Ask HN: What kind of music do you listen to while programming?

My Youtube history for today includes:

Minimal Techno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll90vpeeA4c

House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSxLX5y265Y

Indian Tabla beats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ3avjVpmec

Ambient / Experimental electronic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVA-sCmIl0w

No lyrics, words distract me.

Must have a solid beat, it keeps me focused.

Soma FM's Groove Salad http://somafm.com/groovesalad/

Great choice. I was getting quite sick of listening to the same albums over and over until I found this and 'The Trip' Soma.fm channel.

Groove Salad is very good, but sometimes it reminds me of porno music. I've been rotating between Space Station Soma and the Dubstep channel (which actually plays quality Dubstep (if such a thing exists)).

Soma.fm is one of the websites I like giving money too, I only wish they had cooler things in their store (I've got the mug, and the hoodies/t-shirts aren't too appealing to me).

I don't code, but I started writing an all-text website, which kindof counts, right?

When I'm on the computer to do any kind of work, be it the website or accounting or anything, I listen to techno on Frisky Radio, downtempo on SomaFM's Groove Salad & psyambient on HBR1's Dream Factory.

A mix of different stuff, and it somewhat depends on my mood and the environment. But mainly metal and rock of various sorts. Usually a mix of stuff like Queensryche, Motley Crue, Deicide, In Flames, Borknagar, Def Leppard, Black Veil Brides, Halestorm, Emperor, Disturbed, Dokken, Europe, Iced Earth, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, Metallica, Megadeth, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Evanescence, Godsmack, Nocturnal Rites, Death, Cannibal Corpse, Crashdiet, Vains of Jenna, Sleaze Beeze, Twisted Sister, Steel Panther, etc.

But other times, I want something with no lyrics, so I usually dial up a shoutcast station playing some kind of trance / electronic music of some sort, or classical music.

http://www.radioparadise.com

DJ Falcon live sets. You have to pirate them, since they are just recordings of him doing live shows and are not available commercially.

DJ Falcon is part of the French House genre. He has done a few records, but is known primarily for his live DJ shows and his collaborations with Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk (Together and So Much Love To Give).

If you like Daft Punk, especially if you like their Alive 2007 live album, you'll probably like DJ Falcon's live sets. They're rhythmic, melodic, and interesting. There are frequently parts of 3 songs going at one time, which sounds like a recipe for disaster, but turns out utterly sublime.

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YES! We're keeping the tradition alive!

Unbelievable

Mostly repetitive 4/4 stuff like house or techno, sometimes downtempo/ambient/dubtechno (at night). Preferably without vocals; I am not a big fan of these types of genres (when I am not working I would never listen to these) but I found them very good for coding - they eliminate unwanted noises though they do not need your focus because of the repetitiveness.

EPIC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bStRND-vJj8&list=RD02vpV_... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAsRnFa4NlY

http://musicforprogramming.net

Heavy-f'n-metal! Usually of the melodic death variety. Currently: disarmonia mundi, from Italy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXYhmqs4OaM

Really gets the blood pumping!

If I need deep concentration when programming then I find Drum & Bass works a treat. The music is fast, making your mind tick a bit faster and there are very few lyrics to get distracted by.

RealX, it's Eve Online's background music. Some of it can be found on https://soundcloud.com/ccpgames

I prefer total silence, but when I need something to listen to I go with classical. Piano and/or violin sonatas are my go-to choice.

Absolutely no music while reading or programming. I find it impossible to concentrate unless there is complete quietness.

TV shows I can half listen to (X-Men)

Movies I've seen a million times (How to Train Your Dragon, The Matrix, etc)

Music with lyrics I've heard a million times

Electronica

That's the kind of stuff I need in the background when I'm trying to sleep. As soon as I turn the background noise off I'm wide awake.

Romantic FM - http://www.romanticfm.ro/live

80% of the time no music (Just peace and quite).

20% easy coffeehouse jazz with no lyrics (Art Blakey).

None. But some time I hear english videos in background to learn english.

Generally either electronica, glitch-hop, or 90s/00s alternative rock.

Progressive psychedelic trance. Downtempo, psy-ambient, dub.

http://di.fm

Simon & Garfunkel (I'm in my mid thirties though)

Either complete silence or trance without any vocals.

i go for techno music to keep me focused on my work

99% of the time no music.

When there is music, it's post-rock:

If These Trees Could Talk

Explosions in The Sky

Mooncake

Caspian

Let me add Godspeed You! Black Emperor and your list is perfect :-)

Exclusively Danny Brown.

Mujuice, Crystal Castles

Going Quantum podcast

Ghazals, Sufi, Qawwali, old Bollywood melodies[†], rare-few new Bollywood melodies[0], Rock[1], Rock&Roll[1], country, ballad, classical - both western(few)/Indian[2] and Indi-pop[3]

This pretty much sums it up. It's very mixed up. Many times I just trust iTunes' Shuffle but it's never unique. Any programs for Mac that actually randomizes the queue each time I ask it to?

I prefer it when the sound is directly not coming into my ears through headphones/earphones, which is a problem at office, because it's distracting(yes, to me at least) and I feel uncomfortable - get a headache or it just doesn't feel as good as when it comes from a little distance at a serene volume. I used to set up a pair of speakers in farthest corner of my flat, but now it's a 1 bedroom flat :(.

Any one else with such choice or setup? :-)

..

[†] That means at least 30-40 yr old Hindi songs

[0] Most new Hindi film songs are below garbage

[1] The ones that doesn't include screaming(as in when you hate your vocal chords), hammering head and metallic objects on bodies, floors, drums and against many other surfaces and objects

[2] The ones that are easy to appreciate

[3] Not to be confused with Indie-pop :-)

I have similar music tastes, and might have some suggestions to add to your collection. Have you listened to Dub Qawwali[0] or the Ashla Bhosle Kronos Quartet collobration[1]?

[0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxWUrb0QZFs [1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXjpck1SfjQ

Thanks for [0] (had listened to few titles including one in your YT link but not all - will get them all) and yes I've listened to [1].

Saved on Spotify :-)

How do you manage the language, subtitles? Or you know Hindi/Urdu?

I was working on a Bollywood movie once in New Jersey and got into some of the music. I really like how the language sounds. But all I know in Hindi is how to pick out a cute girl and say "Acha Hey..." (which I learned from the Indian film crew)