How to use the Pomodoro timer with focus BGM
- Set your focus and break lengths. The defaults are 25 minutes of focus, a 5-minute short break and a 15-minute long break after every 4 focus sessions.
- Pick the BGM that fits your task (study, coding, writing or reading) and set the volume. "Preview BGM" lets you listen first.
- Press Start to begin the focus period with music. When time is up a chime plays and the next phase begins; with auto-start on, the cycle keeps going.
Skip ends the current phase and moves to the next one. Skipping a focus session does not count it as completed.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. You focus on a single task for a fixed period and then take a short break, over and over. Typically one round is 25 minutes of focus and 5 minutes of rest, and after four rounds you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. Splitting work into small blocks makes it easier to start, and knowing a break is coming is often said to reduce distractions. If 25 minutes does not suit you, lengthen or shorten the focus period until it fits.
How the task BGM is made
All the music is synthesized live with the browser Web Audio feature, not played from audio files. It uses sounds without lyrics and without a strong beat.
- Study: soft pad chords that change every 8 seconds over low brown noise.
- Coding: low pink noise with a calm pentatonic arpeggio and a light echo.
- Writing: rain-like noise with piano-like single notes at irregular intervals.
- Reading: a slow, low drone built from a few stacked notes plus very soft wind.
- Break: during breaks the music changes to clear bell tones and a bright pad so you can unwind.
How much music helps depends on the person and the kind of work. Some research suggests that music with lyrics can interfere with reading and writing, so this music has none, but some people prefer total silence. In that case choose No BGM and use it as a plain timer.
Tips
- Before you start, decide on one thing to do in this focus period. Doing one thing at a time is the point.
- During breaks, look away from the screen, stand up, drink some water or stretch. If your eyes are tired you can also try the Eye Focus Exercise.
- On days when focus comes easily, lengthen the focus period to 40-50 minutes and the break to about 10 minutes.
- Keep the volume low enough that you can hear your work. When using earphones for a long time keep it especially low to protect your hearing.
Things to know
The music is synthesized, so it sounds different from real performances or recordings. It does not guarantee better focus or learning and is only a reference tool for managing time. If your eyes or wrists hurt, rest regardless of the timer. Your settings and session count are never sent to a server and disappear when you close the page.
FAQ
Why do I have to press Start before music plays?
Browsers block sound that starts on its own before you interact with the page. Pressing Start or "Preview BGM" turns the sound on.
Can I switch tabs or turn off the screen?
The timer is calculated from a start and end time, so it does not drift in another tab. On a phone, however, the browser may pause when the screen turns off and the chime or music can stop, so keep the screen on or use your phone alarm as well.
How is this different from the Timer and Ambient Sound pages?
This tool alternates focus and break periods automatically and switches the music for you: task music while you focus and gentle music during breaks. For a plain countdown use the Online Timer; to mix sounds yourself use Ambient Sound.