What music do you listen to while coding?

I usually tune into Bassdrive (1) or some other drum and bass. It gives me the most energy and focus of the different genres I've tried.

(1) http://www.bassdrive.com/

I listen to instrumental music - whether classical, contemporary or techno, and sometimes even rock.

I find vocals very distracting.

D&B ftw :)

Meshuggah - Catch 33. Mainly instrumental, rhythmic prog metal that is utterly lacking in melody or anything distracting like that. Sounds like a battle between diesel engines. Instantly sends my right brain to sleep so I can get on with the maths.

Something full of joy, and bouncy: happy hardcore (Dune, Scooter), eurodance, etc.

I usually prefer silence if I can get it, but failing that I listen to pandora stations based either on Bach or Mumford and Sons.

Baroque music and jazz are nice when it's quiet at the office but it rarely is so I have to resort to metal.

Nothing. I've never been able to effectively code while listening to music. I don't like having several things competing for my attention while trying to concentrate on something tricky.

Drum and Bass, dubstep, electronica. Strictly to filter out insipid office noise. I prefer total silence when I can get it, but certain kinds of music are vastly preferable to office babble.

Inspiration of club hip hop. Right now lots of J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar

Silence if I won't get interrupted. Otherwise, I have mix of 80s, 90s and techno. I also like sound tracks to some techie/pseudo techie movies (ie:social network,pirates of SV etc)

Phish!

soma.fm

Favorite stations:

-Space Station Soma

-Secret Agent

-Suburbs of Goa

-Groove Salad (though oftentimes sounds like porn music)

musicforprogramming.net

and anything by chroma key/kevin moore

Am I allowed to comment on this if I'm not a coder? I design and work on my startup (and occasionally do coding tutorials) to music anyway.

I can't do stuff with lyrics if I'm really trying to concentrate, so I stick to indie instrumentals like...

Ratatat, Delicate Steve, Mice Parade, French Paddleboat

Otherwise, old school jazz like...

Gerry Mulligan, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver

And sometimes Jamaican style ska like...

The Skatalites, Blue Beat Players, Jazz Jamaica

This feels like it gets asked quite often:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1734122

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2891596

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2848674

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1525445 <-- has links to others threads on the same topic

It was a quick search and I am sure there are more that I missed.

Mostly instrumental stuff. Some Dub, electronica that sort of thing. Lyrics usually distract but sometimes they are ok if the music is smooth. This is the stuff that has been in rotation for me lately:

http://northatlanticdrift.bandcamp.com/album/canvas http://seaoleena.bandcamp.com/album/sea-oleena http://pitchblack.bandcamp.com/album/remixes-rarities http://okamusic.bandcamp.com/album/half-lazy-half-crazy http://trinityroots.bandcamp.com/album/true And most of the Ultimae catalogue: http://ultimae.bandcamp.com/

Nothing beats the Breaking Bad Cooking Meth Soundtrack.

http://www.uproxx.com/music/2012/08/breaking-bad-cooking-met...

In one word, classical.

In two words, classical instrumental.

In more violin, cello, piano, orchestra, and voice not in English, e.g., usually Italian.

Examples:

     Rachmaninoff
     Rapsody on a Theme of Paganini
     Van Cliburn
     Eugene Ormandy
     Philadelphia Orchestra

     Antonin Dvorak,
     Second Movement,
     Adagio, ma non troppo,
     Concerto for Cello and Orchestra,
     Mstislav Rostropovich, cello
     Herbert von Karajan
     Berliner Philharmoniker

     Beethoven
     Piano Concerto 5
     Van Cliburn
     Fritz Reiner
     Chicago Symphony Orchestra

     Adagio un poco mosso

     Rondo Allegro

     Max Bruch
     Scottish Fantasy
     Andante Sostenuto
     Jascha Heifetz
     Malcolm Sargent
     New Symphony Orchestra of London

     Peter Tchaikovsky
     Variations on a Rocco Theme for Cello
     and Orchestra
     Mstislav Rostropovich, cello
     Herbert von Karajan
     Berliner Philharmoniker

     Chopin
     Etude in E
     Van Cliburn

     Puccini
     Gianni Schicchi
     O mio bambino caro
     Kiri Te Kanawa

     Beethoven
     Violin Romance Number 2
     David Oistrakh
     Eugene Goossens
     Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

     Chopin
     Fantaisie-Impromptu
     in C Sharp Minor
     Van Cliburn

     Brahms
     Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor
     Andante
     Heifetz
     Piatagorsky
     Alfred Wallenstein
     NBC Symphony Orchestra

     Beethoven
     Violin Sonata Number 9
     "Kreutzer"
     Variation II, Andante
     Jascha Heifetz
     Brooks Smith

     Beethoven
     Violin Sonata Number 5
     "Spring"
     Scherzo, Allegro molto
     Jascha Heifetz
     Emanual Bay

     Beethoven
     Violin Sonata Number 5
     "Spring"
     Trio
     Jascha Heifetz
     Emanual Bay

     Bach
     Cello Suite 1 in G major
     Prelude
     Rostropovich

     Delibes
     Coppelia
     Richard Bonynge
     National Philharmonic Orchestra
     Act 1
     Prelude et mazurka

Usually I listen to the sound of rain. If I listen to music then I prefer classical and jazz.

Usually instrumental soundtracks. I usually listen to streamingsoundtracks.com. Aside from the occasional vocal piece, it's great background music.

Bad Horsie - Steve Vai Massive Attack Whispering a prayer - Steve Vai Taurus Bulba - Steve Vai