
What music do you listen to while programming? - AndyKelley
http://biodegradablegeek.com/2007/12/10/music-to-code-by-what-do-you-listen-to-while-programming/
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maurycy
I tend to avoid music with lyrics, while programming. Surprisingly, it
distracts me. I also frequently listen the same track for few hours, so I stop
"hearing" it and becomes the background.

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aswanson
I thought I was the only one who had a problem with lyrics. Parsing language
must interfere with the same part of the brain that programming requires.

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mdemare
Strangely, even though I'm nearly fluent in English, I can tune out English
lyrics effortlessly, but not Dutch ones (my native language).

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Hexstream
Similarly for me, I can understand spoken english almost perfectly easily but
I'm having a hard time understanding even a couple words from an english song
even if I try hard. (native language: french)

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JMiao
<http://www.thesixtyone.com/james> (click on "listen to radio")

instrumental stuff usually works best, but i like variety.

i've recently become very fond of danger and m83.

<http://www.thesixtyone.com/danger> <http://www.thesixtyone.com/m83>

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metatronscube
AFX, Aphex Twin, Tool, Boards of Canada, Kyuss, Pink floyd..etc because it
makes me think like a computer Beeep...beep...beep!

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ivank
Alex Brandon's Deus Ex OST. Kahvi Collective (all free). Schiller. 120 Days.
Yoko Kanno's Ghost in the Shell OSTs. Other minimal or bassy electronic music
(James Holden). But when I have to fix some difficult logic, I just put the
music away.

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procrastitron
All of Yoko Kanno's stuff is pretty good. I'm really partial to her songs from
Cowboy Bebop.

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mosburger
Electronic music with minimal lyrics. It's the only time i listen to that
genre - it puts my mind into work-mode.

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thingsilearned
I listen to a song on repeat for a day or two before moving on to a new song.
It seems to distract part of my brain so the other part can code. And oddly
after 2 days of listening to a song I only know the lyrics to the chorus. Its
very strange but works great for me.

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axod
"Were no strangers to love You know the rules and so do i"

The only song you ever need. Endless loop.

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dmoo
Wow! I recognised the lyrics, how scary is that....

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mtts
In really stressful situations, old hardcore or punk (that I know really well
so I won't actively listen to it) helps me get things done.

But usually it's just post rock or techno or something else that's kind of
boring and instrumental.

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dhimes
White noise--ocean waves, rainfall "sounds of nature" stuff. Another post
today from science blogs may explain why it works (although I don't have adhd)

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redline6561
Just about anything that suits my mood. I do tend towards instrumental music
when coding though. Lately it's been lots of Amon Tobin.

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kungfooey
SomaFM and DI.FM, in particular "Groove Salad" on SomaFM.

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jamess
I'm weird, I have a tendency to sing along to the song I'm listening to while
I'm working. It gets me through the non-thinking parts of my day.

I listen to a lot of different types of music. In order of popularity,
probably reggae, folk rock, bluegrass, punk and then various other
miscellaneous odds and ends. I tend to prefer songs with lyrics that are
either clever or witty, or both. A particular favourite of mine at the moment
is "The Battle" by Lady Sovereign et al. Lyrics like "Eating MCs like Ready
Brek" and "I kill you little kids like morning after pill" never fail to make
me smile.

Also, allow me to apologise in advance for the trauma caused by placing the
image of a middle class white British guy singing reggae in your mind.

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mhartl
I like classical while programming. Check out Otto's Baroque Musick:
[http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/index.phtml?sgenre=Classi...](http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/index.phtml?sgenre=Classical)

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maryrosecook
I don't get distracted by music at all.

If I want to get focused quickly, I listen to some particularly horrible
electronica (Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole by Venetian Snares is a good
example). If it's three in the morning, I listen to some minimal electronica
(Vladislav Delay, B. Fleischmann both good).

Otherwise, it's whatever I'm enjoying at the moment (recently: brutal hardcore
like Circle Takes The Square, weird indie like Frog Eyes and Sunset Rubdown).

Finally, long albums are good because of the longer gaps between ends of songs
and ends of records.

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shaunxcode
Lately it's been Crass into Cro-Mags (age of quarrel), dag nasty and damage
control. The power of the alphabet. But when I am fleshing out entirely new
stuff I need to listen to something that just blows my mind away so I don't
even try to drum along to it etc. For me buddy rich stuff from the 70s does
the trick. INSANELY complex/fast and super polished in a way that most jazz
isn't which is normally a turn off but some how it works with his stuff.

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subwindow
I like stuff with driving beats that keep me focused on what's in front of me.

Talking Heads is really great hacking music. "Born Under Punches" is a really
good example of a song that you can hack to.

I listen to an insane variety of music while hacking. Some highlights of the
past month or so: Bob Dylan, Ruby Suns, Evangelicals, Paul Simon, Anton
Webern, The Dodos, Xiu Xiu, The Velvet Teen. A pretty good variety of classic
rock, indie rock, experimental and classical.

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justindz
If I'm really in the zone, I'll listen to punk or hardcore like AFI or Saetia
and not notice. Other times, I pretty much stick to cello or violin music.

Mostly, silence.

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lyime
livesets.us

Armin Van Buren - A state of trance Above and Beyond - trance around the world
Tiesto - club life David Guetta and plenty more. I love electronic music.

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lampy
I also go for <http://etn.fm> sometimes.

I find trance great, because it typically has no lyrics, or even if it does
then they are very simple so they just become sounds that are part of song
itself.

Once in a while though when I'm at some crossroads and need to truly
concentrate on something for 3 minutes I just mute everything around me for
total silence.

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gcv
Complex music doesn't distract me, although I also avoid anything with lyrics.
I listen to a decent blend of orchestral, chamber, and solo music. Bach is my
favorite composer, but I like all polyphonic Baroque for when I need to
concentrate.

If I'm in real trouble and really need to focus, I break out Philip Glass. His
early stuff, like Music in Twelve Parts, is mesmerizing, really helps
concentrate.

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misterbwong
Wow. The title is almost exactly the same as this much older AskYC question.

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=99936>

My answer is pretty much the same as before: Anything my brain doesn't try to
process. I'm still listening to Nujabes - Modal Soul, actually.

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AndyKelley
Oops, sorry. I didn't see an easy way to check for duplicate entries.

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yan
Daft Punk

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btw0
This question has been asked so many times here, I think it's better to have
this sticky.

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Flemlord
Silence. I am easily distracted.

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korupt
I would say mostly political punk and KMFDM. Listening to music with someone
spewing their personal views which most of the time I share, helps anger me
and get me going... ;)

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yters
Anyone else beatbox while they work? I really like rhythm for some reason.

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papersmith
Chamber music works great for me. I especially like Mozart's sonatas.

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mannylee1
None. Listening to music just distracts me.

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okeumeni
The only music I listen to is music from my brain. May sound crazy but its
true. Any music distracts me.

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rms
Post-rock, because I find it kind of boring and I get distracted by music that
I like too much.

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shaunxcode
oh and: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Monte_Young>

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iamdave
A lot of hard rock. It compliments the liquor

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noonespecial
www.limbikfreq.com (Limbik Frequencies)

Lots of experimental electronic music and glitch. Seems perfect for the kind
of programming I do...

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DaniFong
For a long time I was powered by radiohead.

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mattdennewitz
lately, the field and clinic

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justindz
Clinic is good, simple rhythm for detailed work. Good call.

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asillyusername
John Hartford!

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run4yourlives
somafm.com ftw!

