Should I listen to music while coding?

When I was a teenager, I used to be a die-heart fan of 80's rock and roll music. I had maintained a handwritten lyrics book of all popular rock songs back then. From AC/DC to Eagles, Bon Jovie to Led Zeppelin, and Metallica to Guns N Roses, I used to have my phone loaded with hundreds of rock ballads.

I was quite obsessed with rock and roll. It used to be a source of dopamine to me. I used to get motivated and energized by those songs.

Now the time has changed, there has been a shift of paradigm. But the love for music is still the same. Starting my day with a simple workout with beast mode workout music is my hack to keep myself motivated to do more exercise. Even during the day while programming, I mostly wear headphones to keep myself focused and to stay away from disturbances.

But a few months back I stumbled upon an article online explaining why listening to music while coding is not a great idea. The logic is that when you are coding you are using your energy on different things - staring at the screen, solving a problem, and listening to music. You are losing energy through the eyes, ears, and, brain. You cannot close your eyes and neither you can turn off your problem-solving background job. One thing you can do is stop listening to music.

I advise using noise-canceling headphones if you want to get rid of background noise. Avoiding music while coding will help you put more energy into solving a programming problem and will make you more productive. If you do not agree with me yet, think about why people meditate with their eyes closed? They save energy doing so; which helps them to use that energy in the brain.

Trying to solve every algorithmic problem in O(logn) is not only the trait of a good programmer, trying to optimize your everyday algorithm crucial too.

Comments

[doma.dev]

Agreed!

Some people spend years coding to music to then realise how much productivity they have irrecoverably lost.

Ambient instrumental music, however, can be OK for some people, but nothing that grabs attention.

[poudyal_rabin]

that's true doma.dev

[Daniel Kaiser]

If I need to think about solutions to a new problem, not as much. But if it's tasks I know I can blaze through I will.

[poudyal_rabin]

cool. thanks Daniel

[Eelco Verbrugge]

This is personal. I'm getting into the 'zone' more easily by listening to music without vocals. Especially music (sets) I've already heard 10 times plus. If the song/set is new or including vocals, it does distract me indeed. Like

[Bert Meeuws]

Sometimes I feel like lo-fi is made for coding

[Łukasz B.]

I listen a lot productive sounds like fan or hairdryer. Idk, someone have the same like me ? :)

[Mehdi]

You can use binarual beats to increase productivity of your brain. Base on the situation you can use Gamma waves binarual beats for highest brain function and problem solving or you can use alpha waves binarual beats for more focus. Just read about brain waves and use the best binarual beats. Or either you can use 432 hz frequency(frequency of nature) it's very relaxing and good for increasing brain function.
But if you want to use your highest brain function, just use Gamma waves binarual beats when you are coding and every 30 minutes, relax on bed and play 432hz music for 10 minutes. It's really affect your brain function.
You can find binarual beats and 432hz frequency in YouTube.

[poudyal_rabin]

wow thanks Mehdi. I did not know that

[Giovanni Minelli]

Biologically yes, you shouldn't do it, to concentrate your effort in a single sensory direction (source: course of Cognitive Neuroscience at university). Personally if i listen to something music/podcast i can code for many hours straight without being tired. However when the task is mentally hard, the total complete silence is the way for me.

[poudyal_rabin]

thanks Giovanni

[Mohd Ahmad]

I think music a distraction while coding, I do not prefer listening to music anytime.

[Gergő Móricz]

Personally, music makes me work better and faster. I like to either listen to something that has a sort of 90s hip-hop style, or something super abrasive.

[poudyal_rabin]

cool. Thanks Gergo

[John]

Yay music. I love music. I play it, I feel it, I breath it. But sometimes music makes me less productive. For instance, anything with words or instrumentals from my favorite songs, I cannot listen to and code, because my mind focuses on words and familiar melodies. I have found instrumental movie sound tracks to be my bread and butter when I need to focus coding for hours at a time (or 25 mins at a time if I remember to turn on my pomello timer ha!). Here are some of my favorites: Tron Legacy by Daft Punk, Interstellar Movie Soundtrack and Social Network Movie soundtrack.

[poudyal_rabin]

Thanks John. Ya I totally agree on the tradoff we need to make for productivity. :)