What music do you listen to while writing (if at all?). I usually like to listen to instrumental music so that I can concentrate on writing and not listening to words. Recently, I found that the Baldurβs Gate 3 soundtrack is great but I need more options.
So, what do you listen to?
Mostly internal screaming.
You know Ceaser Flickermanβs theme from the Hunger Games- genuinely I have never been more motivated to write than when I hear that tune like it slaps so hard. That or just anything by Hans Zimmer.
I make project playlists: hereβs mine for Blood Money, Creme de la Creme, Noblesse Oblige, and Royal Affairs. Usually towards the end of a project I zero in on one album, which tends to be a soundtrack - for Honor Bound itβs been the Disco Elysium soundtrack - or if Iβm finding music too overstimulating, I listen to ambient rain noise, a train video, or sometimes just over-ear headphones without anything playing.
I need silence for writing fiction, but for nonfiction music sometimes helps me focus (in the way it allows me to actually sit there and work). I prefer anything without a heavy drum beat (because itβs that rather than lyrics that tend to distract me, I donβt even hear the lyrics properly on low enough volume) but sometimes I just turn the radio on on low volume. Helps to hide background noise too.
Now thereβs an image.
Ohh no, I donβt have time for this 
Okay, here are someβ¦
Danheim
Heilung
Osi And The Jupiter
Two Steps From Hell (any epic music for that matter)
Antti Martikainen
Estas Tonne
Space Banjo
A Tergo Lupi
OST from LOTR, Skyrim, The Witcher, Icewind Dale
Complete silence also, but everyone knows that one.
Yes, itβs all over the place, and Iβm omitting the heavy ones. Not all are instrumental though. If you want more just ask, and give me time to make a list. I will take any recommendations for dark ambient stuff, folk metal, and more.
I listen to period or genre specific playlists so that I can get into a vibe for what Iβm writing. For example, for my Halloween jam entry I listen to 70s disco music, but for The Game of War I listen to orchestral dramatic music.
Iβll usually throw on YouTube (we get pretty minimal ads here in Nepal) and look for something unobtrusive but with some degree of energy β it canβt be too bland or repetitive. Hania Rani, Heilung, Malte Martenβs handpan videos, Blue Turtleβs fantasy music, Pandora Journeyβs epic music. Or albums by Low Roar or Sleeping At Last.
Iβve got a playlist of 95% instrumental stuff largely from video games that I just run in the background as noise. Lyrics disrupt my concentration.
Oh sometimes Iβll loop two specific tracks: Prosperity from the Shadowrun Hong Kong soundtrack or Horn and Ivory from the Shadowrun Dragonfall soundtrack. Often with rainymood combined. For some reason those two specific ones are just like. ultra for my focus.
I use mainly video game and anime soundtracks so ff16, ff7r and God of war soundtracks for my OG WIP.
The one im currently writing thats not released yet I use MHA and Stellar Blade soundtracks.
Really makes the general tone consistent.
Always music appropriate to the tone of the story. Although that can look like all kinds of things, right now it looks like a hell of a lot of Tommy Guerrero, Caural, Emancipator, and The Twelves.
This is my spotify playlist that I listen to while at work - Havenβt written in years!
A mix of instrumental, celtic themed, some lyrics and random assortment of ost, themes and misc. All chosen because I felt they had a certain oomph. A number of above mentioned artists included.
Game soundtracks:
Baldurβs Gate 1
Baldurβs Gate 2
Icewind Dale 1
Icewind Dale 2
Planescape Torment
Final Fantasy 7
Genso Suikoden Celtic
Collection 1
Collection 2
Collection 3
Bands:
Imagine Dragons
Queen
Anime soundtracks:
Detective Conan
Naruto
Inuyasha
80βs and 90βs anime compilation
Composer:
Hans Zimmer
John Williams
Howard Shore
Joe Hisaishi
Here are some more.
Jeremy Soule
Thomas Bergersen
Fable 3
Thunderstorm soundtracks
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw ost all the IDLE soundtracks
Dark ambient stuff
