A good song is not a training plan
If music makes a workout more enjoyable for you, that is a useful reason to keep it. Expecting a playlist to reliably add repetitions or build more muscle is another matter. Studies of resistance exercise give mixed results, and a better session does not establish better progress over months.
The practical question is smaller: does the music help with the session you actually want to do? You do not need to find the scientifically perfect workout song before starting.
What a recent study found
A study published in 2026 tested 19 resistance-trained adults: nine men and ten women. Each completed sessions with a self-selected playlist and with music from their least preferred genre. They performed squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and bent-over rows. More repetitions were recorded with self-selected music in the squat and deadlift; the result was not a uniform increase across all four exercises. [1]
Focus and reported energy also favored self-selected music. That energy rating was a subjective response, not a measurement of recovery. The comparison was with disliked music, not silence. It cannot tell us whether your favorite playlist beats a quiet room, or whether these effects transfer to bodyweight training.
Feeling more motivated does not guarantee more reps
In a 2024 study of 47 trained young adults, researchers compared music from preferred and nonpreferred genres during bench presses. Across that sample, preferred music increased reported motivation but did not significantly change repetitions or perceived exertion. The male-only replication analysis also failed to reproduce an earlier study’s performance advantage. [2]
This does not mean music never helps. It means “I feel more motivated” and “I can do more work” are separate observations. Neither study measured long-term strength gains, muscle growth, or whether people kept training for months. Those promises would go beyond the evidence.
Try a playlist without turning it into homework
Our suggestion: choose a familiar session and decide what you want from the music. More enjoyment? Less time spent hesitating before you begin? An easier time staying focused? Pick one question rather than trying to beat a record.
Try your chosen music on one occasion and quiet on another comparable occasion. Keep the planned exercises, rests, and effort similar. Afterwards, write one sentence about enjoyment and attention. A couple of sessions cannot prove that music caused a difference; they can still help you choose an environment you like.
If you spend half the session skipping songs, prepare a short playlist beforehand. If music gets in the way of instructions you need to hear, pause it. If you prefer quiet, there is no reason to force a soundtrack. Keep what helps you train without making the playlist another task to finish.