Published in · 5 min read · Sep 5, 2022
It’s time to study — what are you playing in the background?
Here are our picks for the best Study with Me YouTube channels and livestreams to study alongside!
1. Abao in Tokyo
Vibe: Chill and cinematic
Background music: Calming lofi, jazz, piano
Study tools: iPad, Apple Pencil, GoodNotes, books, paper
Technique: Pomodoro + alarm to indicate study break
As an international student studying in Japan, Abao’s backdrops typically feature sweeping cityscapes of Tokyo. He does both study music livestreams and regular Study with Me content.
There’s also a slight melancholiness to his aesthetic, whether it’s due to the rain, the darkness of his study hours, the slowness of the music .
2. The Sherry Formula
Vibe: Cozy and comfortable
Background music: Lofi and piano with positive vibes
Study tools: iPad, keyboard, notebooks, coffee
Technique: Pomodoro
The Sherry Formula’s videos are like the study version of “curled up on a sofa” or “lounging on a bean bag,” comfort.
Her aesthetic features a lot of soft warm light, in the form of candles, lamps, and the like. Background music ranges from ambient water or birds, soft lofi, or relaxing melodies.
She also posts music livestreams that you can watch any time of the day if you’re just looking for background study music.
3. Pike Channel
Vibe: Relaxing and inspirational
Background music: Soft, uplifting piano
Study tools: Laptop, notebook, pens, and lots of natural light
Technique: Timed, hour-long study
With crisp whites and sky blues to inspire a productive mindset, you’ll feel motivated studying with Pike’s Study with Me videos. What’s more, Pike’s content is rarely over an hour long — making it easy for you to block out your study, if you’re the type that’s prone to lose track of time.
4. Study MD
Vibe: Cozy and comfortable
Background music: Lofi, guitar jazz, ambient noises
Study tools: Ergonomic set up, monitor
Technique: Pomodoro
StudyMD is someone who strikes you as someone who knows what he’s doing. It could be his large, CEO style desk, clean workspace, or ergonomic setup. In addition to Study with Me content, he also posts videos on learning science and study techniques, and vlogs of medical school.
5. Love Nika
Vibe: Chill, aspirational
Background music: no music or lofi
Study tools: Laptop, iPad, Apple Pencil, GoodNotes
Technique: Hour-long study
With a lot of neutral colors and soft lighting, Love Nika’s Study with Me videos are easy on the eyes, and perfect for evenings when you just want to dedicate an hour to study.
Her videos are typically an hour long — perfect for a regular revision session You’ll also find study vlogs and other study inspo on her channel.
6. Study to Success
Vibe: Colorful, organized, inspirational
Background music: Uplifting
Study tools: Laptop, iPad, Apple Pencil, GoodNotes
Technique: Pomodoro
In addition to iPad study tips and study vlogs, you’ll find a playlist of Study with Me videos on this channel.
Study to Success’s content really shines because while most Study with Me videos go for a cozy, late night aesthetic, these are visually the opposite.
Each video is bursting with pastel colors, from her multi-colored stationery, pens and highlighters, to the greenery in the background.
7. Merve
Vibe: Motivating and highly focussed
Background music: None
Study tools: Laptop, printed papers
Technique: Long continuous study sessions
Looking to spend the whole day studying?
In sessions ranging from 3–12 hours, Merve streams Study with Me content on a nearly daily schedule for hours on hours. In the chat and comments, you’ll see people setting their goals for their study sessions.
Tip: You might find that spacing out your sessions will actually help you absorb more material. See tip #4 here. You can hop in and out of Merve’s study streams too.
8. Grass Cotton — Relaxing Piano Music
If you’re in the mood to relax, check out Grass Cotton.
At any given moment you can find multiple livestreams on air. And if those don’t fit your mood, you can browse dozens of other piano music videos.
The melodies are slow-paced and almost lullaby-esque.
9. Musictag — Background Jazz
Musictag publishes some of the best background jazz to focus to. Pleasant to the ears, but non-distracting in the background.
They range from light joyful cafe tunes to lofi jazz, and even music designed for you to nap to.
10. Healing Mate — Calming Instrumentals
If you’re stressed over exams, and need some audio help to calm yourself while staying productive, try Healing Mate. They have deeply calming piano music, some with ambient sounds as well.
Their channel actually focuses on making music to calm dogs with separation anxiety. Bonus points!
11. Lofi Girl — Classic Lofi Beats
Of course, no Study with Me list would be complete without Lofi Girl.
Not only does this YouTube channel have a large variety of lofi beats, but a significant community too. At any given time, you’ll be joining thousands of other students and people tuning in to the livestream. If you want that sense of collectiveness or community even when studying solo, Lofi Girl’s YouTube channel is the place to go.
Definitely not a YouTube channel, but how could we not plug our own study playlists?
Introducing the GoodNotes GoodBeats playlists on Spotify, which range from curated songs to boost your productivity, to ambient background music. Here are a few!
- Lofi — Pomodoro: Disable the shuffle, and this playlist wil guide you through three 25-minute Pomodoro bursts, with two 5-minute breaks!
- Unwind: A good vibes playlist for when you want to chill.
- Crushing it: For when you need to pep talk yourself to get motivated to do your best work.
In addition to curating rad study tunes on the side, GoodNotes is a digital note-taking app used by millions of students worldwide.
- Take beautiful, searchable digital notes on your iPad, iPhone, or Mac
- Collaborate on the same document as your friends and classmates
- Explore thousands of ready-to-study notes, shared by a community of students learning the same subjects all over the world
If you don’t want to study alone, check out the GoodNotes Community.
Happy studying!
