I don't know about anyone else, but when I read, especially if I'm settling in for a marathon session, I like background music to set the mood. Books are like movies in my head, and sometimes movies need epic background music. The combination of book and music can be twice as immersive as either one alone. Here are my go-to channels for background music while reading.
1. Sci-Fi
SoulSearchAndDestroy has lots of chill playlists that include retrowave, chillwave, and related genres. Perfect background music for hurtling through the void of outer space or driving through a neon futurescape. I recently read the Illuminae trilogy with this on in the background and it really fit. The sounds are often nostalgic but alien enough to be futuristic as well. There's very little vocals to conflict with the words I'm reading. I realize that this kind of music has become kind of a meme so this might expose my terrible taste in music, but I like what I like. When you separate the music from the meme (which can be hard) it can actually be really soothing to listen to.
2. Fantasy
Adrian Von Ziegler is one of my favorite fantasy music composers. He specializes in Celtic music but also branches out to songs inspired by other cultures. A lot of these songs wouldn't be out of the place in Lord of the Rings. The playlists provide the soundtrack to journeys across sweeping landscapes probably sponsored by the New Zealand tourism department. And having recently returned from New Zealand, I can attest that this music comes close to capturing the sweeping scale of the landscape there.
3. Contemporary
If you don't mind vocals in your music, AlexRainBirdMusic compiles folk music mixes that set the mood for more down to earth stories. I've been listening to these mixes while writing my novel that's set in a small town. There's something nostalgic about those kinds of songs. The mixes can be best described as cozy, but they can also range from joyful to melancholic. The channel also brings attention to lesser-known artists who really deserve more views. If you hear a song that jumps out at you, look it up and listen to more from the same band. I've discovered a lot of great music this way.
4. Epic Action
Also my go-to for writing music, ThePrimeCronus compiles trailer music and other epic genres and often has themed mixes including Thanos, Rogue One, and Cassini. My reading and typing speed doubles when I listen to an epic music mix. Some of them can even be 5 or 10 hours long! A lot of people who participate in National Novel Writing Month (a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November) create challenges based on epic music mixes such as this one. While reading with a playlist like this in the background, I can't turn the pages fast enough!
5. General Chill/Whimsical
Arctic Empire specializes in chillstep and related genres of electronic music and it's the perfect soundtrack for daydreaming as well as for dreamlike reading. Again, there are some vocals in some of these, but most of the songs are instrumental. They're hard to categorize because they fit with so many different genres of books. A lot of the songs are a bit offbeat which could make them offputting to some, but if you're willing to listen with an open mind the mixes are really emotional and immersive in a unique way.
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