Ask HN: What music do you listen to while working?
42 comments
Regardless of the genre, adding gentle rain in the background makes it all easy to focus to.
I have been enjoying Nier Automata's game soundtrack recently. EDM, Porter Robinson and related is also a favorite of mine. Citypop, jpop, latin pop, and kpop all help too. The music feels familiar but I don't get distracted by the words because I don't speak the languages well or at all.
When I need to focus for a long time, I put on a live performance of an artist I like and know the songs of. Daft Punk's Alive 2007, Porter Robinson's Worlds, and Yo Yo Ma's performance at the 2015 BBC Proms of Bach's Cello Suites are my main three. DJ Sets from things like Ultra, EDC, Coachella, BBC Radio One are nice as because the songs flow really well from one to the next.
I found that slowing down music has helped it be less distracting to me. Not all music will sound good, but slowed classical generally does. 75% to 80% speed playback of the Cello Suites is really nice.
I am enamored with, what feels like, youtube originated genres. "Dark Academia" is a vibe and playlist genre that has helped me discover a lot more classical and adjacent music. I enjoy the playlist titles and creative writing in the comments too.
I have been enjoying Nier Automata's game soundtrack recently. EDM, Porter Robinson and related is also a favorite of mine. Citypop, jpop, latin pop, and kpop all help too. The music feels familiar but I don't get distracted by the words because I don't speak the languages well or at all.
When I need to focus for a long time, I put on a live performance of an artist I like and know the songs of. Daft Punk's Alive 2007, Porter Robinson's Worlds, and Yo Yo Ma's performance at the 2015 BBC Proms of Bach's Cello Suites are my main three. DJ Sets from things like Ultra, EDC, Coachella, BBC Radio One are nice as because the songs flow really well from one to the next.
I found that slowing down music has helped it be less distracting to me. Not all music will sound good, but slowed classical generally does. 75% to 80% speed playback of the Cello Suites is really nice.
I am enamored with, what feels like, youtube originated genres. "Dark Academia" is a vibe and playlist genre that has helped me discover a lot more classical and adjacent music. I enjoy the playlist titles and creative writing in the comments too.
Plug for SOMAFM https://somafm.com super old internet radio stations. Drone Zone is great for concentration.
I usually play some rain sounds from https://lifeat.io, Lily Pond is my favorite.
Play the rain noise and some music with no lyrics at a fairly low volume, and it really works well.
I usually play some rain sounds from https://lifeat.io, Lily Pond is my favorite.
Play the rain noise and some music with no lyrics at a fairly low volume, and it really works well.
SOMAFM is cool, currently vibing to the defcon radio channel on it.
https://somafm.com/player/#/now-playing/defcon
https://somafm.com/player/#/now-playing/defcon
I recently moved away from music to using brown noise and it has proven far more effective at helping me stay in a focused state.
But one trick I learned back in my college days that worked well was to play a single song on loop. It doesn’t really matter what the song is, though ideally it is something you enjoy (though not one of your favorites as you don’t want to wear yourself out on it). After a loop or two your brain gets used to it and it goes in the background and you stop noticing it.
But one trick I learned back in my college days that worked well was to play a single song on loop. It doesn’t really matter what the song is, though ideally it is something you enjoy (though not one of your favorites as you don’t want to wear yourself out on it). After a loop or two your brain gets used to it and it goes in the background and you stop noticing it.
Kawaiicore playlist on spotify, Aphex Twin, Rezz, No Mana, lots of jpop, Alison Wonderland.
I have a subwoofer in my office and sometimes having a driving deep beat (Rezz) helps me focus much better. For me when I am able to physically feel the music there is a significant boost in my focus. When I can kind of dance or nod to it a bit while typing is a sign that I am at peak focus.
Aphex Twin really is magical for me. Sometimes the discord of something like syro u473t8+e[141.98][piezoluminescence mix] on a loop really helps me zone. Sometimes a more relaxed track like To Cure A Weakling Child works well. The ambient stuff like Xtal and Heliospan are great for relaxing and doing more creative tasks.
Jpop really improves my mood and something about interpreting the lyrics and singing along especially to the kind of repetitive cute nonsense of kawaiicore improves my creativity a lot. Its a good way to cleanse my musical palette.
I have a subwoofer in my office and sometimes having a driving deep beat (Rezz) helps me focus much better. For me when I am able to physically feel the music there is a significant boost in my focus. When I can kind of dance or nod to it a bit while typing is a sign that I am at peak focus.
Aphex Twin really is magical for me. Sometimes the discord of something like syro u473t8+e[141.98][piezoluminescence mix] on a loop really helps me zone. Sometimes a more relaxed track like To Cure A Weakling Child works well. The ambient stuff like Xtal and Heliospan are great for relaxing and doing more creative tasks.
Jpop really improves my mood and something about interpreting the lyrics and singing along especially to the kind of repetitive cute nonsense of kawaiicore improves my creativity a lot. Its a good way to cleanse my musical palette.
After 10 years I still use soundcloud. It's the easiest way to find hour long mixtapes in whatever genre you like. Plenty of non-vocal electronic genres which I find useful for programming. Can filter to ones added recently and over 30 minutes long so you never run out of music. DJ mixes (Deep house, progressive, indie dance) are great because with one track beatmatched to the next, you're less likely to encounter a jarring change in tempo or melody.
The autoplay feature is pretty good and usually finds a similar track so the music keeps going after the track you're listening to ends.
Still haven't found a service as good as soundcloud to minimize distraction so you stay lost in what you're doing.
The autoplay feature is pretty good and usually finds a similar track so the music keeps going after the track you're listening to ends.
Still haven't found a service as good as soundcloud to minimize distraction so you stay lost in what you're doing.
I'd say anything non-vocal usually works really well for me. If there are vocals, it's acceptable if they are effectively used as an incoherent musical instrument.
Music that tries to sing me a complex English narrative is too distracting to work as background material. Rammstein is one example of a clever workaround, since I don't understand German.
Music that tries to sing me a complex English narrative is too distracting to work as background material. Rammstein is one example of a clever workaround, since I don't understand German.
There's something about S.U.N. Project and Infected Mushroom that really gets me in the zone.
I also really like most of Aim to the Head Mixes[1] on YouTube
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAWykzoREYA
I also really like most of Aim to the Head Mixes[1] on YouTube
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAWykzoREYA
Lately, some of the chiller shows from cercle. E.g. [1]
Before that, lots of post-rock sprinkled with some infected mushroom according to my mood that day
--- 1: https://youtu.be/mKhQwfiDAfs
Before that, lots of post-rock sprinkled with some infected mushroom according to my mood that day
--- 1: https://youtu.be/mKhQwfiDAfs
Lo-fi girl livestream on youtube.
Just to add something different to the replies, I listen to a lot of rap, hip hop, indie and instrumental metal.
I used to use YouTube but it's a bit distracting for me so I have created a 6 hour playlist that I hope to make 20 hours
I used to use YouTube but it's a bit distracting for me so I have created a 6 hour playlist that I hope to make 20 hours
It really depends, different musical dimensions work on different days. A big distinction for me is between quiet music and loud music. One new artist on my rotation in the quiet music category is Jose Miguel Moreno, Spanish Guitar/Lute/etc. He has recorded some pieces composed in the 1500-1700s that are so spare, so direct- musically intricate but lacking the all encompassing change-your-personality noise that modern audio producing techniques make possible. Love the calm his playing induces.
My choices vary.
More recently, I’ve been listening to my local NPR station which plays classical for majority of my work day. At lunch, they have FreshAir and later in the afternoon All Things Considered. Depending on how focused I need to be, I’ll find something else to listen to during the non-music periods.
One thing I’ve noticed is I find it hard to listen to anything with words or lyrics if I need to focus but instrumental music (classical, jazz, electronic) helps me focus.
More recently, I’ve been listening to my local NPR station which plays classical for majority of my work day. At lunch, they have FreshAir and later in the afternoon All Things Considered. Depending on how focused I need to be, I’ll find something else to listen to during the non-music periods.
One thing I’ve noticed is I find it hard to listen to anything with words or lyrics if I need to focus but instrumental music (classical, jazz, electronic) helps me focus.
“Alexa, start my day” begins streaming of the local classical music station. I used to listen to music with lyrics, but it got to be a distraction at times.
House music, drum and bass, ambient, breaks, acid trance, a bit of world music and some game soundtracks. I have about 800 songs on several playlists.
NYTimes article about the authors, written in 2011: https://archive.nytimes.com/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/...
Lately: Cigarettes After Sex for some reason... Before I never thought I'd listed to music with lyrics while coding. But apparently things do change sometimes... Go figure.
btw, before it was mainly chillstep mixes from YT or Spotify... I still listen to this stuff here and there.
btw, before it was mainly chillstep mixes from YT or Spotify... I still listen to this stuff here and there.
When coding, I enjoy super long deep house sets, they have minimal vocals, and a set can be hours of consistent uninterrupted music with a constant pattern or time signature. Drowns out everything else
I listen to a lot of ambient music. Many of the CryoChamber artists are phenomenal: https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com
Drone works best for me.
Stuff like Phill Niblock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcdcWWcjBKg
When creating I like something lively and upbeat.
When debugging slow paced, classical.
Prefer no words as they distract. And will often get stuck in the brain 'never want to give you up, let you down ....' argggg
When debugging slow paced, classical.
Prefer no words as they distract. And will often get stuck in the brain 'never want to give you up, let you down ....' argggg
Lane 8 and all the other artists who publish to his label _This Never Happened_.
Artist radios starting on Bluetech, or any of his albums.
Playlists which match the keywords “Ambient Guitar”
Playlists which match the keywords “Space Ambient”
Artist radios starting on Bluetech, or any of his albums.
Playlists which match the keywords “Ambient Guitar”
Playlists which match the keywords “Space Ambient”
Nothing new that would utilize any brain to identify new patterns. Mostly what I always listen to. Otherwise, Lofi. Nothing with vocals (expect the songs I already know) to distract me.
Two Steps From Hell https://youtu.be/9O4_awEHh1g and similar things
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https://www.lofi.cafe/
Non distracting, no vocals, can select a few different streams.
Non distracting, no vocals, can select a few different streams.
Thanks, didn't know about this
Tycho
Might sound weird, but for me it's Metal.
Anything by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Ozric Tentacles. Never any lyrics and huge back catalog on YouTube.
Ear plugs. The ones people use in factories not to go deaf.
Sometimes Lofi hip hop, sometimes Infected Mushroom.
jacqueline du pre: daniel barenboim - elgar cello concerto. it's a half hour long and it'll get you in the zone.
Service: BrainFM.
Bands: 36, Marconi Union, ...
Genres: classical, jazz
Bands: 36, Marconi Union, ...
Genres: classical, jazz
Some albums of Electric Universe
Lofi hip hop beats.
BBC Radio 1 Anthems
Taylor Swift.
Death Metal.
Hank Trill
DI.fm
This has been asked before, but I'm curious about some current recommendations. My playlists range all the way from movie soundtracks through old school jazz and classic rock all the way to contemporary Italian pop. Occasionally, Bach, too.
What brings you into a focused state?