What music, if any, do you listen to when writing?

My preference would be none, but sometimes there is extraneous noise that has to be disguised.

I tune into either BBC Radio 3 or Classic FM. The latter has ads, which can be more distracting than the noise i am trying to cover. For writing I like quiet contemplative music and am a sucker for a Bach work like The Goldberg Variations or the partitas etc. It doesn't have to be classical. I like jazz too. What to call it? Chamber jazz? As long as its quiet. Anything louder or more assertive and I cannot concentrate.

i'm getting in to listing to indie rock

I usually listen to fantasy video game soundtracks when writing fantasy. If I need to write an action scene I'll pick battle tracks or play some uptempo techno that doesn't have words. Video game soundtracks in general are fantastic because they are designed to create a mood without distracting, and they exist for almost any genre.

If I need to capture a specific mood, like say, teenage angst, I listen to songs from my teenage years before I go and write to pull back in some of that emotion.

Drascus said:

I usually listen to fantasy video game soundtracks when writing fantasy.

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A+. Me too. Legend of Mana and Breath of Fire soundtracks are both great for this, amongst others.

Besides videogame soundtracks, I sometimes listen to 90's alt rock (particularly Soundgarden) and occasionally a rap song on loop. I'm sure that last one is strange, but while a whole rap album would distract me a single song on loop can send me into a state of zen.

I like to make playlists for each novel--essentially what would be the soundtrack for the movie version. These run the gamut as far as genre, all depends on the book and the main characters. I also like dreamy/trippy music, so if I put something on that's not one of my "soundtrack" playlists, my go-tos are Sigur Ros and Shpongle. But really, I'd prefer to write with silence. I only put music on if there's a lot of other noise (like my partner watching TV or having a zoom call in the next room). There's been construction going on in my building for most of the time we've been in shelter-in-place, and when those noises get to be too much, the headphones go on.

kool i like 90s music too

There's definitely "vibes" between the types/genres of music I listen to and what I write. My cyberpunk short story was heavily inspired by Scandroid and Perturbator (I mean, the title is Aphelion, it wasn't very subtle about it lol) while my fantasy novel/world is more the likes of Dragonfroce and Nightwish. Lots of metal bands out there that talk about epic fantasy topics, swords and dragons and magic and battles and good vanquishing evil.

Hans Zimmer, Steve Jabonsky (enders game, not transformers other than Tessa), game of thrones soundtrack-house of stark, jeremy soule, meditative music, tron soundtrack..and sometimes just a fire crackling haha

ChaseJxyz said:

There's definitely "vibes" between the types/genres of music I listen to and what I write. My cyberpunk short story was heavily inspired by Scandroid and Perturbator (I mean, the title is Aphelion, it wasn't very subtle about it lol) while my fantasy novel/world is more the likes of Dragonfroce and Nightwish. Lots of metal bands out there that talk about epic fantasy topics, swords and dragons and magic and battles and good vanquishing evil.

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Then it must be amazing retro cyberpunk story!
And Nightwish! Indeed, fantasy motives are popular in metal (Blind Guardian I'm lookin at you).

I tend to create playlists with songs whose lyrics and feel fit my characters, world, and story and listen to those. This ends up with quite a variety of kinds of music; I have been adding a lot of Sam Tinnesz's and Poet's Of The Fall music lately.

It really depends on what I'm writing. My current book features a violinist, so I listen to a lot of modern violinists like Lindsey Stirling, Vanessa Mae, Bond etc. I also have various tracks from animes or shows that fit the theme.

Lately I've been listening more to folk electronica, a sub genre I didn't even know existed until I stumbled across a song while watching the finale of The Rain. Snow Ghosts and CLANN have been some of my faves so far.

Apparently I have slipped mostly into folk rock: The Infamous Stringdusters, Mumford & Sons, Dawes and modern singer song-writers like Sara Bareilles. Sometimes I skew more anthemy or more show tune depending on the emotional current of the scene I'm writing.

Like some other folks mentioned before, I also create playlists for each story I write. I have songs that are merely inspiration songs that have lyrics that fit the themes or my characters. I listen to those songs to help me when outlining the story or building up the characters, also to help me with coming up with future scenes. Then I have songs that I will listen to on repeat when writing very particular scenes. The songs I listen on repeat are used to tune me to the particular emotion I need to convey in that one scene. It helps me get into character while writing. So depending on the scene, the songs would range from instrumental movie or tv show pieces to loud stuff like Breaking Benjamin.

I used to work in a busy, open-plan office and used headphones and my music to drown it out and work. It became a habit that leeched over into my writing when at home too, and one I've continued even after leaving work and going full time. So my writing is done to a lot of singer/songwriters, from Elvis Costello to Nick Cave, Richard Thompson to Lucinda Williams, with occasional throwbacks to my teenage years interspersed from people like the Rolling Stones, Wishbone Ash and Fairport Convention.

Right now it's mostly anime music, especially intro songs. They tend to be uptempo, which is good for my ADHD. I don't speak Japanese so they don't engage my language center and derail my thoughts. I do watch anime, so I can also use intro music from shows that have the same mood as the piece I'm writing.

Hello all,

I am new to the forum so forgive me if I sound out of place.

When I write/meditate I listen to mostly hip-hop jazz or classical music that stream on youtube.

I don't really have a particular artist. It just depends on the mood I'm in and what will help me get into the flow of finishing a scene.

Sometimes depending on the scene you are writing, try playing music that is consistent with the content of the scene.

For example, play a musical score of the Marvel Cinematic Universe if a high stakes action scene is required or maybe some romantic elevator music if the scene requires dialogue between two secret lovers, etc.

Cheers.

I have a slew of various playlists of instrumental music, all curated by mood or scene type (so one for fight scenes, one for sappy romantic scenes, etc).

But for good general background music, I find video game soundtracks to be fantastic for writing. A fave is TPR's piano (and occasionally collab cello duet) covers of various video game music. The album "Peaceful Days" is a definite go-to for me.

That said, I also have dozens of "inspiration" playlists for various characters and relationships in my books, made up of songs with lyrics. I listen to those before writing to get some inspiration flowing, but I need instrumentals while I'm actually putting words on the page.

I love this question. What I listen to is usually hyper focused on the project I'm working on. My current WIP, for example, is all Blondie, Motown and New Wave. All music made before I was even born, which is ironic since it's a story set in the future.

Another project I've not looked at in a while would usually have me listening to Final Fantasy videogame soundtracks. Weird how these things happen. But I'm interested that a lot of people say they prefer silence. I go through peaks and troughs of finding music helpful and not helpful. When I'm plotting scenes or worldbuilding in my head though, it can be super helpful.

khanwong said:

I like to make playlists for each novel--essentially what would be the soundtrack for the movie version. These run the gamut as far as genre, all depends on the book and the main characters.

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This is me, except I am far less organised.

K Robert Donovan said:

What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when writing? I'm not sure how to classify the music, but I listen to instrumental pieces from some of the following artists: - Jeremy Soule - Two Steps from Hell - Jo Blankenburg - Twelve Titans music - Ivan Torrent - Audiomachine - E.S. Posthumnus - Thomas Bergesen - Hans Zimmer Just to name a few of my favorites. The mood or tone I need to write might determine what I chose to listen to.

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Looks like we share similar tastes in writing music. On YouTube, I have a number of Playlists filled with such music: Zimmer/Jablonsky, Two Epic Steps (with music from Thomas Bergesen, Two Steps From Hell and similar groups), Amethystium (featuring music from Amethystium, Mythos, Christopher Franke, and David & Diane Arkenstone).

khanwong said:

I like to make playlists for each novel--essentially what would be the soundtrack for the movie version.

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I'm doing that with my current novel on YouTube. I also made a playlist specifically for the epic climactic battle I had in my last novel.

Just switched to a new manuscript, sci-fi instead of fantasy this time. Got a nice soundtrack going that is a combo of the soundtracks to: Babylon 5, XCom, Mass Effect, and Eve Online.

i'm listing to christmas jazz happy hoildays every one

Generally just headphones with nothing playing so I can zero in, but sometimes I like to put some Maudlin of the Well on or Che Shizu, maybe some movie soundtrack, just something to set a tone. (always tends towards the melancholic for some reason...)