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Ask HN: What do you listen to while coding/designing?

9 points by ryhanson ↗ HN
After slipping on my Sennheiser HD598's and turning on some Venetian Snares on Spotify, I started to wonder: What are other developers out there listening to while they write some code?

1. Do you wear headphones/earbuds, if so, what kind? Sennheiser HD598 Open-Air Headphones

2. Do you use speakers, if so, what kind? When I don't have headphones on I use Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speakers.

3. What genre(s) of music do you listen to? I listen to everything indie, electronic, classic rock, hip-hop. But I generally prefer instrumental music, or music with minimal lyrics.

4. Do you have a hacking playlist on Spotify? No. But maybe we should start a collaborative Hacker News playlist?!

32 comments

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sfrechtling
1. Some California Headphones (Laredos) 3. Electronic, Hip Hop, Metal

At the moment - Macklemore's Album

yodakohl
Putting myself in a convenient environment is crucial for my productivity. I have two places, one in work, one at home that are dedicated for working purposes. Within this environment I always listen to www.trance.fm, lyrics would distract me. It's a never ending stream so I don't have to care about selecting tracks. I don't care about headphones, as long as they aren't uncomfortable to wear.
ryhanson
Environment is huge for me too, but when I can't control it as I would like, a good pair of earbuds helps to block everything out. Lyrics distract me at times too.
jejones3141
I listen to a variety of music--from Gesualdo to Wendy Carlos to Mike Oldfield. I gained a fan for The Bobs when I was at work looking at a code generator late one night, thinking myself alone, on headphones listening to their "My Shoes" and singing the bass line along with Richard Bob full force. "What are you listening to?!" I explained, and before long poof! A new FOB!
kevinyun
Songza is awesome. I listen to the 'saving the world from evil' and 'epic study music' playlists. They're really great.
ryhanson
I've used Songza before, its pretty sweet. I think I even found a coding playlist on it?
ryhanson
I've been listening to a lot of Sigur Ros lately too. Although it has lyrics, I can't understand them and the music seems more instrumental.
std_map
game tunes from rainwave.cc
lifeisstillgood
Am I the only one who finds almost all music distracting - I like to listen to it not ignore it. If I am going to concentrate I need to use all my brain cells (I only have a few left you see), so I listen to nothing.
meerita
Sometimes I use to listen rain and forest sounds at very low level. I live in a nice and quiet neighbourhood in Barcelona city and I can enjoy such moments with this kind of music.
ceeK
I'm the same. I can listen whilst doing mundane tasks but anything where I actually have to think it's a big distraction.

That said, I dislike pure silence as well due to my tinnitus and general liking of some ambient noise.

orangethirty
I put on Netflix on the background (iPod). Play tv series. Currently watching Top Gear and The Wonder Years.
ryhanson
I like to put on Netflix on my iPad, but only if I'm doing something that doesn't take too much thinking.
mmariani
It depends on the concentration level a user story needs to get and my mood to get it done.

  Light: Beatles, Bob Marley, CB, Lemon Jelly, Rush, etc.
  Medium: Bonobo, Dave Brubeck, Ludovico Einaudi, Bach, Vivaldi, etc. 
  High: rainymood.com or silence
codemonkeymike
Listen to mostly NPR podcasts on my razor headset, in specific I will listen to Freakanomics, This American Life, Radio Lab, Illusioniod, Tell Me More, Brian Leher Show, Planet Money, Stuff You Missed In History Class, NPR Science, TED Talks, and when I go through all of that I will listen to some music (Local Natives, Mumford and Sons, Parlor Mob, The Killers, Edward Sharpe..., She and Him, Of Monsters and Men, Catch 22) There are more things I listen to but I cant think of right now. I am relatively productive with most things I listen to except for Illusioniod.
ngoel36
How in the world do you listen to NPR and code at the same time?
codemonkeymike
Easily, 50% of the coding I do mindless website building which really doesn't need my full attention. The rest of the time I tune it out and end up listening to it again later.
crazydiamond
kat.ph has a guy called Gandalf, german composer, instrumental easy listening, really good for coding with.
meerita
1. Yes, I use headphones. Currently Sennheisser HD 555.

2. I have Harman Kardon SoundSticks III 2.1 Channel Sound System. I use them when watching a movie or when I'm alone at home.

3. All kind of metal. Mostly progressive, technical death metal, deathcore, etc. Then classical, ambient, trip and a lot of Soundtracks…

4. I do but I rarely use Spotify.

weigo
Normally I do not listen to music, because then it is harder to concentrate on the actual task.
kohanz
streamingsoundtracks.com, although it has deteriorated somewhat over the years. It used to be exclusively instrumental tracks from popular movies, but now there are more vocal and video game tracks than I care for.
mapster
Apple speakers and stream trance music.
b3b0p
KEXP.org, OCRemix / Rainwave.cc.

When at home and working on side projects or things that don't need much concentration I put on a podcast or Netflix. I like the background noise.

sixQuarks
I like listening to the instrumental versions of my favorite bands. If you use spotify, just type in "Pink floyd instrumental" for example.

Singing distracts me, but the instrumental is perfect because it's like riding a bike, my mind doesn't have to concentrate on the song, it already knows it, and the music actually helps me think.

mrkmcknz
I usually just put a Michael Nyman playlist on and turn my headphones up to a level where I can't hear anything over than an explosion.

Personally works for me.

But, ideally anything I can listen to for a couple of hours without feeling the urge to skip songs or sing along to. Instrumentals only.

daniel-cussen
Pop, trance, electronica, club/dance music. Half of the music I listen to is garbage, but I listen to it for the beats.
krsunny
Open up groveshark, play "my station"