Audio Hacks for Productivity

If you want to make changes to your productivity routine, you might want to change the things that you put in your…ears.

Here’s a few hacks that have worked for me to help you get locked in and get more work done.

Infinite Repeat

I started doing this a few years ago on accident. I somehow clicked the “repeat one song” button on iTunes and found that the song I was listening too looped really well.

Pretty soon, I zoned out and got into a deep state with my work.

When I came out of it, I realized the song was on the whole time on repeat – and while I didn’t notice it that much – the familiar rhythm over, and over and over again really helped me zoom in on my work.

It’s super simple, just find the “repeat 1” button on Spotify or iTunes. If you’re listening to it on youtube, you can use the website http://listenonrepeat.com to loop the video without altering it in anyway. Try it out.

Suggested song => Business (remix) by Eminem. Appropriate lyrics too. Let’s get down to business.

Background Pink Noise

You’ve probably heard of “white noise” which is basically a random mix of sound wave lengths that drowns out background noise. Pink noise on the other hand is sounds that boost a lower frequency (or different octaves). You’ve probably heard different nature sound generators that simulate surf on a beach, rain in the evening or wind in the trees – that’s pink noise.

It can help productivity & boost concentration by giving your brain a soundwave to process, but not providing any distracting noises.

Here’s a good pink noise generator you can use here.

Binaural Beats

What are binaural beats? Well, the long answer is here.

The short answer is they’re a audio beat that blends frequencies and helps put your mind in a extremely focused state. In other words, it’a a music / sound /audio hybrid that helps put your brain into a productive state where you can GET SH*T DONE. It’s also super relaxing.

You can just call it the zone.

They’re similar to pink noise in the fact that it’s based on the wavelength of the sound that your brain processes, but they’re specifically engineered to put your brain in a deep, meditative state.

The science on them (and how they work) is a bit up in the air, but the anecdotal evidence is pretty strong. In other words, it works pretty well (especially for creative work), even if we’re not exactly sure 100% scientifically why it works.

I’ve got a new hobby I’m working on related to this that I’ll be sharing soon.

Last notes on Productivity through Audio Hacks

• Another program I like to use is Focus @ Will / It’s fantastic
• If you really want to “drop in”, noise cancelling headphones are a game-changer. I use these.

Do you have an audio hack you use to get more stuff done? Let me know in the comments.