,” Feardog says in the video description.

Less popular than the above two, but no less impactful is Quizlet. Featuring a black girl churning her creative juices in front of a laptop — while wearing a very Study International-approved outfit — every track is, as one YouTube user says, “so good. Another user gushed, “Thanks Quizlet for having my back throughout college.”

Spotify

Alternatively, if you prefer no advertisements through Spotify playlists, you can listen to Lofi Girl and other playlists here: