I want my environment to be silent while programming. Listening to music actually deviate from what I'm doing. I wonder how it helps some. :-)
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
I want my environment to be silent while programming. Listening to music actually deviate from what I'm doing. I wonder how it helps some. :-)
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
Vishnu Satheesh -
uliyahoo -
Dev Leader -
Konstantinos Mazgaltzidis -
Latest comments (53)
I actually can't work in a completely silent environment, it makes me so nervous - especially if I have deadlines. With music everything just feels less stressed.
I love listening to old school rock music while coding, it gives me the motivation I need :)
I learned a long time ago that I could do two things at once with my brain, given that the activities were different enough to not collide. In some way, they complement each other and I end up more focused. Usually one is considered more mindless than the other, but I don't believe that to really be true. I think they just require different aspects of my attention and perhaps in some way I detach one of the "processes" to my subconscious.
To me, listening to music is one of those activities and can be a "planned distraction." It activates a part of my brain that I don't use for coding or writing and stimulates it, reducing the pull that other distractions may have.
Another example is doodling or drawing while listening to a lecture. I am less prone to drifting off or diverting my attention when I am focused on the paper in front of me with my eyes and fingers, leaving my ears to listen to the speaker.
If you drive, you probably do this already. At some point driving becomes that "mindless" task and you are able to have conversations or more actively listen to the radio or podcast.
Everyone is different, and a pairing that works for one person might not work for another.
Sometimes when I'm stuck, a little bit of distraction will break the ideas loose. Having the right music (depends on my mood) can help keep my thoughts moving forward.
While some prefer music (myself included), others prefer some background noise to boost their productivity. I found that few people prefer actual silence, as they usually use sound blocking headsets to achieve absolute noise reduction.
IMHO, as some other comments said, music depends on your mood. Rhythm (fast/slow paced), lyrics (voiceless/voice) and genre widely depends on what you're doing, as it can distract you more than help. It really depends on the type of work you're doing at the moment: creative, repetitive, low skill + hard or high skill + easy (based on the "Flow" theory graph happenchance.net/wp-content/upload... or just search "flow skill" on Google Images).
Since playlists depends on each individual music style, the only tip I can give is coffitivity.com/, which is a site that simulates ambience noise.
Really loud music quitens the screaming in my head.
Music is always going through my head. If I play it externally, then my entire brain can focus on code.
I used to program in a biology lab, so it was either listen to machines constant rumble, or listen to music. I've gotten a playlist of nearly 200 hours of non-vocal trance for this reason: I can only really program with music on.
Open office made me do it.
I pretty much agree -- silence when developing is my ideal.
I have found that having a ticking clock is quite soothing, but maybe it just gives some part of my brain something meaningless to focus on so it doesn't wander off making up conversations with imaginary people.
That happens with everyone, right?
I do.
I'm convinced programming is the reason I got into weird surf music like man or astro man, messr chups, or the ghastly ones. I don't surf! Or even have much to do with the ocean, usually!
Also try searching these things on YouTube for some interesting instrumental finds in other genres:
IMO, music helps you get into "flow".
From my personal observation when working & listening to music, I see two patterns:
1) There are times when coding with music makes you super-productive (often when you know what you are solving and need to actually code it).
2) There are times where you need silence to concentrate & solve / understand the problem at hand. If all your mental capacity goes towards that problem, then - music can be distracting.
But in the end - it all depends on the person & the context ;)
I listen to music because:
1) Music allows me to "disconnect" from the "real" world and focus on my work. ( i suffer of difficulties to get focus)
2) Having earphones it's a way to say people: "don't disturb me... im focused working"
3) I was in the "business show" and talked with a Dj.. he told me that likes to "control" people with music, when he rises the beat, people tend to move faster... so i took that idea for me... and when i need to get "hard core" to get things done i use Psytrance so i experience a rise in my productivy and i start writing code so fast when "beat" rises and slowing when it go down this is amazing because i can code a lot with the music rhythm.
4) Allow me to relax sometimes or decrease stress.. when i'm coding sometimes i get stressed but using music it's different. Silence stress me out.
That's why i use music to code...
:)
If you work in an office with an open floor, it helps to ignore the noise. I generally listen to instrumental stuff which doesn't impact my concentration much.
I mainly listen to instrumental music just to get my head in the zone while coding. And listen to nothing when Iโm learning something new.
As lots of people have written, it helps them from becoming a distraction. For me, I listen to music as well as things like youtube videos or podcasts as well.
There is always some part of coding that is rote and not as interesting as other parts. When I need to be working on the more boring parts, the music / other audio helps take up the part of my brain that is bored.