This isn’t a “Cool Workflow” per se, but I did not know what other category to put this under. I discovered a great playlist for playing in the background when working and concentration is needed. I’m a jazz enthusiasts and I also enjoy “lounge” music. When I searched for “Jazz Lounge music” Ibiza Jazz Lounge began to play. Here is the play list.
Everyone’s taste is different, but I like it. I can have it playing in the background while working and I’m not distracted.
I stream my local NPR station on Apple Music which has a jazz session in the afternoon that I adore.
I prefer to play Classical music when working.
Beethoven, Mozart and sometimes Tchaikovsky
When I need to tune out everything else (and have the luxury of closing my door to students and colleagues) I usually listen to one of the Focus playlists on Apple Music:
Thank you for this. I typically don’t listen to anything because it all distracts me, including classical for some reason… but this hits just right.
We like streaming the Spa channel on SiriusXM. There are other good background channels, like the Symphony Hall, and Watercolors (jazz).
Katie
Lots of soundscapes here where one can choose from noise generators, nature sounds, and ambient music
There’s also an app
I always turn to Bach solo music or to the late Beethoven quartets. That focuses me like nothing else
I like classical as well, but depending on the piece, classical can also distract. I just discovered another station: Smooth Jazz for Focus. It’s great!
I agree. Classical is better for productivity than rock.
Oddly, some YouTube channels advertising rain ambiance for sleep help me focus.
MyNoise is great. Good developer, and always coming up with new mixes/sounds. Worth throwing some money their way by paying for premium
Call me crazy, but I’ve had some focus success with LoFi Girl over on YouTube. I’m not even a fan of that kind of stuff, but for background, it really works sometimes.
For me, it’s Brian Eno’s Ambient works.
Another option: Lofi Garden app (it’s in Setapp).
When I really need to block out the hubbub around me, I put on my noise-cancelling headphones and fire up Eno’s Music for Airports.
I’ve set up a bunch of “work music” playlists centered around various low-ish key classical genres—eg, a cappella early music—for routine work, but when I really need to focus and silence isn’t an option, Eno it is.
Also streaming channels on Soma FM, which has been around forever (listener supported). I have a menubar app for it created with Unite.
Thanks for this, and the other recommendations in this thread. In its day, Windham Hill was great for this.
Oh wow, memory unlocked. I may even still have the Windham Hill guitar sampler on CD here someplace. I can totally remember the melody of that first track. 
Oh, also, I was remembering that there’s a couple of sites that specialize in ambiance and they’re weirdly effective as well. One of the ones I frequented a while ago was coffitivity. There was another that even let you dial in the amount of conversation, kitchen noise, etc, but I forget what it was called.
I prefer jazz for focus as well, but strictly instrumental. Vocals are very distracting to me for some reason. I am a YouTube premium subscriber, so I get their music service as well. I prefer the variety of playlists offered, particularly their jazz fusion or what I call “progressive jazz” like Snarky Puppy or Funky Knuckle playlists.
Same here, another station I enjoy is Cafe Smooth Jazz. All instrumental.
