Purrple Cat · 366 songs · ten chapters
Music for ReadingQuiet songs to read by
Calm instrumental lofi in long, unbroken chapters, for a novel, a poem, or one more page before bed.
Free · CC BY 4.0 · full-length · gapless
Contents
- I.1 h 31 minBright, unhurried and a little sunny. Coffee on, first chapter of the day, the house still quiet. Read the chapter →
- II.1 h 27 minSoft keys and slow drums for a long novel by a window while it rains. Read the chapter →
- III.1 h 17 minTender, spacious songs that leave room around every line. For poems, letters and essays. Read the chapter →
- IV.2 h 29 minCandlelit halls, creaking stairs and a storm outside. For whodunnits, gothic novels and ghost stories. Read the chapter →
- V.2 h 14 minStarfields, strange planets and other dimensions. For epic fantasy and science fiction. Read the chapter →
- VI.2 h 14 minStreetlights, late diners and a window seat. For noir, literary fiction and reading on the commute. Read the chapter →
- VII.1 h 59 minDeserts, oceans and lost worlds. For travel writing, adventure stories and big journeys. Read the chapter →
- VIII.58 minSnow at the window and a blanket over your knees. For winter reading and holiday books. Read the chapter →
- IX.1 h 22 minThe earliest songs, warm and dusty like a secondhand paperback. For rereading old favourites. Read the chapter →
- X.1 h 30 minThe slowest, softest chapter. One more page, then lights out. Read the chapter →
On reading with music
Music for reading should behave like a good room: warm, steady, and quiet enough that you forget it’s there until you look up. That’s why everything here is instrumental lofi, slow and soft at the edges, with no lyrics to pull your eyes off the line you’re on.
The music is arranged as a book. Each of the ten chapters is a long session, an hour to two and a half hours of whole records played in their original order, chosen to suit what you’re reading: mysteries get candlelit halls, fantasy gets starfields, poetry gets space. Press play on a chapter and it simply keeps going, song after song without a gap, then on into the next chapter.
If you stop to make tea or fall asleep halfway through, your place is kept. And when you want something you can’t quite name, there’s an index of every song at the back.
How to listen
Continuous plays through the chapter and on into the next. Gapless leaves no silence between songs, and Soft turn blends them. Both switches are in the player at the foot of the page.
The shelf
The same ten chapters as books. Taller spines are longer sessions. Take one down to see its records and songs.
Index of songs
#
, City Nights 3
A
, Eye of the Storm
, Sea of Stars
, Night Train
, Sleep Tight
, City Nights
, Endless Forest
, A Good Book
, Sands of Time
, Sleep Tight
, Ice Palace
, Multiverse 2
B
, Cat Nap
, Above the Clouds
, Cypress Manor
, Pelagic Journey
, Happy Place
, Just Relax
, Oasis
, Cypress Manor
, Signs of Life
, Cat Nap
, Tranquil Trails
, Above the Clouds
, Dino Land
, Bloom
, A Good Book
, Brain Fog
, Brain Fog
, Sleep Tight
, Happy Place
, Pelagic Journey
, Happy Place
C
, City Nights 3
, Mellow Skies
, City Nights
, Cat Nap
, Dino Land
, Cat Nap
, Cat Nap
, Eye of the Storm
, Sea of Stars 2
, Tranquil Trails
, Ice Palace
, Night Train
, Happy Place
, Indigo Dreams
, A Good Book
, Up All Night
, Snowbound
, Dino Land
, Sleep Tight
, Sea of Stars 2
, Signs of Life
, Multiverse 2
, Tranquil Trails
, City Nights 3
, Multiverse
, Snowbound
, Multiverse
, Cypress Manor
, City Nights
, Night Train
, Endless Forest
, City Nights 3
D
, Sands of Time
, Mellow Skies
, City Nights
, City Nights
, House in the Woods
, Happy Place
, Mellow Skies
, Dino Land
, Sea of Stars
, Sands of Time
, Sands of Time
, Just Relax
, House in the Woods
, Sea of Stars 2
, Cypress Manor
, Happy Place
, Eye of the Storm
, City Nights 3
, Signs of Life
, Sleep Tight
, Memories
, Oasis
, Sands of Time
, Cypress Manor
E
, Happy Place
, Eye of the Storm
, Sands of Time
, Dino Land
, Multiverse 2
, Sea of Stars 2
, Signs of Life
, Cat Nap
, City Nights 3
, Night Train
, Endless Forest
, Brain Fog
, Sands of Time
, Bloom
, Multiverse 2
, Sleep Tight
, Multiverse
, City Nights 2
, Eye of the Storm
, Cypress Manor
F
, Sleep Tight
, A Good Book
, Sea of Stars 2
, Sleep Tight
, Snowbound
, Mellow Skies
, Brain Fog
, Bloom
, Above the Clouds
, Above the Clouds
, City Nights 3
, Just Relax
, Bloom
, Multiverse
, City Nights 2
, Snowbound
, Snowbound
, Bloom
, Ice Palace
, Ice Palace
G
, Mellow Skies
, Just Relax
, House in the Woods
, Cypress Manor
, Ice Palace
, Sea of Stars 2
, Endless Forest
, Mellow Skies
, Happy Place
, Just Relax
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Dino Land
, Bloom
H
, City Nights 3
, A Good Book
, Oasis
, Oasis
, Happy Place
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Snowbound
I
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, A Good Book
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Up All Night
, Ice Palace
, Snowbound
, Ice Palace
, Indigo Dreams
, Multiverse 2
, City Nights 2
, Signs of Life
, Cypress Manor
, Indigo Dreams
, City Nights 3
, Multiverse 2
, Up All Night
, Now or Never
J
, Just Relax
L
, Dino Land
, Now or Never
, Signs of Life
, Now or Never
, Up All Night
, Eye of the Storm
, Eye of the Storm
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, City Nights 2
, House in the Woods
, Just Relax
, Tranquil Trails
, Signs of Life
, Eye of the Storm
, Mellow Skies
, Dino Land
, Oasis
, Bloom
, Sea of Stars 2
, Dino Land
, Tranquil Trails
M
, Eye of the Storm
, Sea of Stars 2
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Memories
, Sands of Time
, Oasis
, Sea of Stars
, Endless Forest
, City Nights 2
, Sands of Time
, City Nights 3
, Tranquil Trails
, Mellow Skies
, Cypress Manor
, Up All Night
, Night Train
N
, Dino Land
, Multiverse 2
, Sleep Tight
, City Nights 2
, Night Train
, Sea of Stars 2
, Above the Clouds
, Cypress Manor
, Now or Never
, Cypress Manor
O
, Sea of Stars 2
, Sands of Time
, Sea of Stars 2
, Indigo Dreams
, Multiverse
, Sleep Tight
, Sea of Stars
P
, Oasis
, Multiverse 2
, Endless Forest
, Night Train
, Above the Clouds
, Pelagic Journey
, Ice Palace
, Dino Land
, Oasis
, House in the Woods
, House in the Woods
, Multiverse
, Please Hold Me
, Sands of Time
, Cat Nap
Q
, Brain Fog
, Just Relax
R
, City Nights 2
, Cat Nap
, Multiverse 2
, Memories
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Now or Never
, Multiverse 2
, Just Relax
, Multiverse
, Just Relax
, Oasis
, City Nights 2
, Night Train
S
, A Good Book
, Sands of Time
, Sea of Stars 2
, Indigo Dreams
, Eye of the Storm
, Sea of Stars
, Oasis
, Mellow Skies
, Signs of Life
, Tranquil Trails
, Eye of the Storm
, Snowbound
, Up All Night
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Signs of Life
, House in the Woods
, Eye of the Storm
, Cypress Manor
, City Nights 3
, Snowbound
, Ice Palace
, Sleep Tight
, City Nights
, Brain Fog
, Happy Place
, Above the Clouds
, City Nights 2
, Endless Forest
, Bloom
, Now or Never
, Brain Fog
, City Nights
, Sea of Stars 2
, City Nights 3
, Sea of Stars
, Multiverse
, Multiverse
, Memories
, Dino Land
, Sleep Tight
, House in the Woods
, Dino Land
, Happy Place
, City Nights 3
, City Nights
, Cypress Manor
, A Good Book
, Eye of the Storm
, Pelagic Journey
, Happy Place
, Sea of Stars
, Snowbound
, Pelagic Journey
T
, Memories
, Sea of Stars
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, Now or Never
, Indigo Dreams
, House in the Woods
, Eye of the Storm
, Night Train
, City Nights
, Sea of Stars
, A Good Book
, Ice Palace
, City Nights 2
, Ice Palace
, Night Train
, Multiverse 2
, Cat Nap
, Endless Forest
, Now or Never
, Sands of Time
, Night Train
, Above the Clouds
, Endless Forest
, Nostalgia and Moving On
, City Nights 2
U
, Multiverse
, Tranquil Trails
, Eye of the Storm
, Oasis
, Cypress Manor
, Above the Clouds
, Multiverse 2
, Endless Forest
, Up All Night
, Multiverse 2
V
, Tranquil Trails
, Happy Place
, City Nights
W
, A Good Book
, House in the Woods
, Indigo Dreams
, Tranquil Trails
, Mellow Skies
, Sleep Tight
, Sleep Tight
, Sands of Time
, Endless Forest
, Endless Forest
, Whispers in the Dark
, Endless Forest
, Bloom
, Happy Place
, City Nights 3
, Above the Clouds
, City Nights
, Sea of Stars
, Bloom
, Cat Nap
, Memories
, Ice Palace
, Signs of Life
Z
, Sleep Tight
The records
All 36 records in this book, oldest first, with the chapter each one belongs to.
Up All Night2018 · 7 songs · ch. IX
Now or Never2019 · 8 songs · ch. IX
Indigo Dreams2019 · 7 songs · ch. X
Brain Fog2019 · 7 songs · ch. IX
Nostalgia and Moving On2019 · 10 songs · ch. IX
Just Relax2019 · 10 songs · ch. II
A Good Book2019 · 10 songs · ch. I
Whispers in the Dark2019 · 1 song · ch. IV
Pelagic Journey2019 · 5 songs · ch. VII
Cat Nap2019 · 10 songs · ch. X
Snowbound2019 · 10 songs · ch. VIII
Bloom2020 · 10 songs · ch. I
Mellow Skies2020 · 10 songs · ch. II
Above the Clouds2020 · 10 songs · ch. II
City Nights2021 · 11 songs · ch. VI
Oasis2021 · 11 songs · ch. VII
House in the Woods2021 · 10 songs · ch. IV
Sea of Stars2022 · 10 songs · ch. V
Signs of Life2022 · 10 songs · ch. III
Multiverse2022 · 10 songs · ch. V
Please Hold Me2023 · 1 song · ch. III
Night Train2023 · 11 songs · ch. VI
Tranquil Trails2023 · 10 songs · ch. III
Sea of Stars 22023 · 13 songs · ch. V
City Nights 22023 · 11 songs · ch. VI
Sands of Time2024 · 14 songs · ch. VII
Happy Place2024 · 14 songs · ch. I
Eye of the Storm2024 · 15 songs · ch. IV
Dino Land2024 · 13 songs · ch. VII
Ice Palace2024 · 12 songs · ch. VIII
Memories2025 · 6 songs · ch. III
Cypress Manor2025 · 14 songs · ch. IV
Multiverse 22025 · 13 songs · ch. V
Sleep Tight2025 · 15 songs · ch. X
City Nights 32026 · 14 songs · ch. VI
Endless Forest2026 · 13 songs · ch. IV
Colophon
All music on this site is free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (CC BY 4.0).
You may play it in videos, livestreams, podcasts, audiobooks, games and apps, in shops and cafés, and on all social media, with credit. The music on this site has no Content ID.
The music must never be uploaded or released on Spotify, Apple Music or any other music streaming service, and neither may remixes, samples or covers of it.
Set in EB Garamond. Music by Purrple Cat.
Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0Notes
- Is this music for reading free?
Yes. All music on this site is free under CC BY 4.0. Listen as long as you like, download the MP3s, and use the songs anywhere with the credit: “Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0”.
- Does it have lyrics?
No. Every song is instrumental lofi, so there are no words competing with the ones on your page.
- What does “Continuous” and “Gapless” mean?
With Continuous on, the next song starts the moment one ends, and when a chapter finishes the next chapter begins, so you can read for hours without touching anything. Gapless leaves no silence between songs; Soft turn blends them with a short three-second crossfade instead.
- Will it remember where I stopped?
Yes. The site keeps a bookmark in your browser as you listen. Come back and press Resume to carry on from the same song and the same moment.
- Can I use the music in videos, streams or a reading vlog?
Yes, with credit. It’s fine on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram and all social media, in podcasts, audiobooks, games and livestreams. The music on this site has no Content ID, so you won’t get claims.
- Can I upload the songs to Spotify or Apple Music?
No. The music must never be uploaded or released on music streaming services, and that includes remixes, samples and covers of it.
- Who made the music?
Purrple Cat, an independent lofi project with 500+ songs, 500M+ streams and 187K subscribers on YouTube.
- Can I download a whole chapter?
Every chapter and record has an M3U8 playlist you can open in VLC or any media player, and every song has its own MP3 link on its chapter and record pages.