May 20, 2014 | Laura Lee

The Best Video Game Music for Work and Study

Video game music for work and study

These are some of the best video game music soundtracks to help you concentrate on your tasks:

Final Fantasy 7
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Assassin’s Creed 2
Halo
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Why did I choose these six? Let’s discuss.

The Benefits of Listening to Video Game Music at Work

Listening to music can be therapeutic, helping you relieve stress and concentrate. You probably know that classical music has been proven to help with concentration and learning. But did you know that there’s another type of music that is designed to help you focus on your task without causing distraction? It’s video game soundtracks!

That’s right. Now I’m not suggesting you should try to play a video game while you work or study. I’ve tried that and can tell you that you won’t do well in either of those tasks if you try to do them both together. My SWTOR character might have died in a fight and I might have missed a work phone call. Don’t make the same mistake.

Nevertheless, video game music is composed with a purpose: to help you focus on your task without being distracted by a cacophony of sounds or lyrics. Remember, if you’re playing something like Assassin’s Creed, your character is solving puzzles, talking to NPCs (non-player characters) to get more information about quests, evaluating his inventory and navigating detailed alleyways. You can’t do that effectively with a rock station blaring in the background. You also can’t do it as well in silence. Video game composers know this, and a lot of money is spent to create the perfect balance.

Some of the most beautiful video game music hails from the Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda series. As you embark on long quests, you’re enveloped by digital whimsy and beauty. The background music to these games guides you through the story and also provides auditory cues about what’s going on. Another good example of this type of music is that found in Elder Scrolls—beautiful tunes reminiscent of a remote fantasy world.

Or if those types of games aren’t your cup of tea, consider the music from Halo or Metal Gear Solid. These battle-based video games may not be relaxing to play per se, but the music certainly keeps you motivated and focused.

May I suggest that next time you are deciding which music to listen to while you work or study (or try to focus on any type of task), try creating a station based on these games. You might be surprised how motivating the music is. If you want to sneak a listen before you commit, here are some YouTube links to some of my favorites as well as a list of some video game music composers you can search for.