2025 Values Week: How music influences your daily life

[Luan]

If you've ever found yourself lost in a song, humming along or tapping your feet, then you already know just how powerful music can be. But have you ever stopped to think about how much it actually shapes the way we live our day-to-day lives? To dive deeper into this, I reached out to a few friends from the Stars Program and the Spotify Staff to ask them how music influences their daily routines and I must say, their answers were fascinating, as they revealed just how much of a role music plays in our emotions, productivity, and day-to-day social interactions. I’m excited to share their thoughts with you below!

Setting the tone for the day:

First up, one common theme that came up in nearly every response from the folks I asked was how music can ‘set the mood for the day’. To quote @RayyW0, "It has a great influence on what I do daily. It keeps my mood up, keeps me energized, and sometimes gets my mind somewhere else”. With that in mind, it’s clear that for many people, music is more than just background noise - it's a powerful tool that can shift their mood and energy, depending on the playlist or song they choose!

Similarly, @Anyk17 mentioned, “It (music) is great company throughout my day. I sync what I choose to listen to with my mood to navigate my emotions more smoothly”, echoing the sentiment that music can be associated and connected with our even deeper emotions and thoughts. Whilst adding "I listen to music all the time, while I'm working, while I'm walking, while I'm commuting, or while I'm exercising", Estefanyanasco really emphasised how integrated music is into her routine. 

Going in the same direction, @MattSuda recognizes music as a powerful tool to get connected with himself when he says, “Music makes my days better and gives me inspiration to keep going when things get hard. I have this saying, which is ‘Music keeps my heart beating’”. This perspective shows how important music can be to turn around in difficult times and when the days seem to get dark.
Meanwhile, @Loneliest_Cabin, who shared that "It pretty much starts my day, every day" emphasized how music is a crucial part of his morning routine, especially because he tends to listen to a radio station and he discovers lots of new things through it, helping him to shape his Spotify library. It seems that for him, music sets the tone for the rest of the day, helping him ease into the hustle and bustle ahead!

Productivity, energy, and focus!

For others, music can also be a productivity booster. @MateusM reflected: "I’d say music is my secret productivity boost. I always start my workday with Spotify playing some electronic tunes - it really helps me get focused”. It’s amazing how music can not only help lift your spirits but also improve concentration and enhance the projects and goals results. 

Listening to music isn’t an isolated action and it’s usually done simultaneously alongside other activities, so it makes a lot of sense that it can add that dose of motivation. Many people - including @Ximzend, who said that “music is present when he’s working at his office or even when he’s cooking” - use music to help them get through daily tasks with more energy and focus. Whether it’s powering through work or keeping pace during a workout, the right soundtrack can make all the difference. - In my case, for example, I cannot see myself working out without music. It’s my best pre-workout, without a doubt...

Connecting with others:

With a topic like this, we can’t skip over the fact that music is a great way to connect people. I don’t know if you have already experienced singing a song with so much energy and joy with a friend or someone else you love, but it’s amazing! Aligned with this idea, @Loneliest_Cabin  perceives music as a powerful tool to stay connected with people he loves when they are doing other things, like when he is reading books with his wife. Another great example, he mentioned, is when he’s together with his whole family in the car, creating a big and diverse queue, after all his Spotify needs to fit not only his musical taste but everyone’s. When his children are onboard, however, democracy seems not to be a thing, and the oldest daughter is the one who takes the command and controls the playback - sounds fair, to me…
And talking about family, @MateusM, who enjoys making playlists with his wife, said that listening to music with her is “a fun way to enjoy the moment together”.

Those examples reflect that whether it’s curating playlists for a dinner party or simply sharing a favorite song, music serves as a connector, a shared language between friends and loved ones. After all, music is a shared activity that enhances personal moments and relationships.

Connecting with ourselves:

On the other hand, @AdamDamon takes a different approach when he says that he tends to listen to their favorite artists and genres alone, sometimes because his family or friends aren’t always in the same mood as him. That shows that for Adam, music is a more private, but not necessarily less pleasant experience. That is because sometimes we really need to feel and enjoy our own company and music, which of course can be one of the best ways to stay connected with ourselves too!

When asked about listening to music with someone else, @Ximzend is more flexible and noted that it depends on his mood, acknowledging that sometimes music is a personal escape, allowing that we connects with our deeper emotions and feelings. It’s interesting to see how music is both a social and personal activity, depending on the person, the situation, and the mood.

Music for every moment:

Another common thread in the responses was the idea that music acts as a peaceful retreat from the chaos of life. @AdamDamon, for example, illustrates that very well when he says: “[…] Listening to my favorite music seems to make me feel less anxious, less stressed-out, and generally happier […] I can immerse myself in a world of sonic patterns and textures that I’m really passionate about, and as a result, I’m more distracted from negative thoughts and bad memories”!
Music has a way of acting as a soundtrack to our lives, shaping not just our current experiences but also reminding us of past moments. For some, certain songs instantly bring back memories, transporting them to a different time, evoking emotions tied to those periods in their lives. Whether it's a love song, an anthem from a summer road trip, or a track from a special event, music helps us relive moments and brings a sense of connection to the past.

Despite the fact that some think music can influence their day-to-day routine, @Amay takes a more philosophical approach, saying, "Music doesn’t influence my day - my day influences my music". This shows how the relationship with music is dynamic; after all, sometimes, our mood or the flow of our day sets the tone for what we listen to, revealing how the experience with music can be unique for each one. At the same time, music isn’t just something we listen to - it’s something that’s with us, shaping our emotions, routines, and relationships every step of the way.

In the end, it’s fascinating to realize how music is not just a background sound in our lives, but a powerful force that shapes our feelings, daily life, and connections. Every person who shared their experiences here has shown that, and for many, music is much more than entertainment - it’s a companion, a motivator, a source of relaxation, and even a mirror of their state of mind. For me, this reflection reinforces the idea that music is a reflection of our life journey. Whether we're curating our own playlists on Spotify or discovering new tracks, it accompanies us in moments of happiness, through challenges, and during our breaks. Ultimately, music doesn’t just influence our day - it is, in fact, a part of who we are and how we live, reminding us with every note that we are more connected than we realize...

Feeling connected? Share with us in the comments how music influences your life too. We'd love to hear more experiences...

Cheers! 🎶