The Playlist Problem: How Music Affects Performance

Main points — free preview

• Music reliably changes how hard exercise feels and how long people sustain effort — but the effect size depends on tempo, self-selected vs. prescribed playlists, and task type.
• Meta-analyses and randomized trials show moderate benefits for endurance and motivation; strength and precision tasks show smaller or mixed results.
• The 'playlist problem' is not whether music works — it is that streaming algorithms, gym defaults, and influencer playlists rarely match the evidence on cadence, arousal, and personal association.