NEDIO
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The science of the sound

Why NEDIO
sounds the way it does.

Every choice in NEDIO’s focus music follows a published study. Here are all eleven: what we do, what the research found, who was studied, and where the evidence stops.

Start a block with this soundRead the evidence
17
studies cited, each linked
11
choices in the sound
0
claims that NEDIO treats ADHD

The short answer

Is NEDIO’s focus music science-based?

Yes, choice by choice. The music has no lyrics, because lyrics lower reading and memory scores. It avoids sudden changes and stays at a moderate volume. For ADHD it adds a quiet noise layer, which gave a small lift on attention tasks in a 2024 meta-analysis, and a 16 Hz pulse from a single 2024 study.

What we cannot say: that NEDIO itself was tested in a trial, or that it treats ADHD. It was not, and it does not.

How we grade the evidence

  • StrongA meta-analysis, or several controlled experiments that agree.
  • ModerateControlled experiments, but narrow samples or tasks.
  • EarlyOne study, a survey, or results that conflict.
  • Our ideaReasoned from nearby findings. Nobody has tested it directly.

Most of these studies did not include people with ADHD, and almost all were short lab tasks. Each section says so.

Kept out

What we
leave out.

The strongest findings are about what gets in the way. Words, surprises and loud sound all pull attention from the task.

Strong evidence

No lyrics

d ≈ −0.3

memory and reading with lyrics playing

In NEDIO

Every track is instrumental. No sung or spoken words, and no vocal samples you can almost make out.

musicwords0 words
Two tracks a song can carry. NEDIO keeps the music and leaves the words track empty.
What the research found
In tests of about 120 university students, music with lyrics lowered verbal memory, visual memory and reading comprehension (d ≈ −0.3). Instrumental lo-fi neither helped nor hurt. In four self-paced reading experiments, lyrics slowed reading, while instrumental versions of the same songs did not. [1], [2]
Who was studied
Students without ADHD.
Where it stops
Short lab tasks, not hours of work, and the cost of lyrics was mild. It is still the most consistent finding in background-music research.
Moderate evidence

No surprises

Tempo shifts

cost extra recall; mode shifts did not

In NEDIO

No drops, no sudden tempo jumps, one tempo through a block, and tracks blend into each other without a gap.

drop
Grey: a typical track, with build-ups, drops and jumps. Green: a NEDIO block, level from start to end.
What the research found
People recalled digit lists worse under any background melody than in silence. When the melody’s tempo kept changing, recall dropped further. Changing the mode, from major to Dorian for example, made no extra difference. Not every change hurts; the ones that grab attention do. [3]
Who was studied
Music and non-music students, no ADHD.
Where it stops
Serial recall is one narrow memory task. Applying it to ADHD is our inference.
Moderate evidence

Moderate volume

95 vs 53

dBA: loud hurt, whatever the sound

In NEDIO

Tracks sit at one calm level, so you set the volume once and nothing jumps out of the mix.

4050607080901005395: worse
dBA. Green: a moderate level, around normal conversation. In the cited study, 95 dBA hurt vigilance against 53 dBA, whatever the sound was.
What the research found
A systematic review of noise and music found that loud sound hurts simple vigilance. In the study it cites, 95 dBA impaired vigilance and simulated driving compared with 53 dBA, whether the sound was noise, hard rock or classical. The review concludes that a moderate level works best and that “moderate” is personal. [4], [5]
Who was studied
Adults; not about ADHD.
Where it stops
An older, general review built on vigilance and driving tasks, not desk work.

Why the noise is off by default

Same noise. Opposite results.

  • With ADHD or high symptoms

    13 studies

    g = 0.25

  • Without ADHD

    11 studies

    g = −0.21
worseno effectbetter
Pooled effect of white and pink noise on attention-task scores, with 95% confidence intervals. Nigg et al., 2024 [6]. Children and college-age young adults; lab tasks.

Added for attention

What we
add.

Layers aimed at attention, most of them tuned for ADHD. The evidence here is thinner, so each one is a setting you can switch off.

Strong evidence

A noise layer, for ADHD

g = 0.25

small lift with ADHD; a small cost without it

In NEDIO

White, pink or brown noise under the music, kept quiet. It is on in the ADHD profile and off by default for everyone else, because the same noise that helps one group slightly hurts the other.

musicnoise
Grey: the music. Green: a quiet bed of noise under it. On in the ADHD profile, off by default for everyone else.
What the research found
A meta-analysis of 13 studies (335 participants) found that white and pink noise gave a small lift on attention tasks to children and young adults with ADHD or high ADHD symptoms (g = 0.25). In people without ADHD, noise slightly lowered scores (g = −0.21). The earlier experiments explain it with the moderate brain arousal model: a brain with less dopamine signalling needs more outside stimulation to perform at its best. [6], [7], [8]
Who was studied
Children and college-age young adults.
Where it stops
A small, lab-based effect. No study of brown noise met the meta-analysis criteria. In one clinic study the noise played at 70 to 80 dB and some children found it unpleasant, which is why ours stays low and optional.
Early evidence

Pulse mode

16 Hz

helped more as ADHD symptoms rose

In NEDIO

Pulse mode makes the music’s loudness rise and fall 16 times a second, at medium depth. You hear it as texture, not as a beat.

Green: loudness, rising and falling 16 times a second. Grey: the music inside it.
What the research found
Researchers added fast loudness modulation to otherwise identical music and compared 8, 16 and 32 Hz. On a sustained-attention task, the 16 Hz version helped more the higher a listener scored on an ADHD self-report scale. Brain imaging showed more activity in attention networks with modulated music. [9]
Who was studied
Adults recruited online, grouped by self-reported symptoms, not by diagnosis.
Where it stops
One paper, with each condition lasting 5 minutes. Two authors worked for Brain.fm, which made the modulated music, and we know of no independent replication yet.
Early evidence

Awake, not sleepy

434

young adults asked what they play

In NEDIO

The ADHD profile sits at a higher energy: brisker rhythm, brighter sound, still with no lyrics and no surprises. The default is calmer.

defaultADHD profileless stimulationmore
The moderate brain arousal model: each brain focuses best at its own level of stimulation, and with ADHD the peak sits further right. A model, not measured data.
What the research found
In a survey of 434 people aged 17 to 30, those who screened positive for ADHD listened to stimulating music more often, whatever they were doing. For demanding tasks, most people in both groups still preferred relaxing, instrumental, familiar music. [10]
Who was studied
Young adults, self-report.
Where it stops
A survey shows habits, not effects. So the profile is brisker, not loud or busy.
Our idea, not yet tested

A beat you don’t have to find

Beat

harder to hold with ADHD

In NEDIO

Focus tracks keep an even, obvious pulse. No swung or broken rhythms.

evenbroken
Green: every beat lands where you expect it. Grey: a swung, broken rhythm you have to work to follow.
What the research found
Children and adults with ADHD struggled to tap along to rhythm and to notice when a beat drifted. The authors read it as trouble generating an internal beat, a job linked to the basal ganglia, and suggest rhythm-based support may help. [11]
Who was studied
Children and adults with ADHD, against controls.
Where it stops
The study shows a difficulty, not that a steady beat improves focus. Making the pulse obvious so nobody has to work to find it is our reasoned bet.

Matched to the moment

Sound that
follows the block.

The sound changes with what you are doing: the kind of task, the break, and the moment you press start.

Early evidence

Sound for the task

76

children, 34 with ADHD: music did not disrupt attention

In NEDIO

The work mode you pick sets the sound: calmer for hard reading and problem-solving, brisker for routine work.

hardroutine
Same rules, different pace: calmer for hard reading and problem-solving, brisker for routine work.
What the research found
In 76 boys, 34 of them with ADHD, background music did not disrupt any attention network, and both groups made fewer errors with it. In the survey of 434 young adults, both groups preferred instrumental, familiar, self-chosen music for demanding tasks. In an eye-tracking study, fast music sped up reading, more on easy texts than on hard ones. [12], [10], [13]
Who was studied
Children; young adults; students reading in a foreign language.
Where it stops
Three small or narrow studies. The split by task is a starting point you can change.
Early evidence

Nature sounds in breaks

1

session was enough to see the effect

In NEDIO

Breaks switch from music to nature sounds: water, wind, birds.

focusbreakfocusbreakfocus
Grey: focus blocks with music. Green: breaks, where the music gives way to water, wind and birds.
What the research found
After listening to nature sounds, people did better on a directed-attention task than after city sounds, within a single session. Their mood did not change, so the gain was not just from feeling nicer. [14]
Who was studied
Adults without ADHD.
Where it stops
Short sessions in a lab. How long a break needs to be, and whether the effect lasts, was not tested.
Our idea, not yet tested

The sound as a start cue

600+

adults: low task value predicted procrastination

In NEDIO

The sound starts with the timer, the same way each time, so pressing start becomes a cue to begin.

MonTueWed
Every block opens the same way, then the music goes on. Repeated, the opening itself becomes the signal to begin.
What the research found
In over 600 adults, the strongest predictors of procrastination were seeing little value in the task, discounting delayed rewards, and low perseverance. Separately, intensely pleasurable music released dopamine in the striatum, with a distinct wave in the moments of anticipation. [15], [16]
Who was studied
A survey of students and non-students; a small brain-imaging study.
Where it stops
Nobody has tested a start sound against procrastination. Our idea is only that a sound you like, tied to pressing start, makes starting a little less unpleasant.

Test, don’t trust

One mode
we can’t vouch for.

Binaural beats are popular and the evidence is mixed. We include them for people who want to try, and say so.

Early evidence

Binaural mode

g = 0.40

on average, but studies conflict

In NEDIO

Optional, needs headphones, off by default. Try it for a week and compare your focus ratings.

leftrightheard
Each ear gets a slightly different tone, for example 200 and 216 Hz. The brain hears a 16 Hz beat that is in neither ear, which is why it needs headphones.
What the research found
A meta-analysis of 15 studies found a medium average effect on attention and memory (g = 0.40). The same review found the individual results conflicting, especially for theta and beta beats, and almost no study tested people with ADHD. [17]
Who was studied
Mostly healthy adults.
Where it stops
Mixed results and strong expectation effects. That is why it is a setting to test, not a default.

What we don’t claim.

  • NEDIO does not treat or diagnose ADHD, and it is not a medical device.
  • Our own mix has not been tested in a controlled trial. The studies tested the ingredients, not NEDIO.
  • The effects are small averages. In the noise studies, people without ADHD did slightly worse.
  • Brown noise is popular, but no study of it met the criteria of the noise meta-analysis.

Check it on your own blocks.

Studies give averages. They cannot tell you which kind of listener you are. Each NEDIO block ends with a focus rating from 1 to 5 and whether you reached the goal. Keep a setting on for a week, switch it off for a week, and compare. If a layer does nothing for you, turn it off.

Start your first block

Questions.

Is NEDIO’s focus music science-based?

Each choice in the sound follows published research, and this page links every study with its limits. Lyrics are left out, changes are kept smooth, the volume stays moderate, and the ADHD profile adds a quiet noise layer and a 16 Hz pulse. NEDIO’s own mix has not been tested in a controlled trial.

Does white or pink noise help with ADHD?

A 2024 meta-analysis of 13 studies (335 participants) found a small benefit on attention tasks for children and young adults with ADHD or high ADHD symptoms (g = 0.25), and a small cost for people without ADHD (g = −0.21). That is why NEDIO turns the noise layer on in the ADHD profile and leaves it off by default.

Is brown noise better for ADHD than white noise?

There is no evidence either way. No study of brown noise met the criteria of the 2024 meta-analysis. NEDIO offers brown noise as a preference, not as a stronger option.

What is 16 Hz amplitude modulation in music?

The music’s loudness rises and falls 16 times a second. In a 2024 study, music modulated at 16 Hz helped sustained attention more as listeners’ ADHD symptoms rose. It is one study, partly run by Brain.fm staff, and it has not been independently replicated.

Do binaural beats improve focus?

One meta-analysis found a medium average effect on attention and memory (g = 0.40), but individual studies conflict and almost none tested people with ADHD. NEDIO keeps binaural mode optional and off by default.

Why does NEDIO use music without lyrics?

In 2023 experiments, music with lyrics lowered reading comprehension and memory (d ≈ −0.3) and slowed reading, while instrumental versions of the same songs did not.

Read deeper

Sources

  1. 1.Souza, A. S., & Leal Barbosa, L. C. (2023). Should we turn off the music? Music with lyrics interferes with cognitive tasks. Journal of Cognition, 6(1), 24. doi.org/10.5334/joc.273
  2. 2.Vasilev, M. R., Hitching, L., & Tyrrell, S. (2023). What makes background music distracting? Investigating the role of song lyrics using self-paced reading. Journal of Cognitive Psychology. doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2023.2209346
  3. 3.Schweppe, J., & Knigge, J. (2020). Irrelevant music: How suprasegmental changes of a melody’s tempo and mode affect the disruptive potential of music on serial recall. Memory & Cognition, 48(6), 982–993. doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01037-1
  4. 4.Dalton, B. H., & Behm, D. G. (2007). Effects of noise and music on human and task performance: A systematic review. Occupational Ergonomics, 7(3), 143–152. content.iospress.com/articles/occupational-ergonomics/oer00144
  5. 5.Dalton, B. H., Behm, D. G., & Kibele, A. (2007). Effects of sound types and volumes on simulated driving, vigilance tasks and heart rate. Occupational Ergonomics, 7(3), 153–168.
  6. 6.Nigg, J. T., Bruton, A., Kozlowski, M. B., Johnstone, J. M., & Karalunas, S. L. (2024). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Do white noise or pink noise help with task performance in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or with elevated attention problems? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 63(8). doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2023.12.014
  7. 7.Söderlund, G., Sikström, S., & Smart, A. (2007). Listen to the noise: Noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(8), 840–847. doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01749.x
  8. 8.Egeland, J., et al. (2023). Effects of auditory white noise stimulation on sustained attention and response time variability. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1301771. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1301771
  9. 9.Woods, K. J. P., et al. (2024). Rapid modulation in music supports attention in listeners with attentional difficulties. Communications Biology, 7, 1376. doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07026-3
  10. 10.Lachance, K. A., Pelland-Goulet, P., & Gosselin, N. (2025). Listening habits and subjective effects of background music in young adults with and without ADHD. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1508181. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1508181
  11. 11.Puyjarinet, F., Bégel, V., Lopez, R., Dellacherie, D., & Dalla Bella, S. (2017). Children and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder cannot move to the beat. Scientific Reports, 7. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11295-w
  12. 12.Mendes, C. G., de Paula, J. J., & Miranda, D. M. (2024). Effects of background music on attentional networks of children with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Case control experimental study. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 13, e53869. doi.org/10.2196/53869
  13. 13.Su, Y., He, M., & Li, R. (2023). The effects of background music on English reading comprehension for English foreign language learners: Evidence from an eye movement study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1140959. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1140959
  14. 14.Van Hedger, S. C., Nusbaum, H. C., Clohisy, L., Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., & Berman, M. G. (2019). Of cricket chirps and car horns: The effect of nature sounds on cognitive performance. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 26(2), 522–530. doi.org/10.3758/s13423-018-1539-1
  15. 15.Wypych, M., Matuszewski, J., & Dragan, W. Ł. (2018). Roles of impulsivity, motivation, and emotion regulation in procrastination: Path analysis and comparison between students and non-students. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 891. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00891
  16. 16.Salimpoor, V. N., Benovoy, M., Larcher, K., Dagher, A., & Zatorre, R. J. (2011). Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 257–262. doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
  17. 17.Basu, S., & Banerjee, B. (2023). Potential of binaural beats intervention for improving memory and attention: Insights from meta-analysis and systematic review. Psychological Research, 87(4), 951–963. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35842538/

Written by Timur Khaziev, founder of NEDIO. NEDIO sells the product this page describes. Studies are cited for what they tested, not as proof that NEDIO works. Last reviewed 2026-11-07.

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