Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Music for Programming

musicforprogramming.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 448 posts

Re: Music for Programming

#161

Post by 6stringmerc »

mangeletti wrote: post #139

I've listened to Brain.fm since this past February, and it is truly amazing. They have Focus, Relax, and Sleep, but I've only ever listened to Focus. It's like this steady stream of some kind of electronically generated music that changes each 30 minutes. I set it to 2 hours, and then I usually take a small break when it ends. I'll turn it on and literally get into the zone immediately; writing line after line of cod…

As a musician, I can guess this works on a base level because I like "white noise" type things too when working - specifically the laundry. If I have laundry going, I can focus and write / work on clay / draw with attention that music just simply won't allow for some reason. I guess what I'm inferring is that Focus is probably more aligned with white noise than an actual music listening experience.

Re: Music for Programming

#162

Post by rdiddly »

3chelon wrote: post #83

Does anyone know of any actual conclusive studies in this area? Like most here, I have my own rules and preferences. The main rule seems to be it must be familiar, in fact it's best if I've heard it a thousand times already. But there are only three kinds of music that work for me:- 1. Music I first got into during my teenage years when I was sitting up all night coding assembler (OK, I admit it, Pink Floyd) works we…

"A certain kind of loud, wall-of-sound rock music which is very heavy on distortion with subdued vocals..."

Sounds like you're describing My Bloody Valentine...

Re: Music for Programming

#163

Post by weaksauce »

mangeletti wrote: post #139

I've listened to Brain.fm since this past February, and it is truly amazing. They have Focus, Relax, and Sleep, but I've only ever listened to Focus. It's like this steady stream of some kind of electronically generated music that changes each 30 minutes. I set it to 2 hours, and then I usually take a small break when it ends. I'll turn it on and literally get into the zone immediately; writing line after line of cod…

I agree that it's like short circuiting into the zone but I am afraid of using it too much and it losing its effectiveness.

Re: Music for Programming

#166

Post by 3chelon »

Scarblac wrote: post #91
3chelon wrote: post #83

Does anyone know of any actual conclusive studies in this area? Like most here, I have my own rules and preferences. The main rule seems to be it must be familiar, in fact it's best if I've heard it a thousand times already. But there are only three kinds of music that work for me:- 1. Music I first got into during my teenage years when I was sitting up all night coding assembler (OK, I admit it, Pink Floyd) works we…

My experience is a lot like yours (especially "must have heard it a thousand times"). I apply one more trick, that I got from some self help book once: my energy level is not always the same, and too little energy is a problem for concentration but so is too much energy. If it's just right, I'll likely be able to find the flow and then the music matters less. Rage Against the Machine and Rammstein can improve energy…

Rammstein makes sense. I suppose my preference for the loud stuff at night comes down to stimulation and energy levels. Never actually thought of it in that way until now, thanks.

Re: Music for Programming

#167

Post by georgehotelling »

dyml wrote: post #90

Listen to the Cloud - I listen to a nice mix of Ambient music and ATC radio chatter at http://listentothe.cloud . I built this a couple of days ago and topped at /r/programming

Thank you for making this! I found it on reddit and have been really surprised how much the air traffic background helps me focus.

Re: Music for Programming

#168

Post by krylon »

guessmyname wrote: post #155

After years of visiting this website to listen to good remixes while I write code I feared the day when someone would link it to HN because I knew before hand that it would make it inaccessible. Go damn it people! Y U Do Dis ಠ_ಠ

I think it was posted on HN before. I think I recall that was how I first found it.

Re: Music for Programming

#169

Post by 3chelon »

closed wrote: post #116
3chelon wrote: post #83

Does anyone know of any actual conclusive studies in this area? Like most here, I have my own rules and preferences. The main rule seems to be it must be familiar, in fact it's best if I've heard it a thousand times already. But there are only three kinds of music that work for me:- 1. Music I first got into during my teenage years when I was sitting up all night coding assembler (OK, I admit it, Pink Floyd) works we…

I can only speak from the angle of memory/attention research, but a couple lines of study struck me. 1. Irrelevant speech / sounds tends to reduce memory capacity for the task at hand[a]. 2. People with ADHD self-stimulate by, e.g, squirming. Music can help them with attentional tasks by providing stimulation [b]. Overall, I'm not that familiar with studies specifically on music, but I'd guess that it's a trade-off b…

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I might have some level of ADHD based on those symptoms, esp. the squirming, which I've never been able to explain before!

Re: Music for Programming

#170

Post by pYQAJ6Zm »

6stringmerc wrote: post #161
mangeletti wrote: post #139

I've listened to Brain.fm since this past February, and it is truly amazing. They have Focus, Relax, and Sleep, but I've only ever listened to Focus. It's like this steady stream of some kind of electronically generated music that changes each 30 minutes. I set it to 2 hours, and then I usually take a small break when it ends. I'll turn it on and literally get into the zone immediately; writing line after line of cod…

As a musician, I can guess this works on a base level because I like "white noise" type things too when working - specifically the laundry. If I have laundry going, I can focus and write / work on clay / draw with attention that music just simply won't allow for some reason. I guess what I'm inferring is that Focus is probably more aligned with white noise than an actual music listening experience.

I tend to always keep a fan running for the same reason. Even when the weather doesn’t make it necessary – I just put in a corner of the room facing against the walls. Its noise helps.

With music, instead, the less I know a piece the more attention it draws. I can’t work with background music for this reason. But Brain.fm barely has this effect on me, curiously.

Post reply on HN