Do you listen to music when you write?

[Lady-of-Literature]

I prefer either silence, instrumental music, or background sounds like rain or a fireplace.

[Rodel Barnachea]

Usually, I don't listen to music when I write. I find it distracting. Sometimes, I listen to classical music or music with no lyrics in order to drown out the annoying background noise like my family talking, etc.

[SMAhmed]

For me it really depends. Sometimes it helps more to listen to ambient noises or instrumentals and sometimes it helps to listen to an entire album. I recently did the latter with Folklore (the new Taylor Swift album).

[Amna Khalid]

I do listen to music when I write. But, sometimes music distracts me and I am forced to pause it. Also, sometimes music helps me to write because outside voices distracts me, but music helps me to focus.

[iangillwindows]

I do listen to music while writing, on occasion. When I do, I listen to instrumental music, generally something soft. I do not listen to anything with lyrics, as they are too distracting. My preference is to listen to recordings of natural backgrounds, wind, ocean waves, rain, and so on. These can be very stimulating when I am writing a scene that takes place in appropriate settings.

[angelleaping]

I listen to Pandora Radio when I write. The beat of the music helps with the beats in the story.
Grace Blair

[Bridgette C 2]

Sometimes, but when I want to focus, I turn it off

[Michaela Gordoni]

I definetly cannot listen to lyrical music and write. If it is classical it is fine but dead silence is preferred.

[Julia Hanna]

I do listen to music while writing or reading. However, I only listen to music that is familiar to me, for any new music or song distracts me.

[AvishaJain_13]

Most times I don't because I start enjoying music too much and then I can't write.

[ej_author]

I'm the same, I can't listen to music with lyrics while I write. I have a giant playlist of film scores I've added to over the years that I listen to sometimes, but lately, I've been leaning more toward classical piano and smooth instrumental jazz.

[Daniel A Roberts]

It depends on where I am in the story. Scary/terrible parts, dead silence. Action parts, I listen to various songs with a fast beat. Romantic parts, Slower soft and warm music. Comedy parts, nothing beats the Benny Hill Chase Music. I guess I'm a mess, haha.

[Kayla Archer]

I need the background noise to cancel out the distractions, so I cannot have music with words. I also can't listen to instrumental music that is from familiar songs because then I start to think of the lyrics. I have been listening to Celtic instrumental music lately when I read or write.

[Nedim]

I only listen to music whenever I'm solving linear transformation or solving ordinary differential equations in mathematics. For writing, I always prefer a serene environment, as I don't want anything to come in between my mind and brain.

[Nedim]

For me, I always like to write in a calm environments. Writing involves you bringing forth lots of ideas and I don't fancy any form of distraction while doing that. Hence, I don't listen to music when writing.