While music and regular breaks the top motivators, 27% of accountants are not allowed to play music in the office, with managers preferring that they work in silence although only 10% said they preferred to work that way. Two-thirds (67%) would prefer to have on some music regardless of the type of work they had to do.

While seven in 10 (72%) workplaces played music, a notable one in four (27%) still operate in silence, revealed a survey by music licensing company PPL PRS.

With high stress levels at work, accountants pointed to the high pressure nature of their work and the constant deadlines, with 55% saying that they felt stressed as a result.

Accountants that could listen to music at work said it reduced their stress levels and boosted the general mood of the workplace, while a third said it improved their productivity.

But the demanding work environment and heavy workload means that nearly a third (30%) of accountants suffered from fatigue, while worryingly a quarter (24%) were overwhelmed by their workload and one in five lacked motivation.

And what’s their favourite music to listen to while crunching the numbers? Top of the charts for accountants was pop music, preferred by 60%, followed by RnB, while one in five preferred a spot of chill out or classical music.

Paul Guess, mental wellbeing expert at the accountants’ charity caba, said: ‘Accountancy is an inherently high pressure profession with accountants facing intense workloads, tight deadlines and demanding clients.

‘At times, the office can be a stressful working environment and individuals might be unsure of how to reduce stress when at work.

‘Effective stress management is highly personal, and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.  But we know that the most effective measures to manage stress are often the simplest, with music being one of them.

‘The benefits of music are well known, and it can be a vital tool for helping clear the mind and making us feel calmer. Listening to music in the office can contribute to a healthier workplace environment - helping boost our productivity and in the long-run, improve mental wellbeing.’

But there’s always the potential for conflict when the music goes on, so it is important to make sure the right balance is achieved.

Leadership coach for PPL PRS Deborah Green, added: ‘Leaders can leverage music to create a more enjoyable environment for focused work and collaboration. I’ve always been impressed by those that work with data/figures who go through their task whilst music is playing in the background or on their headphones.

‘The leader can agree with the team on what music they want to play, and everyone can pick their own playlists. Gentle background music, that isn’t intrusive, makes a huge difference as the environment isn’t too quiet where no-one even wants to talk to each other.’

Accountants find background music particularly beneficial for administrative tasks (47%) – like reading and responding to emails – transactional work or data input (36%) and reviewing documents (34%).

‘They were less keen on listening to music when they were working complex reconciliations, analysis, statement reporting and compliance work. But 3% never want music to be played whatever the task.