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.
Top comments (110)
when I code and I know what I am doing I listen to fast paced music, I prefer music without vocals mostly I listen to fast Hardgroove Techno.
When I am thinking about a problem and trying to get a solution I listen to slower paced coding music (you can find them on youtube). Or just silence. As you mentioned noise cancelling headphones are good, even without any audio, just silence.
But once I have a solution or a specific todo, I go to turbo mode with techno ;)
I love lofi bits so much
Even i do
Hi MilMike thanks for sharing your preference. I will also give it a shot.
Here has been my process thus far in regards to music choices while coding.
If I am doing tasks I do frequently, I can listen to any kind of music and be productive. But if I am grokking something rather complex, I will opt for instrumental music. I really like Rachmaninoff and Debussy. I also like vaporwave and dreamwave in these situations as well. Shameless plug If youre asking, "Whats vaporwave/dreamwave?" here is a dreamwave album I released with a friend last year:
ttime.bandcamp.com
There are also moments where I appreciate silence, but its not always an option. With the pandemic my girlfriend is often working from home in the same house as me and a lot of her work is doing zoom calls with clients and verbally walking them through things.
Hi Justin! Thank you for sharing your opinion. You are absolutely right. Most of the time we need to find the fine balance between if we want to play music or not based on the task we are into. :) :)
Well it depends on the mode
In creative mode, I solve complex issues that require all my focus. I shut down my music and give all my brain can give, but I can't maintain this state for 30+ minutes
In productive mode, where I code large chunks using techniques I already master. I don't need that much focus and I love having minimal techno/trance in the background, that's necessary for me to enter the flow state and stay there for hours
There's also the impact of the genre on the code I produce
If I listen to long minimal techno mixes I'll be able deliver massive amount of code and stay in the flow state for a long time
But if I plug some ambient electronic music I'll be able to get very creative in the patterns I use and code things I couldn't code in a silent room
And if I listen to hard eurotrance I'll be able to sit through coding a feature I don't like (γ»`ΟΒ΄γ»)
That's correct Nino. I agree with you
Exactly Nino.
I've been listening to music while working since the '90s. Heavy metal music.
If there's no music, I freak out. I'm also treated to construction noises, street noises (a**holes with aftermarket mufflers, emergency vehicles (fire station AND hospital nearby), barking dogs, etc. "Silence" is not a thing here. I also cannot wear headphones if there's nothing coming out of them just for the sake of trying to block external noises. I never even liked headphones. A major advantage since the apocalypse began is that I'm home and don't need to use headphones.
Some of my most productive algorithms work in university was done while listening to MotΓΆrhead.
There's no link to that article you mentioned, but I can say this:
Not everyone is the same.
I also love listening to Heavy metal, currently Architects band. Thanks for sharing Michel
Hi Michel thanks for your comment. I agree not everyone is the same.
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.
wow thanks Mehdi. I did not know that
I have tried coding with melody heavy music in the background, but that didn't work for me. I would always focus more on the music than on the coding. Now I'm listening to lofi. The steady beat keeps me focused whilst not being a distraction. The music blends into the background and sometimes I don't even realize that it is even there.
Cool. Thanks for sharing Whaison
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
Cool that you had handwritten lyrics! Most of the songs I listened to were in English which isn't my native language so listening what was said came at a later age :P.
During coding songs with lyrics and sudden noises (AC/DC :P) are distracting. But what helps me concentrate more are more monotonous (in a good way) albums. Such as for example "Tripping with Nils Frahm".
Also what is interesting is the research that shows: "A moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creative cognition."
It's from the website coffitivity which has options to set background noise just as if you are in a cafe.
Cool. Thanks for sharing this knowledge Remi
Thanks for this post.
When you are in a noisy environment it is true you can become less and less productive.
I used to do programming around 4h am when everyone is sleeping and the world around is quiet and I solve problem quicker, with more efficiency at this time.
But we can admit that people are little bit different, that can happen a background-music help someone else be productive π. But in my case I think it's quiet environment, like that I can put all my focus on the problem.
Ya similar case for me Daniel.
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.
that's true doma.dev
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