What happens in your brain when you study with music on?

Updated

When studying with music, the auditory cortex processes the sound, the prefrontal cortex allocates attention to study material while filtering the music, and the hippocampus encodes new memories. These regions work together, with music's effects depending on its characteristics.

Auditory Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus lit up on the Brain Atlas 3D brain: what happens in your brain when you study with music on
Figure. The brain regions that light up when you study with music on, in order: Auditory Cortex (sound processing), then Prefrontal Cortex (attention focus), then Hippocampus (memory encoding).

Watch it light up on the 3D brain

Brain regions that light up

OrderRegionWhat it does here
1Auditory CortexThe auditory cortex decodes the music's pitch, rhythm, and timbre as you listen.
2Prefrontal CortexThe prefrontal cortex maintains attention on study material and suppresses distraction from the music.
3HippocampusThe hippocampus encodes new information into long-term memory during study.

1. Auditory Cortex: sound processing

Step 1 of what happens in your brain when you study with music on: Auditory Cortex lit on the Brain Atlas 3D brain
Figure 1. Auditory Cortex, sound processing: The auditory cortex decodes the music's pitch, rhythm, and timbre as you listen.

The auditory cortex, located in the temporal lobe, processes acoustic information from the ears. It analyzes features like melody and beat, and its activity continues while music plays. This processing happens automatically, but it may compete with the neural resources needed for studying if the music is complex or attention-grabbing.

2. Prefrontal Cortex: attention focus

Step 2 of what happens in your brain when you study with music on: Auditory Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex lit on the Brain Atlas 3D brain
Figure 2. Prefrontal Cortex, attention focus: The prefrontal cortex maintains attention on study material and suppresses distraction from the music.

The prefrontal cortex supports executive functions such as working memory and selective attention. It helps you stay focused on reading or problem-solving while ignoring the background music. However, if the music is too engaging, the prefrontal cortex may struggle to allocate sufficient resources to studying, reducing learning efficiency.

3. Hippocampus: memory encoding

Step 3 of what happens in your brain when you study with music on: Auditory Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus lit on the Brain Atlas 3D brain
Figure 3. Hippocampus, memory encoding: The hippocampus encodes new information into long-term memory during study.

The hippocampus is essential for forming declarative memories, such as facts and concepts. Successful encoding depends on attention from the prefrontal cortex; if attention is divided by music, hippocampal encoding may be weaker. Thus, the effect of music on memory depends on how it influences attention.

Good to know

  • Listening to music with lyrics can interfere with verbal study tasks by increasing cognitive load.
  • Instrumental music, especially with a slow tempo, is often reported to improve concentration and mood.
  • The impact of background music on learning varies widely among individuals, depending on factors like personality and task difficulty.

Lyrical vs instrumental music

When studying with music that has lyrics, language processing areas like Broca's and Wernicke's areas are additionally engaged, competing with verbal study material. Instrumental music, lacking lyrics, does not engage language areas and may be less disruptive to verbal memory. Thus, instrumental music is generally less distracting for reading or writing tasks.

Test yourself

  1. Which brain region is primarily responsible for processing the sound of music while studying?

  2. How does the prefrontal cortex contribute when studying with background music?

  3. What is a likely effect of studying with music that has lyrics?

0 of 3 answered · 0 correct

Simplified: many regions work together at once, and this shows the main players in the order they act.