News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Music for Programming by dijksterhuis on Sunday April 05, 2026 @04:36PM (#47653622)
Re:Music for Programming by quinnjh on Sunday April 05, 2026 @04:39PM (#47653656)
This site is a gem that has accompanied me on many spikes in the last year :) datasette's original music is top tier too. cognitively stimulating but not attention stealing.
Re:Music for Programming by klondike_klive on Sunday April 05, 2026 @05:21PM (#47653997)
Have you listened to his "business funk" mixes? Too stimulating for work (for me) but so much fun. In my head it's the soundtrack to me striding through an open plan office barking nonsense business jargon.
Re:Music for Programming by nakedneuron on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:28PM (#47654600)
For me, the Bach of electronic music..
Re:Music for Programming by doctorhandshake on Sunday April 05, 2026 @05:52PM (#47654259)
Agreed datasette is critically slept on
Re:Music for Programming by lelandfe on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:54PM (#47654760)
Flechte is a regular play of mine https://youtu.be/-3HUn6wotvg
Re:Music for Programming by dvh on Sunday April 05, 2026 @04:47PM (#47653700)
Don't laugh, but for me, it's Abba. Their entire discography is ~3 hours which is how long I can maintain peak concentration. Their songs are consistently good so that I don't need to skip a song, but not too good that I would stop working and start listening. Plus I've never heard Abba song in any good movie so it doesn't remind me scenes from a movie I would want to rewatch. Of course I don't listen to it every day, only when I really need to, most daily programming tasks can be done with any music.
Re:Music for Programming by kstrauser on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:15PM (#47655373)
No laughter here, my brother in music. This is one of the few vocal groups that I could be in the zone with, except "Fernando", because one must release their inner theater kid with that one.
Re:Music for Programming by alexhans on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:02PM (#47655290)
Like others have said, for specific types of activity, I'll prefer no vocals or maybe even no music, but if vocals are fine Abba does have a great flow to it. I used to run to Abba too, at times, because it feels upbeat/positive with good enough tempo. Super trouper, for instance, makes for a great booster.
Re:Music for Programming by marcd35 on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:51AM (#47660943)
yeah but see the problem with abba is i just wanna get up and dance and not do any work
Re:Music for Programming by javchz on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:56PM (#47655251)
The Winner Takes It All lyrics are great for commits and Pull Requests: I don't wanna talk If it makes you feel sad And I understand You've come to shake my hand I apologize If it makes you feel bad
Re:Music for Programming by smoyer on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:06PM (#47654857)
For real concentration I can't have lyrics but that's a great idea for other flow states. Mozart and Brahms are good for me ... Not slow enough to put me to sleep not fast enough or unusual to make me pay attention to the music.
Re:Music for Programming by alexhans on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:58PM (#47655264)
I vary a lot but when I do classical music Mozart has occupied quite a lot of my stats, in particular a clarinet concerto by Katherine Lucy [1] and also things like Beethoven's 6th (pastoral, it's beautifully featured in Fantasia) or Grieg's morning mood.

- [1] https://open.spotify.com/album/1R6rh9My8CTK4DqZorJR0V?si=3Ct...

If you have specific song/interpretation recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Re:Music for Programming by papa-whisky on Monday April 06, 2026 @06:04AM (#47658914)
I've really been enjoying this series of Mozart concertos on Alpha, highlighting young(er) performers: https://outhere-music.com/en/collections/next-generation-moz...
Re:Music for Programming by alexhans on Tuesday April 07, 2026 @03:00PM (#47679808)
Thanks. This Is awesome
Re:Music for Programming by usefulcat on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:10PM (#47655743)
Agree about the lyrics. Phillip Glass is one of my favorites for flowing. His style usually involves a lot of repetition, which I find meditative.
Re:Music for Programming by enochthered on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:15PM (#47655780)
Steve Reich is my favourite of the minimalists. Electric counterpoint and Music for 18 Musicians are regulars in the line up.
Re:Music for Programming by gsinclair on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:08PM (#47669070)
Yes, Music for 18 Musicians is such a wonderful companion for sustained focus. I look forward to checking out Electric Counterpoint more closely.
Re:Music for Programming by interroboink on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:08PM (#47654438)
> Don't laugh

I laugh (:

But good for you, whatever works. Personally, I can't do music with much lyrics or narrative; I find it distracting.

But to each their own!

Re:Music for Programming by olivierestsage on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:55PM (#47654773)
Mamma Mia soundtrack also works well \m/
Re:Music for Programming by matt_daemon on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:06PM (#47654408)
It would be impossible for me to not sing along to ABBA
Re:Music for Programming by hmokiguess on Sunday April 05, 2026 @04:51PM (#47653754)
ABBA is amazing
Re:Music for Programming by justonceokay on Sunday April 05, 2026 @11:07PM (#47656528)
As a dancer it’s funny to me that programming and dancing both seem to be better with a disco soundtrack. Or house, or funk. Anything with a strong backbeat.
Re:Music for Programming by sva_ on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:00AM (#47661061)
I don't understand how a song like Lay All Your Love On Me doesn't distract you.
Re:Music for Programming by TuringNYC on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:35AM (#47661488)
I play that song too while programming (along with several dozen others on a dedicated programming playlist). Eventually it goes into the background and just covers up outside noise. Some key moments are noticed -- i stop looking at my screen, repeat after the singer, and then go back to working five seconds later.
Re:Music for Programming by quux on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:50AM (#47662511)
Mark Watney sighs deeply
Re:Music for Programming by do_it_simpler on Sunday April 05, 2026 @05:23PM (#47654008)
This sight got me through many projects in college :)
Re:Music for Programming by Lyngbakr on Sunday April 05, 2026 @05:45PM (#47654206)
I recently discovered Lorn and have been mainlining his back catalogue ever since whilst working. Thoroughly interesting and immersive yet not distracting.
Re:Music for Programming by supliminal on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:00PM (#47654337)
I remember downloading music from the hacking e-show “The Scene” way back when - must have been late 2000s? Some great music in there like Newborn Butterflies if I remember the name right. It was nice background music in the show and I’d put it on from time to time.
Re:Music for Programming by gurst on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:09PM (#47654452)
This is music for programming: https://velato.net/ (or music as programming??)
Re:Music for Programming by braincat31415 on Sunday April 05, 2026 @06:59PM (#47654797)
Iron Maiden for me :)
Re:Music for Programming by donkeybeer on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:52AM (#47658817)
Also Rage (germany), etc
Re:Music for Programming by braincat31415 on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:42PM (#47664265)
Didn't know about this one, it's excellent. Thanks.
Re:Music for Programming by tmtvl on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:25AM (#47659489)
Metal for me as well, though I prefer more of the screamy-scream variety (Summoning, Judas Iscariot, Darkthrone,...).
Re:Music for Programming by mihaitodor on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:18AM (#47662070)
Try Agalloch :)
Re:Music for Programming by tmtvl on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:53PM (#47665196)
Thanks, I'll see if I can find them on Bandcamp or 7Digital.
Re:Music for Programming by capnchaos on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:13PM (#47654902)
For me nothing beats 90s ambient dnb for coding. There's something about drum and bass that really gets me in flow.
Re:Music for Programming by kstrauser on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:16PM (#47655381)
Also Big Beat, for me. Crystal Method's Vegas reaches into my brain and flips the time to code switch.
Re:Music for Programming by tuzemec on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:16AM (#47657836)
Also Fluke - Risotto. Similar vibes.
Re:Music for Programming by comprev on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:26PM (#47654992)
Definitely my cuppa tea too :)

https://m.youtube.com/@arcologies

Re:Music for Programming by nop_slide on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:44PM (#47655575)
Yoooo thanks for the rec this is spot on up my alley.

You might also like mood indigo on SoundCloud, mix of house and DnB been a solid programming session soundtrack for me over the last few years.

https://on.soundcloud.com/5HzXSAKAdM41bxIvdp

Re:Music for Programming by yowayb on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:23PM (#47655427)
I used to have bassdrive on. So good.
Re:Music for Programming by clearing on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:34PM (#47655918)
You thinking like Good Looking Records stuff like Artemis? Love it.
Re:Music for Programming by jandrewrogers on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:52PM (#47656065)
Artemis/Shogun are one of my major go-tos.
Re:Music for Programming by jandrewrogers on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:53PM (#47656085)
Same. My music collection covers a vast range but I find the Good Looking Records catalog to be nearly ideal for getting me into the flow state.

It really sucks that so much of that catalog is no longer available for all intents and purposes.

Re:Music for Programming by poody on Sunday April 05, 2026 @10:24PM (#47656279)
Same... Source Direct - Approach and Identify
Re:Music for Programming by mystickphoenix on Friday April 10, 2026 @10:05AM (#47718370)
for me it's Liquid DnB, anything by Liquicity is amazing, especially their year mixes and the couple that Maduk did on youtube during the pandemic
Re:Music for Programming by gbertasius on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:19PM (#47654949)
I love progressive techno for this. No vocals and sounds are in the lower frequency range. Easy to tune out.
Re:Music for Programming by eMPee584 on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:18AM (#47657852)
then you'll adore this "deep progressive techno" mix playlist by artist "Dub Element" with 50 hours of the finest rolling deep pumping oldschool rave techno. Also does d'n'b and dub techno..

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAb7rS-Wvyr0AZdUlgaCg...

Re:Music for Programming by olivierestsage on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:26PM (#47654985)
Swans is good for programming. And good for gnosis.
Re:Music for Programming by frereubu on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:16AM (#47659931)
I occasionally have I Am A Tower on a loop when I really need to break through some kind of mental / coding block.
Re:Music for Programming by steveBK123 on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:29PM (#47655015)
Look up Dub Techno.
Re:Music for Programming by eMPee584 on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:11AM (#47657808)
awesome for coding! my fav stations with dub techno chan: Mabu Beatz from Germany, Radio Caprice from Russia & Radio Schizoid from India. Last one has an excellent chillout chan as well, even though the track metadata has been half broken for years (UTF16BE BOM ftw)..

https://www.radio-browser.info/search?name=dub%20techno

Re:Music for Programming by WD-42 on Sunday April 05, 2026 @07:32PM (#47655053)
Shoutout to SomaFM's Defcon Radio which has been my go-to programming music for years now. Not too dissimilar to the stuff found on this site. https://somafm.com/defcon/
Re:Music for Programming by usefulcat on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:51PM (#47656061)
I love the music on defcon but could really do without the sporadic interruptions. At first it was ok but gets old after a while.
Re:Music for Programming by vaylian on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:31AM (#47657622)
Remember your 3-2-1.

Personally, I still like these defcon sound bites, even though I've heard them plenty of times. They are part of the atmosphere that the stream wants to create.

Re:Music for Programming by jimmydddd on Monday April 06, 2026 @06:38AM (#47659146)
I used to work to SomaFM all the time. Then took a break I guess? Then somehow totally forgot it even existed. So thanks for the reminder.
Re:Music for Programming by vlachen on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:33AM (#47659561)
I find that the Secret Agent channel is great for my focus nowadays. I recall listening to Groove Salad back in my draftsman years, from 2000-2002. I am still amazed at how SomaFM has continued to exist.
Re:Music for Programming by sublinear on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:19AM (#47659961)
My defaults are Drone Zone, Synphaera, and The Trip.

These three are very similar to what Defcon sounded like before around 2023 when they started adding more generic hip-hop influenced beats.

Defcon can be alright, but about 25% of their playlist will suddenly take me out of a flow state due to vocals or some obnoxious rhythmic detail.

Re:Music for Programming by bityard on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:28AM (#47661387)
SomaFM is the best! They now have a Groove Salad Classic channel which plays all the great stuff they _were_ playing in the early to mid 2000's.
Re:Music for Programming by benhurmarcel on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:38PM (#47663243)
I was a bit annoyed when Somafm got blocked on our corporate proxy
Re:Music for Programming by giglamesh on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:45PM (#47663364)
Could not love SomaFM more! The past few xmas holiday seasons I've been streaming "Department Store Christmas" which is hugely wacky retro Christmas music. Somehow I'd never heard "What Ever Happened to Christmas" a Jimmy Webb song made famous by Frank Sinatra. It was kind of life changing.
Re:Music for Programming by papyrus9244 on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:13PM (#47663816)
I've been listening to Space Station to flow for more than 20 years.
Re:Music for Programming by CoolGuySteve on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:13PM (#47655360)
The soundtracks for SimCity 3000, 4, and the 5th one titled just "SimCity" are written specifically to be played while doing some fiddly micromanagement tasks.
Re:Music for Programming by Zecc on Wednesday April 08, 2026 @02:20AM (#47686082)
Which brings us to: SpaceChem's soundtrack.
Re:Music for Programming by stevebmark on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:34PM (#47655511)
This seems focused on one very particular taste in music of droning semi-random lo-fi synthesizers. I find this unlistenable without any kind of percussion.
Re:Music for Programming by nine_k on Sunday April 05, 2026 @10:28PM (#47656300)
The fact that it works for the author, but totally does not for you is a big fat sign that says: search what works for you. More than that: search what works for you in a particular state of mind. You are a special enough snowflake to require a personal playlist, and it's not easily guessable. Sometimes what works best for me is Bach's violin concertos. Other times it's MBR [1]. Yet other times it might be some Keiko Matsui piano jazz, or early Apocalyptica, or Enya, or [...]. Try different things, notice what feels right and when, rinse, repeat.

[1]: https://masterbootrecord.bandcamp.com/music

Re:Music for Programming by stevebmark on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:17AM (#47656945)
Wow I've never thought about listening to music I like before?????
Re:Music for Programming by nine_k on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:23AM (#47656969)
Not all music I like makes good work music. For instance, I cannot work with code while listening to songs: the verbal center apparently gets overloaded.
Re:Music for Programming by jeffreygoesto on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:34AM (#47661470)
For a while and a certain mood, Ostkreuz's album "Motor" worked shockingly well and I coded like in the most focused flow ever...
Re:Music for Programming by porjo on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:34AM (#47657045)
Agreed! I like music that can be enjoyed either active or passive listening. The main requirement is that it have no vocals. Here's my go-to Spotify playlist while coding.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1IKenYEiooONuxxawKtNOm?si=...

Re:Music for Programming by Denkel on Sunday April 12, 2026 @04:17PM (#47744008)
Totally, give me Power Metal, or even whatever Rammstein is at any time, if there is no percussion I find it either too relaxing or it will get on my nerves, no middle ground.

As someone else mentioned, I had a "Programming" playlist that has barely changed in 20 years (small additions here and there) and mine tend yo be "uplifting" type of music (if that makes sense).

Re:Music for Programming by aniekann on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:49PM (#47655615)
minecraft music is peak and takes all :)
Re:Music for Programming by dmd on Sunday April 05, 2026 @08:54PM (#47655644)
I'm well aware that I'm in the minority, but I have never been able to focus on anything - especially programming - other than in absolute, total silence.

(Yes, I'm an only child.)

Re:Music for Programming by sublinear on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:35AM (#47660107)
I don't know if you're in a minority. I think people just don't like a boring answer like "silence".

I was raised in a big family, and I prefer silence when I need truly deep focus. From my experience in open floorplan offices, a majority don't break out the headphones until it gets noisy enough. Some people would even come in early or stay late for exactly this reason.

Re:Music for Programming by nickvec on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:16PM (#47655794)
I personally love my classic/progressive rock and am happy to listen to it while working. It seems odd to limit music for programming to only lo-fi.
Re:Music for Programming by gosukiwi on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:39PM (#47655959)
I love instrumental only hip hop beats like shamisen x hip hop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qi_-RmXz_g
Re:Music for Programming by wahnfrieden on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:45PM (#47656010)
While working with code, I mostly listen to Playboi Carti or older Thugger
Re:Music for Programming by ndc on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:15AM (#47657831)
Hey me too! Japanese trap is great.
Re:Music for Programming by TiredOfLife on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:18AM (#47662066)
AI is really good with musac
Re:Music for Programming by jandrewrogers on Sunday April 05, 2026 @09:51PM (#47656059)
I’ve thought about and experimented with it a lot. The main criteria is no lyrics, or at a minimum lyrics in a language you don’t understand at all, since this hijacks attention from parts of the brain useful for programming in a noticeable way. I find prominent fast percussion seems to help with focus but I am less confident of that.

Most other elements don’t seem to matter too much. Baroque, industrial, ambient, etc are all effectively equivalent in most regards.

That said, I tend to lean toward 1990s atmospheric drum-and-bass (pretty much anything released by Good Looking Records) as a good default. That genre maximizes things that seem to help while minimizing things that seem to detract.

Re:Music for Programming by mrchantey on Sunday April 05, 2026 @10:13PM (#47656216)
this is so much fun!
Re:Music for Programming by poody on Sunday April 05, 2026 @10:29PM (#47656308)
This may be weird.. but I have been listening to a bunch of extended "save room" ambient tracks based on music in Resident Evil.. Someone under the name of Survival Spheres has a crapload of these on YT-music.. They are all about 10-12 mins long.. and they stay of the way mentally..
Re:Music for Programming by da_chicken on Sunday April 05, 2026 @10:47PM (#47656424)
I've had three main tracks that I've used for the past 8 months or so.

The first one is a 1-hour mix of "In Motion" from the soundtrack to The Social Network: https://youtu.be/bCxPmMbZjuk

The second is a 1-hour mix of "It Has to be This Way" from the soundtrack to Metal Gear Rising Revengance: https://youtu.be/jKGDib6qZBo

The third is a 1-hour mix of "Clock Tower" from the soundtrack to Dead Cells: https://youtu.be/plwhysPCxXI

Re:Music for Programming by l3x4ur1n on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:10AM (#47657212)
You're my kind of person
Re:Music for Programming by 0x1ceb00da on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:44AM (#47658026)
I think you meant "standing here, I realize, you are just like me, trying to make history"
Re:Music for Programming by bananzamba on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:26AM (#47659497)
In Motion is my favorite productivity track as well. Most of the time I just listen to the whole The Social Network soundtrack
Re:Music for Programming by TuringNYC on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:40AM (#47661549)
> In Motion is my favorite productivity track as well. Most of the time I just listen to the whole The Social Network soundtrack

I love hacker soundtracks too! I play the OST for Mr Robot and Halt and Catch Fire

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX2MjjP5LxjyxA0Vvws3y...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucSUs3adMQ8&list=PLrvyiZ4XwF...

Re:Music for Programming by TuringNYC on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:37AM (#47661517)
>> I've had three main tracks that I've used for the past 8 months or so.

I've had several dozen songs (grown from ~5 in 1998) that I've used for almost 28yrs. They were originally mp3s, eventually cds, then apple music. I'm glad the artists have been getting royalties on the songs, i play them on loop sometimes for hours a day for decades on.

Re:Music for Programming by keithxm23 on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:06PM (#47663685)
I think you might also like Daft Punk's - Tron Legacy album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjM8d0Csuk4

I love listening to it while programming, driving, cooking. :)

Re:Music for Programming by slicktux on Sunday April 05, 2026 @11:12PM (#47656559)
soma.fm Channel: DEFCON Radio Best programming music!
Re:Music for Programming by __david__ on Sunday April 05, 2026 @11:51PM (#47656794)
I discovered long ago that psytrance/goa was perfect for me. It works almost as well as caffeine and I can work for hours and hours as long as it’s blaring.
Re:Music for Programming by alfiedotwtf on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:54AM (#47657723)
Same. To be honest, anything with a303 feels uplifting, but for me, hard acid techno is the winner!
Re:Music for Programming by Rant423 on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:38AM (#47657977)
same.

before it was a job, I was programming exclusively to trance.fm (sadly gone)

Re:Music for Programming by jerrygoyal on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:30AM (#47657009)
Re:Music for Programming by suzdude on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:39AM (#47657075)
Random Access Memories.
Re:Music for Programming by bananzamba on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:28AM (#47659518)
Alive 2007
Re:Music for Programming by jeleh on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:50AM (#47657117)
Chillout channel on DI.FM: https://www.di.fm/chillout
Re:Music for Programming by littke on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:57AM (#47657155)
ah memories
Re:Music for Programming by scorpionfeet on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:17AM (#47657243)
Merzbow. Keep by fidget brain occupied with pure noise while I get real work done.

OPs playlist requires too many faculties used in coding.

Re:Music for Programming by andhuman on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:52AM (#47657709)
I just listened to the Matrix OST and that one really gets me into a coding mood!
Re:Music for Programming by alfiedotwtf on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:55AM (#47657727)
Di.fm (Digitally Imported) has been my companion throughout the years
Re:Music for Programming by kcrwfrd_ on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:58AM (#47657744)
Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Boards of Canada

Mr. Robot Original Soundtrack

Re:Music for Programming by laserlight on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:41AM (#47657997)
This is more like music for relaxation. I can't code without a strong rhythm.
Re:Music for Programming by defrost on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:52AM (#47658073)
Re:Music for Programming by bob1029 on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:51AM (#47658071)
When I'm really trying to get shit done I'll put on some German industrial music like Bagger 258. The lyrics don't bother me because I don't understand them. I find the harsh aesthetic helps to keep me from getting distracted with side quests. Those little voices in my head become inaudible over the nonsensical (to me) lyrics.
Re:Music for Programming by jeltz on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:11AM (#47659875)
I like listening to hard rock, EBM and industrial when working. Something with a lot of energy. The lyrics don't bother me at all, I am good at not listening to them, especially if I know the song and what the lyrics are.
Re:Music for Programming by janpmz on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:56AM (#47658102)
Here is my youtube playlist for vibe coding music: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFcwd2lzu8tujlF-tPg1EfXPU...
Re:Music for Programming by processunknown on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:28AM (#47658274)
Re:Music for Programming by tga on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:48AM (#47658382)
For another genre suggestion: handpan music. It's rhythmic and repetitive, but warmer than electronica, and fades nicely in the background:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qafSm6N5bkc

Re:Music for Programming by stronglikedan on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:04PM (#47666263)
I just wish the guy on the right would stop trying to take a shit while he plays. It's hella distracting. But yeah, thanks for the intro to this - me likey.
Re:Music for Programming by skor on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:51AM (#47658411)
Here is some long-play stuff I do with code that helps write code https://lowveld.bandcamp.com/
Re:Music for Programming by eterm on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:54AM (#47658434)
I listen to post-rock.

There are usually no lyrics, there's an absolute ton out there, and something about the music gets my brain flowing better than other instrumental music.

Re:Music for Programming by fainpul on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:08AM (#47658517)
synthwave
Re:Music for Programming by kherud on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:14AM (#47658556)
If I'd have to make one recommendation it's David August's Boiler Room set [1]. It has such a coherent flow through the whole set, it makes me fly through multiple hours if not days of work.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRfwdJx0NDE

Re:Music for Programming by xallace on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:16AM (#47658567)
Re:Music for Programming by donkeybeer on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:51AM (#47658805)
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Re:Music for Programming by mihaitodor on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:22AM (#47662114)
Nice! \m/
Re:Music for Programming by ananandreas on Monday April 06, 2026 @06:19AM (#47659018)
Haha cool, very specific music though
Re:Music for Programming by freetonik on Monday April 06, 2026 @06:45AM (#47659194)
I remember watching an interview with Marco Arment (creator of Overcast and Instapaper) where he mentions that he listens to Phish a lot [1]. He collects every single recording and live show, almost 30 gigabytes of music from this one band. IIRC, he listens to it when working, so he never runs out of "music for programming" this way.

1. https://marco.org/2011/05/26/geek-intro-to-phish

Re:Music for Programming by bananzamba on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:35AM (#47659583)
In the morning I listen to chill electronic music without lyrics: Tycho, Emancipator, Blackmill, Jon Hopkins

Later in the day I listen to more energetic electronic music (a lot of which is from the Hotline Miami soundtrack): M|O|O|N, Dan Terminus, Carpenter Brut, Daniel Deluxe, 1788-L, Pendulum

Re:Music for Programming by sublinear on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:41AM (#47660170)
Carpenter Brut and a ton of caffeine was vibecoding before LLMs.
Re:Music for Programming by RankingMember on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:27AM (#47661370)
The soundtracks for those two games are just so so good and perfect for that post-lunch caffeinated focus time.
Re:Music for Programming by dmacfour on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:04AM (#47661868)
For me it's the soundtracks to Deus Ex (basically all the games), Mr. Robot, and Halt and Catch Fire.
Re:Music for Programming by ggperry on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:09PM (#47670294)
That is so specific, I can't believe there is someone else out there that flows to Deux Ex. I've had whole sessions with Human Revolution on repeat. You might also like some synthwave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gajv2yJt5M The Moebius FM and Frequency channels have many nice long mixes.
Re:Music for Programming by dsquier on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:15PM (#47662850)
My go-to is Paronator - Flowers of Life[1]. It makes an hour melt away.

[1] https://www.discogs.com/master/3779840-Paronator-Flowers-Of-...

Re:Music for Programming by vlachen on Monday April 06, 2026 @07:37AM (#47659596)
Aim to Head's mix channel is a lot of what I listen to for my design work. 30 min to 1 hour of well mixed tracks. The Witch House tracks are partially helpful in focusing.

https://m.youtube.com/@aimtoheadmix1915/videos

Re:Music for Programming by frereubu on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:18AM (#47659955)
It's unsurprising to find lots of ambient / electronica here, and generally I'm the same, but I do occasionally like really loud punk or rock if I need some motivation, like the album Feel The Darkness by Poison Idea, or as I said in another comment, I Am A Tower by Swans on a loop. Generally I get my best work done when I can lock into a single track and have it on repeat.
Re:Music for Programming by peter119 on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:24AM (#47660006)
I’ve found instrumental + slightly repetitive tracks work best for me — anything too dynamic pulls my attention away.

Lately it’s been a mix of ambient electronic and lo-fi, especially for longer deep work sessions.

Re:Music for Programming by whatever1 on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:29AM (#47660054)
Can we play it for my LLM?
Re:Music for Programming by squigz on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:37AM (#47660119)
While I'm not surprised at the general tastes here in the comments (as I mostly share them), I am surprised at the lack of any mention of classical?!

Johann Johannsson and Max Richter are my go-tos.

Re:Music for Programming by gattr on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:50AM (#47660263)
I haven't played the game, but I like to have Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack in the background sometimes (can be found on YT).
Re:Music for Programming by cyberpunk on Monday April 06, 2026 @08:58AM (#47660321)
Illuminoids, has to be.

https://archive.org/details/IlluminationRadio

Pick an episode with your rng of choice.

Re:Music for Programming by ZoomZoomZoom on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:06AM (#47660411)
If I could code with a piece of music playing in the background and not lose focus means it's not worth listening at all.

Very rarely I use custom-filtered (brownish) noise to help with isolation. Perhaps some kind of Ambient or New Age would work too in such situations, but things I like in those genres require attention and not paying it would be absolutely disrespectful.

I listen to all kinds of music at my dayjob but only during specific activities that do not require much contemplation and I can mostly flow with the music and do the work in the background.

Though, I'm a musician and sound engineer, so my relationships with music in general might be a bit special.

Re:Music for Programming by chrisweekly on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:47AM (#47661635)
Friend, you're missing out by applying a too-rigid filter. There's a bright-line distinction to be made between this use of music as a tool for cognitive enhancement, vs listening for valid reasons other than focus.

I'm a musician too, and a lifelong student and appreciator / afficianado of music across many genres. And I spend hours every workday listening to tracks from my "flowstate" playlist -- which tracks are excluded from my taste profile. Other use cases include music appreciation (close attention for pleasure), education / cultural literacy (close attention for analysis / learning), performance (close attention for reproduction, typically broken into segments / fragments), dancing (mixed attention, emphasis on rhythm and physical movement), relaxation (minimal attention), meditation (minimal attention), mood-setting / socialization (mixed attention), etc.

Judging a piece of music intended for one of these categories based solely on whether it's "worth listening to" or "[demanding of] respect" in the context of the wrong category will leave you impoverished in the other areas.

EDIT: P.S. That doesn't mean tolerating muzak! I recommend curating playlists limited to tracks that you can appreciate in a given appropriate, narrowed context. For example, here's my "flowstate" playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6UScdOAlqXqWTOmXFgQhFA

-- which bears almost no relation to my favorite artists or the kind of music I make.

Re:Music for Programming by mghackerlady on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:22AM (#47660585)
I tend to like stuff by Will Wood. Always good enough to not skip a song, enough variety I'm not tempted to change to something else, large enough discography to not get distracted by repeat tracks, and insightful lyrics that have "the hacker way" if that makes any sense. Also partial to wendy carlos or whatever The Current (local MN radio station that has really good taste and pulls some deep cuts pretty often) plays

ETA: I forgot to mention gorillaz. Great programming music, and seems to give me good ideas.

Re:Music for Programming by robrtsql on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:03PM (#47662712)
Minneapolitan here! Just had to agree that The Current is a treasure.

For the benefit of others, you can stream it here, if you're curious: https://www.thecurrent.org/

Re:Music for Programming by mghackerlady on Monday April 06, 2026 @05:07PM (#47667122)
Not revealing where I live, but I'm not too far away from there myself ;)
Re:Music for Programming by Snacklive on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:58AM (#47661034)
Will Wood is such a great artist. Glad to see someone giving him recognition in the wild
Re:Music for Programming by mghackerlady on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:27AM (#47661374)
I introduced my dad to him recently, he enjoyed it
Re:Music for Programming by anothereng on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:37AM (#47660763)
I use gregorian chant for programming
Re:Music for Programming by jmorenoamor on Monday April 06, 2026 @09:55AM (#47660984)
Swing or Jazz for analysis and painting diagrams

Heavy Metal for actual development

Bossa Nova for deploying at 1 am

Re:Music for Programming by Sn0wCoder on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:40AM (#47661556)
Do not see this one in the thread yet, found this on HN years ago and always in the weekly rotation

https://poolsuite.net/

Re:Music for Programming by swah on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:39AM (#47662332)
Happy times, when that was trending...
Re:Music for Programming by klaussilveira on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:40AM (#47661557)
Re:Music for Programming by bityard on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:43AM (#47661600)
I like the concept but ambient as a genre doesn't really do anything for me. It makes me want to go take a nap.

Haven't added anything to it in a while, but over the years I built a youtube playlist of songs that help me focus while working. Generally rules are: predominantly electronic, has some kind of beat, zero vocals. I'm up to over 500 songs at this point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dTpQwBMaBI&list=PL2A7B99AB9...

Re:Music for Programming by hoooooooooome on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:26AM (#47662165)
Fab playlist, thank you
Re:Music for Programming by giglamesh on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:39PM (#47663256)
I have very similar criteria, but for me at least

> zero vocals

can also be vocals in a language I don't understand. In those cases, the voice is just another instrument and not distracting.

Re:Music for Programming by stronglikedan on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:06PM (#47666286)
thanks for this (more than a simple upvote could say)
Re:Music for Programming by johncomposed on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:47AM (#47661643)
I fully credit Autechre's album Exai for deconstructing and reconstructing my brain to learn functional programming back in college (shoutout Racket and BSL).
Re:Music for Programming by dijksterhuis on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:01AM (#47661830)
autechre are my usual favourites for mad scientist coding binges
Re:Music for Programming by bitwarrior on Monday April 06, 2026 @10:58AM (#47661788)
For programming, I cannot recommend Soma FM [1] highly enough. There are a huge number of stations, most lyric-free (as to reduce the potential for flow interruption). I personally enjoy Groove Salad Classic and Lush.

[1] https://somafm.com/

Re:Music for Programming by gausswho on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:02AM (#47661846)
I too can enjoy the SomaFM/Dublab sounds for work.

But when I need to mix it up, I switch to FIP (Paris). They manage several different stations, but start with the main one first. It's excellently curated with more of a global palette than your typical station.

Re:Music for Programming by mihaitodor on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:16AM (#47662042)
The Diablo II soundtrack on repeat
Re:Music for Programming by delis-thumbs-7e on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:52AM (#47662542)
I didn’t know about this. Worked for me, thank you!
Re:Music for Programming by cyrialize on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:54AM (#47662563)
I'm a fan of ambient and instrumental hip hop for programming.

My personal favorites are pretty much anything by Nujabes (including the soundtracks for Samurai Champloo), Fat Jon, and DJ Okawari.

I also like some classic albums in the genre like Donuts by J Dilla, Dr. No's Oxperiment by Oh No, and Endtroducing by DJ Shadow.

I will sometimes go through essential charts I find to dive into new genres, and other times I'll pick a random artist and go through their entire discography start to finish.

I highly recommend doing that with Talk Talk, their transition from 80s pop to experimental is phenomenal.

Re:Music for Programming by jballanc on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:42PM (#47664276)
Based on what you've already mentioned, there's a good chance you're familiar, but on the off chance you're not: "Funkungfusion" (or, really, anything off the Ninja Tune label) might be right up your alley.
Re:Music for Programming by boogieknite on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:48PM (#47664348)
same. combining the 10 volumes of Special Herbs makes a good 5 hour playlist too
Re:Music for Programming by edem on Monday April 06, 2026 @11:55AM (#47662576)
I also recommend Datassette which is the 1-man band of the artist behind this.
Re:Music for Programming by __fst__ on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:23PM (#47662976)
I love all the recommendations here. Great selection that I can add to my personal hacking background music. I can also recommend

- Pure Shakuhachi music (ignore the ones with 'relaxing' background music)

- Brian Eno

- Vangelis

- Hiroshi Yoshimura

Re:Music for Programming by NDizzle on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:25PM (#47663018)
Everyone is linking the stuff they use, so I will add as well. I like the ambient/electronic as well, but this one might be new/exciting for some of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnk_b_7trII

This is an extended edition of "it might just be a one shot deal" from the waka/jawaka album by Frank Zappa. The extended part is the pedal steel played by Sneaky Pete Kleinow.

If you have never heard any Zappa stuff and this is interesting to you, listen to waka jawaka itself if you like instrumentals. If you want something more commercial, listen to the Apostrophe/Overnite Sensation album. If you want more odd, listen to the Bongo Fury album, featuring Captain Beefheart. Happy exploring.

Re:Music for Programming by dollylambda on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:35PM (#47663188)
kushsessions
Re:Music for Programming by pjm331 on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:40PM (#47663273)
don't see it in the comments yet so: https://www.brain.fm/
Re:Music for Programming by nickdurfe on Monday April 06, 2026 @12:43PM (#47663324)
Requires an email address and credit card to even try this, so nope.
Re:Music for Programming by syx on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:32PM (#47664111)
I remember back in 2012, thanks to the playlist #4 by Com Truise, I discovered Boards of Canada. I will always be thankful to Datassette for this project!
Re:Music for Programming by jaan on Monday April 06, 2026 @01:46PM (#47664324)
NTS radio has been incredible for programming music over the years. Deep backlog, an ambient channel (infinite mixtape: https://www.nts.live/infinite-mixtapes/slow-focus), and great selections:

https://www.nts.live/

And they have mobile apps :)

Re:Music for Programming by jfvinueza on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:20PM (#47664796)
Radio Paradise has a fantastic high-rhythm, excepcionally-curated, sophisticated yet not too extravagant jazz channel called Beyond https://radioparadise.com/listen/channels/beyond

It is pretty much ideal for, as Larry Wall once said, letting music "wash over you" while coding https://youtu.be/SKqBmAHwSkg?si=_vHvP8Ij9lacwhFk

Re:Music for Programming by konart on Monday April 06, 2026 @02:21PM (#47664808)
Dark Synth or something like Juno Reactor for regular workload.

French hip-hop/rap to clean head while walking under rain.

Speed metal for for LLMing.

Re:Music for Programming by winrid on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:45PM (#47665952)
JimTV on YT is great too
Re:Music for Programming by 8bitsrule on Monday April 06, 2026 @03:53PM (#47666073)
Impossible to recommend without knowing what works for you. For a one-stop-shop, try SOMA.FM (https://somafm.com/) for a great variety of well-vetted choons in multople genres.

After that, one can build up a list of hundreds of net radio stations in VLC and find one that works for you -today-.

Re:Music for Programming by stronglikedan on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:01PM (#47666204)
Currently, the best music for programming is the Artemis II live stream. It's music to my ears, and I'm over the moon!

(but usually progressive trance with no lyrics is my preference)

Re:Music for Programming by jdonaldson on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:28PM (#47666588)
Sharing a spotify link for one of my favorite playlists : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jQQ19MndPFIVqsvDrvJyG?si=...
Re:Music for Programming by kelvinjps10 on Monday April 06, 2026 @04:30PM (#47666607)
for me is breakcore
Re:Music for Programming by gytdev on Tuesday April 07, 2026 @08:10AM (#47674007)
I listen to psytrance. Mostly full-on. It usually does not have any vocals and has a groove or beat. But nothing really surpasses silence for thinking.
Re:Music for Programming by sporkland on Tuesday April 07, 2026 @10:54AM (#47676373)
I survived my Microsoft internship in 2001 by listening to Weezer blue, pinkerton, green album on a continuous loop.