Recommendations for ambient music? (I like to listen to ambient stuff when I read)

Question

Laura Messersmith · Answer

Pride and Prejudice (2005) Soundtrack: I love calm, piano-based classical and this a lovely soundtrack. Perfect for doing domestic type things - weeding the garden, baking, reading, etc - and feeling transported to Austen's world.

GK · Answer

Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo

kalie · Answer

Space 1.8 by Nala Sinephro: 5 star ambient jazz album. nothing beats a woman playing the harp

LaurenLikesThings · Answer

MyNoise.net - custom sounds: Massive database of recorded soundscapes created by actual humans and allow the listener to adjust the components of the sound to their liking. From NYC pigeon coos to deep European forest rustles to Medieval library scribbling, it has everything!

Emily · Answer

My friend John’s playlists: He just makes the best playlists; I think you might like the TRANQ series. And yeah, he occasionally DJs on the side.

Kate · Answer

Depending on what you’re going for, I like “peaceful piano” on Spotify, RJD2 (the guy who did the theme song for Mad Men), and a nervous system regulation mix, also on Spotify.

Felipe Pires Dias · Answer

Introdução à Cortina do Sótão - ruído/mm: Soundtrack to a film that hasn’t been made yet.

tviolet9 · Answer

Brian Eno’s APOLLO: Atmospheres & Soundtracks and AMBIENT 1: Music for Airports.: Both albums are full of hypnotic, calming ambient music you can read to,  work to, or fall asleep to. Brian Eno is a genius!

Julie Martin · Answer

The soundtrack to The Andy Warhol Diaries by Brad Oberhofer: Super beautiful and long so you can zone out easily. Also recommend any movie soundtrack by Emile Mosseri to work to

gracie · Answer

Watermusic by William Basinski: perfect calm ambient loop by the GOAT

Nora Rev · Answer

Listening to Garth Stevenson: Stand-up bass with haunting organic-feeling production, sometimes played for whales! The perfect vibey thing to listen to in most situations.

Tiff · Answer

What It's Like to Be a Bat: I like putting on Finn Streuper’s What It’s Like to Be a Bat when I’m reading :)

LoStrongwater · Answer

Agnes Obel, Hania Rani, Phillip Glass: Love listening to these three for a calm dinner with my 3 year old or late at night whilst doing dishes.

Katharina · Answer

Dawn of Midi - Dysnomia: I don't know if this will work for reading as there is a real repetitive situation that happens here. But I love it for design work.

Julia · Answer

∞: my master, ever-growing playlist of ambient, Americana, etudes, new age, post-rock, cosmic country, spiritual jazz, etc. for when you're feeling ~infinite~ lol

bradshaw · Answer

monterey bay aquarium youtube: they have such great background videos both with and without music!! and streaming them helps raise money for the aquarium

Lyla · Answer

Boards of Canada: I love them. I love their music. Just two Scottish brothers making ambient tunes.

Amu Killada · Answer

Tune Into Forests From Around The World

Amu Killada · Answer

White noise minimalist app: I came across so many white noise apps packed with features like stories, rain sounds, campfires, and everything else. But honestly, I don’t need ads or a bunch of extra features, I just want a few good sounds and a timer. That’s how I found Lemo FM, and I love how simple it is.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lemo-fm-relax-sleep-sound/id6444756219

Emilie Bienvenew · Answer

Radio Classique Easy de France Musique: When I want background music, it’s always this one—a mix of classical and film scores.

It’s a great way to discover composers or pieces.

rory · Answer

Rory - Music, No Words: the way my heart raced because i have an entire collection for you ready to GO

pino · Answer

purelink

Eric F · Answer

Antent 💭: Ambient music featuring a nice balance of melody and atmosphere.

JJ · Answer

Chihei Hatakeyama: Japanese ambient music is a must for anyone interested in exploring the genre. Chihei Hatakeyama is a favourite artist of mine, his Void series in particular are  beautifully serene albums.

bandy ✨ · Answer

ambient for jas: i made this for my friend and it is all warm ambient. good energy only

BORSCHT BABY · Answer

here ~ ~ ✿ ~ ✶ ~ ✦ ~ ❋ ~ ~ ✿: Ambient sounds - to create space for thinking and calm, to be immersed in a sonic world, to use as a tool for healing

I made this playlist for my radio show a few years ago <3

Matt Yazzetta · Answer

Eberhard Weber - The Following Morning: Not ambient per se, but spacious chamber jazz with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and without any percussion. A great companion album for a long reading session spent with a book in which the narrative takes it time.

Matt Yazzetta · Answer

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II: Has an uncanny habit of matching the mood of whatever you're reading.

Paul Clarkson · Answer

Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich Ensemble): I find that this piece, especially the ECM recording, makes for great background listening when I need to focus.

Rish · Answer

The Disintegration Loops: The Disintegration Loops, created by William Basinski, are a collection of six distinct pieces of music. To make each one, Basinski started with an intact tape recording of the piece, then he fed it through a tape machine, which re-recorded the tape. He did this repeatedly, and as the tape began to disintegrate, the recording would fall apart aurally. He does this for 6 tapes, which were released across 4 volumes. These are very interesting listens, as these beautiful arabesques emerge and disappear as the tape falls apart, eventually fading into a low, droning note as the tape disintegrates completely. Listening to this work really makes you reflect on your own life as you hear it slowly falling apart into these beautiful colors, then into nothing. It is  a worthwhile listen, in my opinion. They were recorded in August and September 2001, with the final recording session coincidentally on the morning of September 11th. The work's correlation to that event does not go unnoticed, and knowing this context certainly puts the music in a different context. The album covers from this collection are pictures of the view outside of Basinski's apartment as the evening of September 11th progressed. This is definitely a worthy listen for anyone into the more atmospheric and experimental side of music.

Rish · Answer

Ghosts I-IV (Nine Inch Nails): I’ll start this off with my go-to. It’s got that industrial industrial texture to it and just itches your brain perfectly