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Soundtracks are designed to be thrilling, uplifting, suspenseful, etc and they're an underrated source of programming focus. My muscle memory is to press they keyboard play button the moment I open VS Code. I don't even realize I'm doing it: programming = soundtrack listening.

The keyboard play button always works, btw, only because I've installed BeardedSpice to force it:

    brew install --cask beardedspice

I made a Spotify playlist with 32 hours of Soundtracks that help me stay in the zone. It's all sort of epic & uplifting, or suspenseful and building up to something... none of that 8-bit video game beep boop nonsense.

Lots of Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Danny Elfman, David Newman, John Williams of course...

Here's a link if you'd like to see the list: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31buZEaVGW9f5Y4cEcKtbt?si=...

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To piggy back off your comment, for people with a disposition for electronic music I've curated a playlist over the past 6 or 7 years of largely lyricless progressive house, techno, and electronica that helps me enter a "flow state" when I'm working. I'll share below. It's nearing 300hrs long but I add to and prune it almost everyday. I personally find classical music to be too distracting/engrossing, while the aforementioned genres I find soothing to work to.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4kXkKPkOoKmWuhmGnBMVRp?si=...

I see that you’ve named your playlist “flow state” so you might like the Flow State[0] “podcast” on Spotify. It is classified as such, but is really a playlist timed to the pomodoro method in which the author speaks about the science of flow state during the pomodoro breaks.

[0] https://open.spotify.com/show/4IssY4XjHXdpTNOzpaeyxh

Thanks, I've followed that for future listening! When I'm doing "light" work or studying I'm partial to short stints like the Pomodoro method. What the podcast author has done is very clever with the melding of playlist and podcast.

When doing "deep" work, I'm more partial to much longer stints without interruption though. I enjoy becoming engrossed in my work for 4-6 hour stints, only coming to when my partner or colleague throws something at me to bring me back to reality, which I find the playlist helps me achieve; especially if I set Spotify to meld songs together. There's a fine line between productive and meditative that music really seems to trigger in me.

Ohh that's right up my alley in terms of selection, thanks! Maybe you'll find more stuff in mine as well, went for a very similar vibe: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5TKa6UIDMybmeAGq39ymPE?si=...

I personally find myself much more drawn to game soundtracks.

Such as dead cells, a hat in time, hollow knight, risk of rain and kerbal space program.

Although, I pruned a lot of the more hectic pieces of music for the programming playlist.

Some examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn9trJXUrp0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysPtBjY8o_A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiIBmbKX8F0

Not sure if it fits your tastes, but Nier Automata has an amazing soundtrack as well.

How could I forget Nier? Thanks for reminding me of it.

As for my tastes, I pretty much listen to whatever genre.

Might as well throw one of my playlists in here, while I am at it. (although, that isn't my programming playlist, because I don't have that one online) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLywFQp5QJX9v-0UvTG-gv...

Maybe you can find something to your taste in there.

Icewind Dale anyone? : )

Wow thank you for sharing the playlist. I was ready to go make my own after reading your comment.

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