Music for Programming • Hacker News Board

Re: Music for Programming

#131

Post by bitwarrior » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 2:58 PM UTC

For programming, I cannot recommend Soma FM [1] highly enough. There are a huge number of stations, most lyric-free (as to reduce the potential for flow interruption). I personally enjoy Groove Salad Classic and Lush.

[1] https://somafm.com/

Re: Music for Programming

#132

Post by dijksterhuis » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:01 PM UTC

johncomposed wrote: post #130

I fully credit Autechre's album Exai for deconstructing and reconstructing my brain to learn functional programming back in college (shoutout Racket and BSL).

autechre are my usual favourites for mad scientist coding binges

Re: Music for Programming

#133

Post by gausswho » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:02 PM UTC

I too can enjoy the SomaFM/Dublab sounds for work.

But when I need to mix it up, I switch to FIP (Paris). They manage several different stations, but start with the main one first. It's excellently curated with more of a global palette than your typical station.

Re: Music for Programming

#134

Post by dmacfour » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:04 PM UTC

bananzamba wrote: post #98

In the morning I listen to chill electronic music without lyrics: Tycho, Emancipator, Blackmill, Jon Hopkins Later in the day I listen to more energetic electronic music (a lot of which is from the Hotline Miami soundtrack): M|O|O|N, Dan Terminus, Carpenter Brut, Daniel Deluxe, 1788-L, Pendulum

For me it's the soundtracks to Deus Ex (basically all the games), Mr. Robot, and Halt and Catch Fire.

Re: Music for Programming

#135

Post by mihaitodor » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:16 PM UTC

The Diablo II soundtrack on repeat

Re: Music for Programming

#136

Post by TiredOfLife » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC

gosukiwi wrote: post #41

I love instrumental only hip hop beats like shamisen x hip hop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qi_-RmXz_g

AI is really good with musac

Re: Music for Programming

#137

Post by mihaitodor » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC

tmtvl wrote: post #94

braincat31415 wrote: post #18

Iron Maiden for me :)

Metal for me as well, though I prefer more of the screamy-scream variety (Summoning, Judas Iscariot, Darkthrone,...).

Try Agalloch :)

Re: Music for Programming

#138

Post by mihaitodor » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:22 PM UTC

donkeybeer wrote: post #88

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness

Nice! \m/

Re: Music for Programming

#139

Post by hoooooooooome » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:26 PM UTC

bityard wrote: post #128

I like the concept but ambient as a genre doesn't really do anything for me. It makes me want to go take a nap. Haven't added anything to it in a while, but over the years I built a youtube playlist of songs that help me focus while working. Generally rules are: predominantly electronic, has some kind of beat, zero vocals. I'm up to over 500 songs at this point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dTpQwBMaBI&list=PL2A7B…

Fab playlist, thank you

Re: Music for Programming

#140

Post by swah » Mon, Apr 06, 2026, 3:39 PM UTC

Sn0wCoder wrote: post #126

Do not see this one in the thread yet, found this on HN years ago and always in the weekly rotation https://poolsuite.net/

Happy times, when that was trending...