
Ask HN: best music background to work?  - creonik
For example, I am finding I prefer <i>not</i> to listen to songs I know since I would try to follow the lyrics and that would take part of my brain and distract me.What's your favourite music when you code,design or work in general?
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kroger
Like many people, if I'm thinking and designing I prefer to have no music. If
I'm doing these things in a noisy environment I may listen to some rain
recordings such as [1].

When I'm coding I mainly listen to classical music. The problem is that I need
to listen to things I know very well or I'll get distracted, so I end up
listening to the same compositions over and over again, to the annoyment of my
wife ;-)

These days the compositions I list the most while coding are:

\- Beethoven String Quartets, for instance [2] (I really like the fugato at
5:00 ;-)

\- Mahler Symphonies, for example [3]

\- Ravel music

\- Some Monteverdi madrigals [4]

I like to use headphones, either a Sennheiser PX 200 [5] or a Sennheiser
HD-280 PRO [6].

[1] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvRv-243Cmk>

[2] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55PIXCQgEfE>

[3] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkoeH5BtLyQ>

[4] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkDyNzPUQbo>

[5] [http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PX-200-II-
Headphones/dp/B00...](http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PX-200-II-
Headphones/dp/B002VPDOHS)

[6] [http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-
Headphones/dp/B0...](http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-
Headphones/dp/B000065BPB)

~~~
creonik
Thanks.I am switching to classical music and works much better. Right now I am
listening to Yo-Yo Ma and Ennio Morricone playing Moses and Marco Polo Theme.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssoQbusZ7os>. It's beautiful (when not
interrupted by Spotify ads!)

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hboon
I've tried white noise, Naturespace, Kap Slap mixes, Pop mixes, Gregorian,
etc.

I've found that I am pretty productive in a cafe these days, so I started
listening to tracks of cafe background noise when I work from home recently,
such as "People Talking in Coffee Shop" by Finnolia Productions [1].

Might write more about this if it works well enough.

[1] iTunes affiliate link: [http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-
bin/click?id=dE0y3GuqVK4&...](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-
bin/click?id=dE0y3GuqVK4&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=5573&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Falbum%2Fpeople-
sound-effects-2%2Fid582685672&u1=h)

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radq
I usually listen to one of the Music for Programming[1] mixes, and when I'm in
the mood for more ambient music I listen to Brian Eno.

[1] <http://musicforprogramming.net/>

~~~
creonik
I did not it. Thanks for the link.

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deathwithme
Depends on your work. For instance, if you have a good software design a web
application, you can code it with heavy metal music because listing metal
music with programming is improving the velocity of coding.

~~~
creonik
You are right. As I listen to a lot of classical music, I realize I am
thinking better but also slowing down too much. Thanks

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jlengrand
Best site I could find was created by a fellow HN follower :)

<http://www.getworkdonemusic.com/#>

I listen to it everyday and never get bored :)

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rex64
I usually listen to slow tempo piano jazz or rainymood.com

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whichdan
There are a couple threads on this already.

turntable.fm's "Ambient Chillout & Trip Hop" room is usually quite good.

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keva161
I usually just go on 8tracks and listen to the first 'coding' or 'programming'
playlist that shows up.

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vojant
Depends on the mood I'm in. From slow piano/classic to techno.

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anons2011
soma.fm - Mission Control, Space station or Drone Zone

di.fm - Chillout, Minimal or Ambient

bassdrive.com (liquid dnb)

