
Ask HN: What, if anything, do you listen to while coding? - cleanyourroom
I rarely listen to anything, but I&#x27;m going to give it a try for a week and how it affects my productivity.<p>Looking for playlist recommendations.
======
CodeTheInternet
Vocals tend to pull my focus, and repeated phrasing in a lot of EDM is
distracting. I find post-rock as a great genre for coding. I frequent the
r/postrock sub-Reddit and keep yearly Spotify playlists updated with new
releases [1].

I have also enjoyed combining jazz with a rain simulator like RainyMood [2].
Volume-balance them together and it's sublime.

[1]:
[https://open.spotify.com/user/edlerner/playlist/5TJbCB33vOzT...](https://open.spotify.com/user/edlerner/playlist/5TJbCB33vOzTkQgaQRlNxS?si=9ePbvRJ0Tmek48T8_IyA0A)

[2]: [https://www.rainymood.com/](https://www.rainymood.com/)

~~~
wink
Similar for me.

Mostly: anything without easily discernible or deep lyrics that distract me.
This could be Black Metal, EDM, classical music.

Also ok: Stuff I really like and know really well, e.g. Metal with
understandable lyrics, 80s Synthpop, Soundtracks

Usually not ok: ballads, rap, stuff with lyrics in my mother tongue

Special mentions: EVE Online OST: [https://soundcloud.com/ccpgames/sets/eve-
online-login-screen...](https://soundcloud.com/ccpgames/sets/eve-online-login-
screen-music), The Cat Empire, Dirty Doering, Pendulum, Massive Attack,
Portishead, or random DJ sets

~~~
actsasbuffoon
Wolves in the Throne Room and So Hideous are great examples of metal bands
with sweeping atmospheres and non-intrusive vocals.

The Algorithm and Master Boot Record are metal-inspired electronic music with
no vocals.

Video game soundtracks also work well. Danny Baronowsky, Ridiculon (The End Is
Nigh soundtrack is phenomenal), and Disasterpiece are some of my favorite
indie game composers.

Metroid Metal is kinda similar, but it's highly technical prog-metal covers of
music from the Metroid series. Descendants of Erdrick and Armcannon are also
enjoyable metal video game cover bands.

If you want to get lost in coding for a long while without needing to change
albums, Chronicles of Time is a 5 hour long compilation of covers of music
from Chrono Trigger by a huge variety of artists. If you listen to this from
start to finish without stopping, you should probably take a break and stretch
for a while.

I really enjoy the soundtrack from Elder Scrolls Online. The new Doom has an
excellent soundtrack as well, though it does have occasional voice-over.

~~~
NinoScript
I love listening to video game soundtracks when working.

If I want to focus 100%, work fast and have no idea what’s going around me,
I’ll put some fast paced Kirby music from the SNES versions and code away as
if I was racing King Dedede.

If I want to get in the mood for some architecting or refactoring, I’ll put
some Final Fantasy chip-tunes to work through the mysteries.

~~~
actsasbuffoon
The soundtrack for Shovel Knight is also excellent. Even though the game is
recent, the music is completely authentic to capabilities of the sound chip in
the NES.

That said, I find the sound of the NES to be a bit too bright and crisp for
background listening. I agree that SNES era music is easier for programming.
Super Metroid, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Final Fantasy 2 (FFIV in
Japan), Final Fantasy 3 (FFVI in Japan), Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound
immediately come to mind as great soundtracks.

If you want to listen to soundtracks for SNES games, you can use Audio
Overload (free and multi-platform):
[http://www.bannister.org/software/ao.htm](http://www.bannister.org/software/ao.htm)

The music from SNES games is stored in SPC files (individual songs) and RSN
files (collection all SPC files for a game). The files are extremely small.
You could probably fit the soundtracks for every official SNES game into a few
dozen megabytes. You can learn more about the format at the Video Game Music
Preservation Foundation wiki:
[http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/SPC](http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/SPC)

The London Philharmonic has some great video game cover albums as well.

~~~
NinoScript
That’s exactly what I do. I’ve been using Bannister’s emulators and Audio
Overload since my childhood!

Though nowadays I prefer playing the SPC files in a player called Vox:
[https://vox.rocks](https://vox.rocks)

And in my phone I have a collection of maybe weeks worth of music in a few MBs

------
lmedinas
I tried a bit of everything and its really random for me. As i metal/rock fan
i rarely listen to the genre. Here is some artists to get you started that
really help me focus on programing:

\- Trent Reznor and NiN: Social Network, Ghosts and The Fragile.

\- How to destroy Angels (also a subproject of Trent Reznor).

\- Daft Punk: live album and Tron soundtrack.

\- Miles Davis: Bitches Brew.

\- RadioHead: OK Computer, KID A and Amnesiac.

\- Gojira: Magma and From Mars to Sirius

\- Opeth: Live at Royal Albert Hall

\- U2: Songs of Inocence and Songs of Experience.

\- Massive Attack: Mezzanine

\- Blade Runner soundtrack.

\- Interstellar soundtrack.

Recently Synthwave DJs

\- Kavinsky: Outrun

\- The Midnight: Any song (i really love these guys and the atmosphere they
put into their songs).

Hope it helps you find a music for your mood.

~~~
sincarne
I love the Bladerunner soundtrack, except I haven't found a version without a
few snippets of movie dialogue.

Second Daft Punk's Tron score. It's kind of my default.

On the Miles Davis front, check out Panthalassa.

------
iooi
The Field -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDt7XFhwHg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDt7XFhwHg)

MiM0SA -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXHhKIChMbw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXHhKIChMbw)

Fuck Buttons -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVZDxK02QE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVZDxK02QE)

Philip Glass -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoqFj81bpok](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoqFj81bpok)

Police Scanner & Ambient Sounds -
[http://youarelistening.to/newyork](http://youarelistening.to/newyork)

------
haste410
Any of the lofi hip hop live streams. Usually calm with minimal vocals. This
is my favorite one
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilxhlnDo7_M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilxhlnDo7_M)

~~~
iammiles
I'll second LoFi. My other go-to is Yann Tiersen.

------
JansjoFromIkea
Boards of Canada are the obvious one (as seen from their heavy usage across
here [https://musicforprogramming.net/](https://musicforprogramming.net/)),
along with a bunch of Warp record acts from the 90s.

Recently been listening to loads of Hard Bop Jazz though, Sonny Rollins in
particular.

~~~
JeanMarcS
I like that music for programming website. I also use it often for background
music while coding.

------
leipert
Video game soundtracks should be really good, as they often contain no vocals
and are supposed to keep you focused (on the game). E.g. Deus EX Human
Revolution Soundtrack [0]. Movie scores from Hans Zimmer are also really good
(e.g. Inception OST)

[0]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyG6YMLEWus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyG6YMLEWus)

~~~
givankin
When I need a boost I always listen to Quake II:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6yBTYxLko](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6yBTYxLko)

------
rwnspace
When lines > quality, deep/tech house is good: Stimming, and Oliver Schories

While thinking/reviewing/learning, generally instrumental jazzy/stoner trip-
hop stuff:

Jan Jelinek - Loop Finding Jazz Records:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hIgBEXuQD8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hIgBEXuQD8)

Fila Brazillia - A Touch Of Cloth:
[https://youtu.be/RjuP9cvgLic?t=4m56s](https://youtu.be/RjuP9cvgLic?t=4m56s)

Also Kruder & Dorfmeister/Peace Orchestra, John Abercrombie, Hidden Orchestra
(highly recommend the albums Archipelago and Wingbeats).

------
donaldihunter
Quite a few good streams on [http://somafm.com/](http://somafm.com/)

~~~
ydnaclementine
I definitely recommend the defcon station - literal music for hacking
[https://somafm.com/defcon/](https://somafm.com/defcon/)

~~~
softwarefounder
Thanks for this - kind of neat to have a community "hacking" channel. Seems to
be mainly downtempo-ish, which is great.

------
plinkplink
Drum & Bass without vocals. I've put a lot of time, thought, and
experimentation into this; nothing else comes close to keeping me as focused
and highly productive.

Some examples:

Monrroe [https://youtu.be/TmENer4RPhw](https://youtu.be/TmENer4RPhw)
[https://youtu.be/41OKIznqMCg](https://youtu.be/41OKIznqMCg)
[https://youtu.be/IKbadsY2MSs](https://youtu.be/IKbadsY2MSs)

Mix [https://youtu.be/LYgNN8lDQ5s](https://youtu.be/LYgNN8lDQ5s)

You're thinking, "but it all sounds the same!" That's the point. It keeps you
moving forward without breaking your stride.

For longer, less mentally demanding tasks this kind of stuff works great, too:
[https://youtu.be/VNP0-Tb9big](https://youtu.be/VNP0-Tb9big)

------
yatsyk
One of:

* [http://Brain.fm](http://Brain.fm)

* Chillout on [http://di.fm](http://di.fm)

* [http://listentothe.cloud/](http://listentothe.cloud/)

~~~
didsomeonesay
brain.fm I really liked.

Unfortunately the Android app stopped working for me.

I've contacted their support, they were initially quite responsive but no
solution yet.

~~~
didsomeonesay
Update: working now! There were app updates and server-side changes. One of
those must have fixed it.

Recommended for support.

------
robinv
I've got tons of playlists that I listen to while coding, usually instrumental
music of various styles, sometimes I also prefer silence, especially when I
need to focus on learning something completely new.

Most common genres that I listen to are electronic, trip hop, trance, techno,
drum & bass, ambient and post-rock. Some of my favorite artists include
Bonobo, Emancipator, Tycho, Gramatik, The American Dollar and DJ Shadow.

Here are some interesting Spotify playlists that you might enjoy during
coding:

[https://open.spotify.com/user/chillhopmusic/playlist/74sUjcv...](https://open.spotify.com/user/chillhopmusic/playlist/74sUjcvpGfdOvCHvgzNEDO?si=qqY1S7OzRmi60uTj9Z_lFw)
Or find more like this on chillhop.com

Here's a few from me:

Post-rock / instrumental rock
[https://open.spotify.com/user/116691196/playlist/78eqGh29jt0...](https://open.spotify.com/user/116691196/playlist/78eqGh29jt0Np6P2EcWcpv?si=lBIOqUBsQAmgdpVO2zKmwg)

Chill House music
[https://open.spotify.com/user/116691196/playlist/6DalghuQizi...](https://open.spotify.com/user/116691196/playlist/6DalghuQizi32L772HWF7e?si=Xz4euMGHQYqJKw32P2JufQ)

------
yagyu
Opeth Bloodbath Leprous Soen Haken

Mostly prog metal that I know well already. I find it hard to focus with music
I have not heard before, but can quickly go into very deep focus mode with
something well known.

~~~
hotsauceror
Alcest is very Opeth-inspired, you might give them a shot. Also Fallujah,
which I might call prog-death? They're not everyone's cup of tea but they've
got some atmospherics going.

------
JeanMarcS
Mostly music without singing. If a voice starts, I automatically listen to the
words and loose my focus.

So a lot of OST (movies or games), jazz, neo rock, electronic music, etc..

------
leebrandt
Somafm Suburbs of Goa:
[https://somafm.com/suburbsofgoa/](https://somafm.com/suburbsofgoa/)

Shanghai Restoration Project:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09b-jSbPreU&list=PLxjXphoR4Y...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09b-jSbPreU&list=PLxjXphoR4YDpGWt3oLvkodOwXipbDt_pB&index=2)

Breaking Benjamin

~~~
snapdaddy
Thank you for somafm - that's pretty awesome

------
tedmiston
I have definitely found that controlling the sound around me has an immense
effect on productivity, and that I can use different sounds to influence my
work. I use several tools for playing non-music sound when I'm working.

SimpleHabit Focus Player (beta) [0] and Focus@Will [1] both play
instrumental-y type sound, not really music per se. These two require a
subscription but are inexpensive relative to the productivity boost they
provide. Then SimplyNoise [2] and Zero Noise [3] for playing just colored
noise in a noisy environment. The former uses Flash, so the latter is a bash
script I made that's similar. I use the Spotify Focus playlists like Deep
Focus sometimes, but they're more general and not as good as the dedicated
services.

I find these are especially good for combatting interruptions, conversations,
and variable noises like conference calls. Sometimes I'll use something upbeat
and EDM-y to get into flow when working on simple things.

Another recent HN thread where I listed a few more related suggestions is
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14886317#14888870](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14886317#14888870).

[0]:
[https://www.simplehabit.com/beta/focus](https://www.simplehabit.com/beta/focus)

[1]:
[https://www.focusatwill.com/app/music](https://www.focusatwill.com/app/music)

[2]: [https://simplynoise.com/](https://simplynoise.com/)

[3]: [https://github.com/tedmiston/zero-
noise](https://github.com/tedmiston/zero-noise)

------
sincarne
I like instrumentals. I mostly hit up Spotify's focus playlists (not as good
as the old Songza ones). They tend heavily to the electronic side, so I made a
couple I enjoy.

Prog Rock Instrumentals:
[https://open.spotify.com/user/frogblast/playlist/1RqHAhrFCEI...](https://open.spotify.com/user/frogblast/playlist/1RqHAhrFCEIJnM7OliWoUs?si=xQDN-
d-xQYmtCrDV_ypGMQ)

Calexico Instrumentals:
[https://open.spotify.com/user/frogblast/playlist/6KDPLvi4akh...](https://open.spotify.com/user/frogblast/playlist/6KDPLvi4akh7vTiX8Jujfh?si=e78_XQHLSB6_h7RrzSrc1A)

------
rayalez
Movie and video game soundtracks.

Can't recommend Ramin Djawadi enough(he wrote soundtracks for Game of Thrones
and Westworld). Here's a great example of his music:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-
gbqbVd8c&t=0s&list=PLTT-X...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-
gbqbVd8c&t=0s&list=PLTT-Xb7kSZWXO48LcIeXBIP-hetLW50YG&index=80)

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are also great:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxabLA7UQ9k&list=PLyVPkvhD7G...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxabLA7UQ9k&list=PLyVPkvhD7G7rcW4o7MLMXus6Kq1cbh2Op&index=1)

And I love halo soundtracks, here's my collection:

[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTT-
Xb7kSZWWp4MXXUtny...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTT-
Xb7kSZWWp4MXXUtnye9kvlqS3JTP3)

------
samuell
The only time I listen to music while coding is when I'm really sleepy, and
need something to get juices flowing again. For this, I have my "waking up"
playlist, which is pretty much a bunch of really intense opera classics, with
Russel Watson (I don't know Italian, so the lyrics don't distract me):
[https://open.spotify.com/user/smllmp/playlist/4VfhqzNUFHQntX...](https://open.spotify.com/user/smllmp/playlist/4VfhqzNUFHQntXkBPYTzU9?si=QfewzmzpQBWxZOUnQ-
cPJw)

------
jacquesm
Anything instrumental. Classical, Vangelis, Jean-Luc Ponty, Pat Metheny, Steps
Ahead, John Abercrombie, Brian Eno.

------
ojhughes
Lo-Fi Chill hop 24/7 live playlist such as
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FlxM_0S2lA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FlxM_0S2lA)

Surfpop / Shoegaze mixes, this is one of my faves!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiwd4yCrws0&t=2515s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiwd4yCrws0&t=2515s)

Artists such as Mogwai

Sometimes skate punk or metal (weirdly first thing in the day to get my brain
going!)

Liquid/Intelligent Drum 'n Bass mixes (again good for motivation) This Netsky
mix is a classic
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwTU4IVHlEg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwTU4IVHlEg)

------
franzpeterstein
UKFDubstep
[https://www.youtube.com/user/UKFDubstep/playlists](https://www.youtube.com/user/UKFDubstep/playlists)

NewRetroWave
[https://www.youtube.com/user/NewRetroWave](https://www.youtube.com/user/NewRetroWave)
/playlists

some classic
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcpM0yN7p0c&list=PL7Tph50TCR...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcpM0yN7p0c&list=PL7Tph50TCROcb5Z4x3mLKim3dyXdITxHh)

and sometimes the Free Music Archive:
[http://freemusicarchive.org/](http://freemusicarchive.org/)

------
om3n
It's not free, but I listen to brain.fm while writing code at work:
[https://www.brain.fm/app](https://www.brain.fm/app)

I have found my ability to focus is increased when listening to their "Focus"
music.

------
staunch
Most often: Rage Against The Machine on a loop. It's been working for me since
~1999.

~~~
tcfunk
I just loop the first 2 seconds of guerilla radio

------
givankin
For (more or less trivial) code reviews, JIRA or email work I often just
listen to whatever I like and whatever fits the mood. Works well by giving me
some endorphins while keeping me able to focus (sometimes I have to avoid
listening to stuff I like too much :)).

For coding, design and code reviews that require focus, silence is the best.

My long-time addiction that has helped me a lot on numerous occasions is
[https://www.focusatwill.com/](https://www.focusatwill.com/). I also use it as
pomodoro timer. Silence is still better, if you're in a distraction-free
environment.

~~~
givankin
Also learned recently: if your headphones are too good, they may prevent you
from doing anything other than listening to music :)

------
mcjiggerlog
I'm going to be boring and say "music". I don't really get distracted by
lyrics - I never really take them in anyway. So, whatever I want - Jazz,
Electronic, Rock, Folk, Classical, Metal. Anything.

------
vroomik
I found plenty of nice background music in here(50 playlists)
[http://musicforprogramming.net/](http://musicforprogramming.net/)

------
menor
Brain.fm or my coding playlist (mostly synthwave) also instrumental surf

[https://open.spotify.com/user/josemenor/playlist/2g37r5uAPEi...](https://open.spotify.com/user/josemenor/playlist/2g37r5uAPEipv7g5neYgAB?si=AoY8D9NdT5CefN9q-O2yDg)

------
mStreamTeam
Lofi beats for late night coding:

[https://www.youtube.com/user/562Steezy](https://www.youtube.com/user/562Steezy)

------
hotsauceror
For upgrades, patching, P1 issues, anything high-stress I prefer classical -
Corelli, Locatelli, Handel.

For coding I usually like electronica. I go back and forth between ambient
stuff, like Koan or H.U.V.A Network, and vocal trance which has a pleasing,
hypnotic aspect.

I've tried binaural beats as well, they're not awful but they're not my go-to.
Spotify has a ton of these kind of 2-hour tracks. Rainstorms can be nice as
well.

~~~
SOLAR_FIELDS
Psy-ambient has been my go-to as well for years (see username!). Anyone
releasing music on Ultimae (run by Vincent Villius of the aforementioned
H.U.V.A. Network) is a pretty good bet. All time favorites of mine are Solar
Fields (also of aforementioned H.U.V.A. network) and Carbon Based Lifeforms,
who also release music on Ultimae

------
epicsaxguy
There's only one right answer to this question and it's:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZcmTl_1ER8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZcmTl_1ER8)

I'm only kinda joking but otherwise seriously check this out
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqOVpiXfq0o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqOVpiXfq0o)

------
mstaoru
In the "listening" mood I code with atmospheric black and post-black like
Alcest, Agalloch, or Kauan. I find both "Sorni Nai" and "Pirut" by Kauan to be
able to induce almost trance-like focus.

Otherwise, I put on my trusty 3M Peltor X5A with -37 dB rating, so most of
Wework's office noises and sticky pop background tune down to a barely audible
droning.

------
dasmoth
One track of pop, on repeat for the duration of the session. Today it was
something by Dragonette, but that’s just what came to hand. After a few
repeats, it becomes somewhat hypnotic, and something with human voices in is
helpful for cutting out external distractions (open plan office, at the
moment...)

Coding music has little overlap with what I’d pick if I actually wanted to
“listen to music”.

------
twovi
I typically listen to podcasts when writing documentation, but when it comes
to real development time, I listen to "minimal techno"/edm as in Tycho,
deadmau5, marshmello, apex twins, thievery corporation, ODEZA, Emancipator,
Tame Impala

------
FroshKiller
I put together a sample playlist for a teammate who didn't usually listen to
music: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm761ub-
NrD7jq1zwjHlS...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm761ub-
NrD7jq1zwjHlSqwtB0ZFZtA4s)

That stuff works for me, but, uh...I doubt a lot of people share my taste in
programming music.

------
joslin01
On one screen, I have inspirational / epic / fantasy music going with pictures
always changing (example:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQbkJA9ZQs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQbkJA9ZQs))

I get bored of coding so I like looking at the pretty pictures while I vim
away on the other screen.

------
politelemon
Mostly ambient, enough to register but still stay in the background. Some
examples:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0svuurLibQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0svuurLibQ)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wLwxmjrZj8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wLwxmjrZj8)

------
gunnarde
typically I can't listen to music with words while coding. I stick to EDM,
mainly Drum and Bass. Many years ago I found
[http://www.bassdrive.com](http://www.bassdrive.com). Streaming Drum and Bass
from DJs around the world. They have IRC interaction and mostly Live shows.
Cheers!

~~~
plinkplink
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have for vocal-free drum
n bass. DnB works best for my productivity, but vocals ruin it. Here are some
that I've found:

[https://youtu.be/CL-vqNpGVQs](https://youtu.be/CL-vqNpGVQs)
[https://youtu.be/-e-jXfHeUy0](https://youtu.be/-e-jXfHeUy0) (terrible
transitions) [https://youtu.be/TmENer4RPhw](https://youtu.be/TmENer4RPhw)
(anything by Monrroe)
[https://youtu.be/Q0dK7_3mkQM](https://youtu.be/Q0dK7_3mkQM)
[https://youtu.be/_QVbDoVT9Ro](https://youtu.be/_QVbDoVT9Ro)
[https://youtu.be/-qiMuebvq9E](https://youtu.be/-qiMuebvq9E)
[https://youtu.be/LYgNN8lDQ5s](https://youtu.be/LYgNN8lDQ5s)
[https://youtu.be/egd1cC5hH7s](https://youtu.be/egd1cC5hH7s)
[https://youtu.be/tRCvp0DI-Qg](https://youtu.be/tRCvp0DI-Qg)

Unfortunately, a search for "Drum and Bass no vocals" gives you every genre of
vocals you can imagine.

------
d--b
I do movie soundtracks a lot. Hans Zimmer, Bernard Hermann, and so on.

------
shinryuu
I'll just leave this here. 8 hours of concentration:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk26FUe38y0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk26FUe38y0)

Helped me work through many a days.

Otherwise anything ambient that I find on youtube :)

------
DedicatedHippo
Deltron 3030 Virus
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrEdbKwivCI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrEdbKwivCI)

I'm not writing viruses but when writing simple bash scripts with white text
on a black background terminal it can be very enjoyable

------
amorphous
[https://mynoise.net](https://mynoise.net) which is a fantastic source of
ambient sounds to block out outside noise or help to focus/relax. Made by a
very knowledgable sound engineer.

------
blikdak
Mostly non-vocal Trance/EDM

[https://open.spotify.com/user/1231314189/playlist/0uw5wl2Ne7...](https://open.spotify.com/user/1231314189/playlist/0uw5wl2Ne7yqf8Wid16Vfv?si=KM4c6V9NShWbZn8vdDp0JQ)

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scyclow
I'm a big fan of Raymond Scott's electronic stuff because it's interesting,
non distracting, and usually doesn't have lyrics.
[https://youtu.be/rYVIDJtKU-A](https://youtu.be/rYVIDJtKU-A)

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vesrah
Wave music like Noah B lately
[https://open.spotify.com/artist/4F4w1Gkfja6wPJzuMKCLmk?si=2j...](https://open.spotify.com/artist/4F4w1Gkfja6wPJzuMKCLmk?si=2jr05sMaTCeUvbLApwpr5Q)

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louib
somafm.com

listener-supported internet radio. Lots of different channels, mostly ambient
electronic music.

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Analemma_
Synthwave and lo-fi mixes on youtube. This is almost becoming a cliche, but
they work.

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Nihilartikel
Krelez's chiptune livestream:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gdhoj8HgaQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gdhoj8HgaQ)
Or sometimes a white noise generator..

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codewritinfool
Ozric Tentacles. No vocals in 30 albums except for 1 or 2 songs. I can't code
well with words going on. Some would say I can't code well without words going
on, either. LOL.

Tycho. Also no vocals.

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omegabloom
I didn't see them or may have missed them - this will destroy you, if these
trees could talk, russian circles, john frusciante and my fave would probably
be clouddead but what do I know :)

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gymshoes
For me, it depends on the mood. Usually I just put in my current state of mind
in the search bar and usually a playlist is present.

I've seen that songs I know already provide way less distraction than new
music.

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lrvick
Hardcore/screamo.

It has a similar effect to white noise while providing high energy rhythm.

Recently most played:

* Norma Jean

* Devil Wears Prada

* Blessthefall

* The Anchor

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markpapadakis
I prefer silence or isolation most of the times. When I can’t get that or I am
in the mood for music, I usually listen to random video games music, or tavern
music in games ( on YouTube ).

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jventura
Classical music in loop, such as this:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzeRSsNHtsQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzeRSsNHtsQ)

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a_e_k
Mainly video game music and remixes:
[http://ocremix.org/](http://ocremix.org/)

Medieval and Renaissance music too, sometimes.

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maxxxxx
For some tasks I can listen to audio podcasts like Fresh Air and comprehend it
while coding but for other things I need silence. Music often distracts me.

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__s
ADULT. makes for good background noise
[http://www.adultperiod.com](http://www.adultperiod.com)

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midnightmonster
I listen to almost any music I know well, typically in album order. Novelty in
the background is terrible for my attention.

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jrz53
Trip hop, metal, or asmr. I don’t really feel like music I enjoy with
discernible lyrics distract me though.

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Ono-Sendai
[https://tormentedradio.com/](https://tormentedradio.com/)

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handbanana
I don't usually listen to music. Two Steps From Hell isn't bad while coding,
though

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hprotagonist
when i absolutely must think very carefully: silence.

when i’m doing something tricky but not right at my limit: palestrina and
other polyphonic composers of medieval and renaissance sacred music.

plug and chug coding: kind of whatever.

~~~
hotsauceror
Anonymous 4 did some recordings of medieval masses and they were...
otherworldly. They really put you in the contemplative mood.

~~~
hprotagonist
yes. i like the tallis scholars as well. i’ve even seen them in concert a few
times.

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ilikecakeandpie
I listen to a lot of beats or samples usually. J Dilla is fantastic

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teaspoons
Nothing

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golergka
Boiler Room on air or archived shows, summer festival sets and Mixcloud.

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SmellyGeekBoy
Today? Mostly Weezer. Sorry to be the one to buck the trend!

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ghthor
Drum and Bass. Usually pick something from bassblog.pro

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masterleep
I like instrumental space music, like Tangerine Dream.

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SuperChihuahua
I listen to art/programming streams on twitch

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sudouser
if you concentrate with no music, you’ll lose focus. some great
recommendations in the thread, I’ll add frank ocean - endless

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eip
Goats yelling like humans in G major.

~~~
ruste
Can you hook me up with a source? I'd check the torrent sites, but I want to
support the artists ya'know.

~~~
eip
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSxAbEQgcZI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSxAbEQgcZI)

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znt
Chopin + Rainymood (dot) com.

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moltar
Brain.fm

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chrisco255
DeadMau5 radio on Pandora.

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badger_boder
Jazz or Drum and Bass.

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sjapkee
Math rock.

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phakding
Enigma

