Here are four background music picks to put on while you cook, clean or do laundry.
We’ve chosen two public YouTube videos and two Apple Music albums.
The videos are free to play, but listening to every track on the Apple Music albums generally requires a paid subscription.
Here, housework BGM means music you listen to personally at home while cooking or tidying up.
We’ve kept these picks to cafe-style jazz, bossa nova and guitar-themed releases.
The four picks come first.
You’ll find our selection tips further down.
4 housework BGM picks for cooking and cleaning
1. Cafe Music BGM channel
This is one to consider when you want to leave the same video playing from dinner prep through putting the dishes away.
The official page for “Relaxing Cafe Music For Cooking” describes it as jazz and bossa nova for cooking, and the video runs for about four hours.
The description says all the music in the video is original music by BGMC, performed by the group themselves.
You don’t need to keep doing chores for four hours.
Our suggestion is to decide on your own stopping point before you press play, such as “I’ll stop once the dishes are put away.”
2. Dr.SaxLove
If you want music to carry on from making dinner to sitting down at the table, this cooking-and-dinner-themed video is another option.
The official “Cooking Music” video runs for about an hour and two minutes, and its description introduces it as soft jazz and saxophone jazz.
The track list includes “The Girl From Ipanema” and “My Funny Valentine.”
If the track list catches your interest, take a look at the description when your hands are free.
Our suggestion is to choose one video before you start, rather than searching for another track while you’re cooking.
3. Creamy Panda
This is an option if you’d like to start with a single album while folding laundry in the morning.
“Morning Routine BGM – Relaxing Guitar Music for a Home Cafe Feel. BGM for Work.” is listed on Apple Music as an instrumental album with 10 tracks and a running time of about 30 minutes.
We chose it based on the home cafe and guitar themes in its title.
Try setting a limit like “I’ll fold what I can while this album plays.”
Treat the running time as a reminder to pause, rather than a deadline for finishing the chores.
4. Recommended BGM for stylish cafes
Consider this one for a day when you’d like the same album to accompany tidying the living room and having tea afterward.
“Relaxing Bossa Nova At Home ~Cafe Background Music for a Moment of Peace and Relaxation~” is listed on Apple Music as an instrumental album with 30 tracks and a running time of about 74 minutes.
Its title’s theme of bossa nova at home is why we picked it for afternoon chores.
Once the cleaning is done, you can leave it playing over tea or stop it partway through.
Our suggestion is not to add more chores just to fill the remaining playing time.
Compare the four picks by chore
The suggested chores are our editorial team’s ideas for using these picks.
Genres, themes and running times come from the official information linked in each card.
| Artist | Official genre or theme | Suggested use | Length | How to listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Music BGM channel | Jazz and bossa nova for cooking | From cooking to putting the dishes away | About 4 hours | Free public YouTube video |
| Dr.SaxLove | Soft jazz for cooking and dinner | From dinner prep to the table | About 1 hour 2 minutes | Free public YouTube video |
| Creamy Panda | Home cafe and guitar instrumentals | Folding laundry in the morning | 10 tracks, about 30 minutes | Apple Music previews; full playback generally requires a paid subscription |
| Recommended BGM for stylish cafes | Instrumentals themed around bossa nova at home | Afternoon cleaning and a break | 30 tracks, about 74 minutes | Apple Music previews; full playback generally requires a paid subscription |
How we chose these four picks
- Themes of cooking or cafe time at home
Both of the first two videos mention cooking in their official titles.
The two albums focus on cafe time at home.
We used public information such as “cooking” and “home cafe” to choose music for personal listening while doing chores. - Running times you can choose before you start
We’ve included different lengths, from an album of about 30 minutes to a video of about four hours.
We checked these running times against the official pages and video information.
Choosing something shorter for laundry or longer for cooking and cleanup is our suggestion for using the music, not a research finding that it reduces the time chores take. - A clear distinction between free videos and paid services
We’ve put public YouTube videos first for anyone who wants to try them, followed by albums for Apple Music users.
YouTube videos may include ads; the official YouTube Premium help page explains ad-free playback.
Check Apple’s official plan information for free trials and subscription terms.
Housework BGM FAQ
Q. Can I listen to all four picks in full for free?
A. The two YouTube videos at the start are the picks we’re introducing as free public videos.
For the two Apple Music albums, previews and full playback are different things.
Listening to every track generally requires a subscription, and free trial eligibility and length are subject to conditions.
Q. Can I keep YouTube playing with my phone’s screen off?
A. YouTube lists background play, which keeps audio playing with the screen off in its mobile apps, as a Premium benefit.
See the background play section of the official help page for conditions such as supported apps and regions.
Q. How do I choose if I’m not sure what fits cooking or cleaning?
A. Start with one chore, then choose a theme and running time you like.
Our suggestions include Creamy Panda’s roughly 30-minute album for morning laundry, or Cafe Music BGM channel’s roughly four-hour video for cooking and cleanup.
If you find the music distracting, turn it down or stop it.
There’s no need to rush your chores to keep up with the music.
Choose music for one of today’s chores
Try choosing one pick to match what you’re doing today: a cooking-themed video for cooking, or a shorter album for laundry.
About the author
Cafe BGM Playlister editorial team
We’re the editorial team behind Cafe BGM Playlister, a publication specializing in cafe background music and music for work.
We help produce and distribute music by cafe BGM artists through the label that runs this publication, and some of the artists featured in this article are also signed to our label.
We make our selections after checking track lists, running times and publicly available information.
