Struggling to stay focused at work or at school? Work in a stressful job and need help to unwind at the end of a long day? Brain.fm may be the answer to your prayers. It’s no secret that life is getting more and more intense, longer hours, more time in front of computers or devices, this can take a toll on your stress level and mental state
Using scientifically tested audios that have been proven to raise or lower your brainwaves to the desired level depending on your upcoming activity, brain.fm should be on your radar.
Brain.fm is great for focus, for study, for writing (including this guide) and is also good for help with relaxation, sleep and meditation.
What is Brain.fm?
Brain.fm is an app that has a library of non-invasive audios to get you to work better, meditate and relax better or to sleep better. The scientifically produced music aims to help move your brain waves into your desired state. you are aiming for. This could be a more focused state or a more relaxed state.
From brain.fm “We believe in arming everyone with the tools to block out the mental chatter and place their full attention exclusively in the activity of their choosing, whether that’s producing meaningful work, relaxing, or getting some high-quality shuteye.”
“Our mission is to have every person consistently experience the feeling of being completely zoned in on the important work in front of them. (There are few greater feelings.) And because we believe in a balanced life (and not just a productive one), we also provide our users with the tools to step back, recharge, and relax.”
The genesis of brain.fm began in the first decade of the 21st century when Adam Hewett started playing around with brain stimulation techniques.
From the brain.fm brand document ““The origins of Brain.fm started in a lab. In the early aughts, Adam Hewett, an auditory neuroscientist and music engineer, was studying brain stimulation techniques. The team eventually invented research-derived brainwave entrainment software and began selling it to a niche following. Niche as it was, he ended up distributing this technology to an estimated 35,000 of these sophisticated enthusiasts (think: auditory neuroscientists, researchers, clinical therapists, biohacking hobbyists).”
Adam and the team from brain.fm continued with the pioneering work leading brain,.fm to the forefront of the brain stimulation market with a product that keeps going from strength to strength.
How does brain.fm work?
The main concept behind brain.fm involves creating functional music to obtain a desired performance or outcome. This could be listening to music that gets you into a focused mental state through to music to get you into a relaxed mental state of being.
After creating your account and downloading the brain.fm app, you have 4 options to select scientifically created functional music to help you with focus, relaxation, mediation or sleep.
All brain.fm music is created from detailed science and data and is constantly tested through small and large scale behavioral studies.
The quality of the brain.fm technology has seen it receiving funding from the National Science Foundation to continue learning about the relationship between the brain and scientifically targeted music.
What is the science behind brain.fm?
To allow the listener to achieve a desired mental state, brain.fm uses their patented Neural Phase Locking to achieve this. This patented technology also differentiates brain.fm from other performance audios such as binaural beats.
From the brain.fm partner guide “While research on brain entrainment had already been conducted (and validated before Brain.fm came on the scene), it was being done with simple boring sounds like tones or beeps. There had not been any controlled studies on applying entrainment to complex music to influence the brain’s neural oscillations to a desired mental state.
That’s where Brain.fm came in. Through our research, we were able to design a music production technology that applies entrainment to music in a way that induces strong neural phase locking. In fact, this technology was so effective at inducing NPL, we had it patented.”
As we’ve mentioned previously, all rain.fm music is scientifically tested and this is usually done with two testing groups. One testing group listens to the full brain.fm music while the second ground (or the placebo group) listens to the same music however the brain.fm technology and additional features have been filtered out, essentially leaving basic background music which offers no help for moving to a desired mental state.
Brain.fm is constantly testing and evolving its product to stay at the forefront of the functional music field.
Who is brain.fm for?
Basically anyone looking to get more focused with their work or studies or to become more relaxed and get help with their sleep or meditation. You might be a student with a pressing deadline for an assignment and need help to produce a focused output to get the desired outcome.
Alternatively you may be highly strung from a difficult job or being engaged constantly with alerts, social media, a boss that won’t stop annoying you and a domestic situation where you put anyone on high alert and need help to get you to come down from a stressful mindset.
Brain.fm comes with a 72 hour (3 days) free trial and if it isn’t for you then you can walk away and not pay a cent.
Note: If you have had previous brain or head injuries or medical episodes such as epilepsy we suggest you speak to your doctor or medical professional before using brain.fm.
What makes brain.fm different?
From the brain.fm partner guide “While Neural Phase Locking might be our crown jewel 💎, that’s only one of the many glimmering elements that make up the multifaceted core of Brain.fm’s technology today. In this section, we’ll go through the different features that elevate us from all other “focus music” on the market.
Neural Phase Locking
Our patented AI technology syncs (and locks) your neurons (via rhythmic patterns embedded in the music) into a desired mental state (focused, relaxed, meditative, etc.)
3D Spatialization
This feature creates the illusion that music is coming from the space around you. We use this to rock you to sleep at night, or to focus your attention right where it needs to be.
Salience Reduction
We’ve designed our music to safeguard from any distractions, producing tracks free of gaps, breaks, sharp changes, or any abrupt instrumental additions that might unnecessarily distract you. The goal is to smooth out the mental noise happening in your head!
Music For Humans By Humans
Our music sounds like music because it’s brilliantly composed by, you guessed it, humans. Not just any humans, though… We have talented in-house musicians who craft the musical aspects of our sound (e.g., melodies, chord progressions, instrumental variety, and so forth) that make your brain’s favorite tracks, all before the technological components are added on.”
The main thing that makes brain.fm different from any competitors in the functional music field, it works!
How soon does brain.fm work?
Basically as soon as you put in your headphones, select the relevant piece of music for your desired mental state and press play. When you are first exposed to brain.fm it may feel a little unusual however you will quickly realize how powerful this program is and the benefits that you will experience using brain.fm.
For listeners selecting a focused music option, you should notice an improvement of your output in a matter of minutes while a listener choosing the relax option should also feel this desired state in a similar time frame.
Those listening to the relax option at night should also see an improvement in their sleep (all other things being equal) from their very first nightly brain.fm session.
Is the brain.fm music binaural beats?
No, brain.fm and binaural beats operate using different processes. Again, from the brain.fm partner guide “Binaural beats use stereo separation to create “phantom” modulation, which means the left and right ear are each fed slightly different frequencies that combine in the brain to produce modulation (at the difference of the frequencies)”
As we touched on earlier, brain.fm uses their patented Neural Phase Locking to achieve a desired mental state which has been proven to be more effective than using binaural beats to achieve a desired mental state.
As mentioned above brain.fm is a specifically created sound at a targeted wavelength to optimize the desired mental state.
For example should you wish to write a report or college paper you may wish to select the focus option. In this option, the music is designed to get your brain into a heightened level of focus by producing music that will lift your brain waves to the Beta wavelength that will produce a focus mind which would enable a higher level of output when writing your report or paper.
Where should I use brain.fm?
Work, school, home, study, basically anywhere in a controlled environment. Be aware of listening to some musical options when doing a specific activity that may not be conducive to a certain mental state, i.e. listening to a selected relaxation music while performing an action where you need to be alert such as driving or operating machinery.
If you choose to use brain.fm at work or school for focus make sure you get approval to use headphones at work or school.
Are there alternatives to brain.fm?
There is no real alternative to brain.fm as brain.fm is technologically advanced in the field of functional music. While you can use programs such as subliminal audios or binaural beats the suitability of these types of audio is very narrow and limited when compared to brain.fm
The great thing about brain.fm is the flexibility. If you want to be more focused then select a piece of music that will help you focus. You can also tailor the time the music is played for how long you need your brain in a certain state.
If you want a nice relaxing evening then pick your favorite brain.fm relaxation mode, i.e. unwind, chill or recharge, set your timer then let your mind go with the music.
What to expect using brain.fm
Initially it can feel a little unusual the first time you hear the brain.fm music for the first time however after that first sound it feels great. For those that have selected the focus option you won’t believe how locked in you become once you start listening to the music, your output will amaze you.
Alternatively you will marvel at how relaxed you become when selecting and listening to one of the relaxation options from the brain.fm library. For those who have had an intense day and want to forget about this, listen to your favorite relaxation mode audio and feel your tension float away.
Have no preconceived notions, start with an open mind and you’ll be amazed at what brain.fm can do for you.
How do I use brain.fm?
After you have set up your brain.fm account and downloaded the app you will see the following interface
As you can see, there are 4 main options on the app, Focus, Relax, Sleep and Meditate.
Within these above options there are also sound effects that you can add such as rain, wind or thunder.
Let’s look at each of these 4 options in a little more detail.
Focus
As the name would entail, the Focus section gives you musical options to enable you to focus.
The 4 options under the Focus area range in the focus type from Deep Focus (which might entail writing a report of study paper) through to light work (which might be some simple admin work) with plenty of songs available under this option.
You can select the time the music plays from 15 minutes to infinity (with the Focus option we only recommend a maximum of 90 minutes per day, especially the Deep Focus option). Each song in the Focus area lasts for 30 minutes. So if you select the Deep Work option for 90 minutes you will go through 3 brain.fm songs.
You can see in the above photo on the right hand corner there is a default time limit and under the Focus area it’s usually 90 minutes.
You can also select a sound effect overlay filter for the Focus and Relax options (12 options to choose from) such as rain, wind or thunder which can work great with the Relax option however we find the Focus music on its own does the job very well.
Relax
On the other end of the spectrum from Focus is the Relax option. Similar to the Focus option you have 4 areas you can select from: Chill, Recharge, Destress and Unwind. There’s not a lot of difference between the options however the lighter relaxation option is Chill while the deeper relaxation option is the Unwind option.
There are plenty of song options under the Relax area.
You can select the time the music plays for, beginning at 15 minutes up to a maximum length of infinity. Each song in the Relax area lasts for 15 minutes, so if you select the Unwind option for 60 minutes you will go through 4 brain.fm songs.
You can see in the above photo on the right hand corner there is a default time limit and under the Relax area it’s usually 15 minutes.
As mentioned above you can also select a sound effect overlay (12 options to choose from) for the Relax option such as rain, wind or thunder and this can work great with the Relax option.
Sleep
If you are looking for a little help with your sleep, using the brain.fm Sleep option (along with your Bluetooth speaker) can be a great way to help improve the quality of your sleep. Brain.fm Sleep has two options, a guided and unguided option to help get your mind into the right state for a rejuvenative quality night’s sleep.
You can select the time the Sleep music plays for depending on your proposed time in bed however when starting out with the Sleep option, we suggest you stay with the default option of 8 hours and select the guided option.
Meditate
For those that are looking for a little help with their meditation or want to try meditation for the first time then choose the Meditate option in the brain.fm app. Use your headphones or if you’d like use a Bluetooth speaker.
Similar to the Sleep option above, Meditate also offers a guided and unguided choice.
The default time option under Meditate is 15 minutes however you can choose a longer time option should your schedule and meditation experience level allow it.
If you are new to meditation then it might be worthwhile starting out with the guided option.
If you use the brain.fm app regularly you might think you’ll get sick of playing the same music over and over however brain.fm regularly updates the music choices so there isn’t this overplay concern.
Alternatively should you find a piece of music that really connects with you under Relax or Focus you can add this to your Favorites or go directly to the song library and select this song.
When would you use brain.fm?
Let’s go through an example of when you would use each of the 4 brain.fm modes.
Focus
You’ve got an end of day deadline for a report that is due. Your office seems unusually busy and loud and this is affecting your concentration levels to finish this report.
This is a perfect example where you put in your headphones and select the Deep Focus option and get 90 minutes of pure focused music to help finish that report!
Relax
You’ve had a busy (and stressful week) finishing that report. Your body feels tight from the stress and lack of sleep and now that the week is over you want to relax. Put in your headphones, select the Relax and then the Unwind option, settle into your favorite chair at home (you may also have a favorite beverage at hand) and feel the tension melt away as you listen to the brain.fm music.
Sleep
We all know how important quality sleep is, however life might be busy for you and stopping you from getting this quality sleep. While we recommend building healthy daily habits such as a good diet and exercise as well as using the brain.fm Relax option as part of your nightly routine, selecting the Sleep option may also help give back a good night’s sleep.
As with the Meditate option above, there are two Sleep options, the guided option and the unguided option. Depending on how you feel about listening to music or a voice backed by music before you go to sleep, the Sleep option is definitely worth trying if you aren’t getting a great night’s sleep.
Remember that there are many factors that go into getting a quality night’s sleep however brain.fm can help with this (all other factors being equal).
Meditate
As a way to find more balance in your life you might look to take up or use more meditation. Whilst you could select a meditation specific app (or using YouTube), brain.fm offers both guided and unguided meditation options.
For those just beginning their meditation journey we recommend the guided meditation option and running with an initial 15 minutes of this.
What are the benefits from using brain.fm?
Plenty! From improving your sleep to getting more focused output, brain.fm is an excellent addition to the self improvement arsenal.
Since using brain.fm we’ve experienced some of the best focused output that we’ve had in years and we’ve had similar results from friends and family. The same can be said for results when selecting the relax option where tension from a tough day at work melts away when listening to a piece of relaxation brain.fm music.
We’ve even had much better sleep when having a night time brain.fm relaxation session. There is also evidence that those with ADHD can benefit from using brain.fm.
Brain.fm is a great accompanying piece to a regular relaxation routine that may involve walking in nature, activities such as a massage or sensory deprivation float or even something simple such as reading a book.
How to get started with brain.fm
Once you’ve purchased brain.fm or have begun the initial trial, create your account with brain.fm. Setting up your account is super easy and once you’ve inputted these basic details you can now navigate through the brain.fm app’s interface and test out music under the Focus, Relax, Sleep and Meditate options.
If you are lucky enough, brain.fm is running a beginning of the year 40% off sale (with the discount applied at the checkout). If you’ve missed this sale, not to worry you can still receive a 20% discount when using the discount code of yourgoalsyourlife at the checkout page.
How much does brain.fm cost?
An annual subscription of brain.fm costs $49.99 (USD) per annum (if paid annually) or $6.99 (USD) per month.
As mentioned above brain.fm usually has a 40% off sale at the start of the year while you can get a 20% discount year round for any new customers by using the discount code at yourgoalsyourlife the checkout page.
Are there any side effects from using brain.fm?
Not normally. As mentioned above if you have had previous brain or head injuries we recommend that you speak to your doctor or a medical expert before using brain.fm.
We don’t recommend that you stay in a highly focused state all day and suggest a 90 minute maximum using the Focus Deep Work option per day. We also suggest that you look for a period of down time in the evening before bed and a great way to do this is using the Relax option in the brain.fm app.
Will brain.fm make me smarter?
Whilst we can’t guarantee that you will become smarter using brain.fm we do believe that you will be able to perform at a higher output level than you previously have. Users of brain.fm have been known to increase their quality of work and output and perform at a consistently higher level.
Can listening to brain.fm heal me?
Whilst you should visit a licensed medical professional if you have any health issues, listening to brain.fm relaxation and meditation sounds can help you get into a more relaxed frame of mind which can help release tension, provide better sleep and offer other health benefits.
As mentioned above there is also evidence that brain.fm can help those that suffer from ADHD become more focused on activities when listening to brain.fm.
Can I lose weight listening to brain.fm?
Whilst there is no direct correlation to losing weight while listening to brain.fm, by accessing the relaxation or meditation music on brain.fm this music aims to get you into a more relaxed state which helps mindset, can help improve the quality of sleep and a by product of this improved well being and possibly weight loss.
Brain.fm users have also reported that using the relaxation or meditation options provides a more relaxed feeling which has reduced stressful responses and can reduce negative activities such as stress eating.
While brain.fm should never be used as a replacement to a healthy diet and exercise program it is a great addition to any personal improvement or healthy routines that you may be currently on. .
Note: Anyone looking to lose weight or improve their overall health should visit a qualified medical professional or a licensed personal trainer.
Can brain.fm help with anxiety?
Brain.fm can be part of a holistic program to help with mental health, particularly the RELAX option. Similar to the above point, brain.fm should not be your main option if you are suffering from anxiety or mental health issues and if you haven’t done so already please speak to a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in your town, city or state.
After you’ve put a plan in place with your medical or mental health expert, brain.fm may be able to be a complimentary part to this plan.
Again, please speak to a professional if you are suffering from anxiety or are experiencing issues with your mental health. There is no shame in reaching out to someone and if this is you please do so as soon as possible.
Can brain.fm help with my sleep?
Yes. Whilst there is no guarantee that brain.fm will improve or help with your sleep (as sleep is a complicated process and can be affected by many variables), many brain.fm users have noted improvement in their sleep since using brain.fm.
Brain.fm can help with improving sleep through the SLEEP option (offering guided and unguided music options) or using RELAX option as part of a nightly routine, which can help you unwind after a hard day or week and hopefully allowing better quality sleep.
Can I use brain.fm at work?
Yes, providing your employer is ok with you listening to music at work and that your job doesn’t involve activities that can be affected by listening to functional music.
As mentioned above users of brain.fm have reported significant increases in their output at work however we don’t recommend that you use the Deep Focus music for more than 90 minutes per day.
Through our experience of using brain.fm we think it is a fantastic option to help you focus, relax, sleep or to meditate. We’ve experienced significant improvement with our focus and improved relaxation when using the brain.fm.
Brain.fm is a market leading functional music operator that we believe everyone should at least try once. The results that we (and people in our lives) have got after using brain.fm is substantial. We can’t recommend brain.fm enough to anyone not familiar with them.
In saying that, brain.fm may not be for everyone however we recommend you trial brain.fm for the initial 72 hours and see if it works for you. Test out all 4 areas of brain.fm and all the different sound effects on offer. Also trial the different lengths of music to see what is optimal for you.
You may want to initially start with the focus section (if wanting to trial brain.fm for help at work or studying) then look to move to trying the relax option (particularly in the evening or before an event that may invoke a stressful mindset such as an exam or an event where you are to perform.
Click here to start your brain.fm trial today and don’t forget to use the discount code yourgoalsyourlife to receive 20% off the annual price (to be added in the checkout area).