In that spot where you can’t seem to find a perfectly curated study playlist but you’re also too busy to dedicate time to creating your own? Don’t worry, Arcade has you covered!  YouTube has a host of great playlists, regardless of your preferred study music genre: Lo-fi beats, classical, even music from Mario Kart. All you need is this compilation of playlists, and you’re all set to pop in your headphones and get to work. 

Lo-fi Hip Hop Radio from Lofi Girl

This one is my holy grail. Inspired by a clip of a girl studying from the 1995 film “Whisper of the Heart” that was re-illustrated by Juan Pablo Machado, this is a continuous livestream of Lo-fi hip-hop beats great for studying and relaxing. The songs are just enticing enough to keep me focused on studying but not loud enough to totally distract me. Usually, the unpredictability of study playlists distracts me, but the predictability of playlists I make for myself distracts me too. For some reason, this livestream is perfect. 

Cozy Fall Coffee Shop Ambience by Calmed by Nature

This eight-hour compilation of calming coffee shop jazz is perfect for night time studying. In an era where we are deprived of being able to study in cute coffee shops, and we’re confined to cold libraries or a booth in the basement in the Lavin Bernick Center for University Life if you’re lucky, this stream creates the perfect ambience for you to pretend you have a peaceful studying environment. It’s typically impossible for me to focus on schoolwork when I’m in my room and other living environments, but this playlist has made that possible for me. 

A Light Academia Classical Study Playlist by crachead

Craving your light — or dark — academia moment but can’t get it because, as great as Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is, it’s just not aesthetically pleasing? Let this playlist transport you into one of those Hogwarts-esque libraries you see scrolling through Pinterest. Like one of the comments under the video says, it feels like you’re studying in the Hufflepuff common room. Sometimes, classical music can be so emotionally absorbing that it’s impossible to focus on my work, but the blend of songs in this compilation is perfectly light enough to keep me on task. 

Songs to Make Online Lectures More Bearable by sunsetdreams

If Lo-fi beats and classical music aren’t your cup of tea, then this playlist of indie, indie rock and other genres — according to the creator — might be for you. It’s a perfect blend of songs you might already be familiar with, like “Never Had The Balls” from Rex Orange County and “Icarus” by HER, and songs from smaller musicians to keep you guessing — not enough to distract you from your studies, of course. Plus, you can come away from this study session with some new artists to follow on whatever streaming platform you use!