A Little Site Music

Music on a building site

UK employees have been surveyed and Spotify data analysed to reveal what music workers like - those on building sites and refurbishment projects favour rock and metal.

Commissioned by Towergate Liability Insurance, the study shows 1 in 2 people listen to music more often since lockdowns began with UK employees believing it has a positive impact their lives.

Looking across different industries, the survey featured employees in construction, property, design, creative arts, engineering, manufacturing, finance, banking, accountancy, and healthcare.

 

Mental health, focus and boredom

Over half (54%) of those surveyed said listening to music at work improves their mental health and happiness, 56% stated it improves their mood and two-thirds said it helps them focus and get work done quicker. Additionally, 43% believe that music helps reduce boredom.

 

What’s hot?

Pop music was found to be the favourite genre across all industries, followed by rock and classical music. This is with the exception of construction where employees favour rock music.

The only industry where workers claim listening to music out loud is their preferred method was healthcare, with all other industries preferring to play music through personal headphones.

 

Rock around the clock

Towergate’s analysis explored playlists on Spotify specifically for those in the construction and building industry to find the top genres, artists and songs that help them get through their workdays on construction sites.

The analysis found that rock music was by far the favourite, with 981 appearances, followed by metal with 358, while the top five artists are all rock bands: AC/DC - 84 appearances; The Rolling Stones - 63 appearances; Led Zeppelin - 63 appearances; Red Hot Chili Peppers - 60 appearances; and Metallica - 50 appearances.

 

Shiny happy people

Previous research by the Office for National Statistics has found that mental health problems are prevalent in the construction industry. With 65% of those in construction and property saying that listening to music at work helps improve their mood and 27% saying it has an impact on their happiness.

 

 “When we listen to music it creates an intentional representation in our mind which then gives us a feeling. Depending on the kind of music you are listening to will determine how you feel. Listening to music that makes you feel good will have a great impact on your mental health because it creates an internal perception that leaves you feeling good which would be great to boost to morale.”

– Rebecca Lockwood 

Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Hypnosis, Time Line Therapy, Positive Psychology & Coach Trainer

 

Babel

“If you were to listen to music that left you feeling sad or down,” says Lockwood, “this could have a negative effect on your mental health as you are creating internal perceptions in your mind that are leaving you feeling worse or the same as you were before which could then lead to you feeling less productive or potentially distract you from the work that you are doing.”

“Music and work have always been intertwined,” says Alison Wild, Head of Marketing at Towergate SME. “Most people enjoy listening to the music of some kind, it’s perfectly natural to feel that music must have some sort of positive impact on our work.

“Music has always created a sense of togetherness, that’s why many turn to it during a crisis. Music can help boost your productivity by putting you in a better mood, combatting stress and anxiety. From the survey we conducted, we found that 48% of the public listen to more music while working now than before the pandemic. Furthermore, when questioned, 54% of respondents accredited music for making them feel happier and having a positive effect on their mental health while on the job.”

To find the full results of the study – Click Here

Picture: Music is being played on building sites all across the UK.

www.towergateinsurance.co.uk

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
11th December 2021

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