Whether it’s lo-fi beats or classic rock, music plays a big role in how people get through the workday. A new CivicScience survey finds that, excluding those who answered “does not apply,” 38% of U.S. adults say they listen to music while working all the time, while 21% say they never do.
Gen Z leads the way in listening to music while working, followed by women and lower-income households. City dwellers and Midwesterners are also the most likely to say they always have music on while working.
But demographics aren’t the only thing setting music-at-work fans apart:
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Brand Preferences: Those who always listen to music while working show stronger favorability toward brands like RAM Trucks, Walmart, Kohl’s, and Firehouse Subs.
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Shopping & Delivery: They over-index in using grocery delivery services—and in intending to use them.
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Cooking: Frequent music listeners are nearly twice as likely to say they love cooking.
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Spending Habits: They’re more favorable toward Buy Now, Pay Later programs and discount-hunter sites.
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Personality: Those who listen to music while working are slightly more likely to describe themselves as talkative.
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Work Environment: People working fully in person are the most likely to listen to music while working, while fully remote workers are the least likely to.
Listening to music while working isn’t just a habit—it’s a signal of lifestyle, preferences, and even work environment. From how they shop and cook to the brands they love, music-at-work fans bring rhythm not just to their playlists, but to their daily routines.
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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.