Best music for programmers: increase your concentration and get the code done
Do you have a deadline and need to focus more than ever on those lines of code but your brain is on vacation in Thailand? Maybe you need some audio therapy to recover your concentration and get the job done as soon as possible. Try the best music for programmers based on scientific studies. Avoid distractions and improve your mental performance with these audio tools.
- 10. 07. 2018
- 8 min read
Stress, physical fatigue, and even overwork can significantly reduce your ability to concentrate. Also, if you work in an office with a noisy environment full of distractors, it can be harder to focus on the tasks you need to perform.
If we take the work of a programmer as an example, the brain must apply a significant effort to analyze and process information based on abstractions and logical reasoning. These conditions make mental focus a priority. Forget about five cups of coffee a day; there are healthier ways to improve your ability to focus on by using pleasant sounds. Immerse in some of the best music for programmers available on the web.
Brain.fm
Brain.fm is a website that offers music for programmers designed through an artificial intelligence engine. The goal of Brain.fm is to increase concentration, relaxation, and states of meditation and sleep.
The project was created by a team of musicians, scientists, and engineers, interested in exploring the effect of music on the brain. Brain.fm is in constant development and is monitored by neuroscientific experts.
The melodies, harmonies, chords progression and the selection of instruments are designed by professional musicians. Then, these patterns are input to an algorithmic system that adjusts the frequencies to stimulate and modulate brain activity while reducing distractions through 3D audio.
You can choose sound sessions from 30 minutes to 2 hours. You will begin to notice the results after the first 10 minutes of each listening. All you have to do is play the music and start your coding. The concentration effect can last even after you finish the sound session.
It is recommended to use high-quality headphones to take advantage of the 3D audio. For better results adjust the volume to isolate the surrounding noise but avoid playing the music too loud.
According to Brain.fm, if the music during the session distracts you, it may be necessary to reduce the volume until you find a clear and balanced sound. You can find more information about the different ways to take advantage of Brain.fm in their practical guides.
Brain.fm offers a free trial version that you can upgrade to the full version. It is also available for iOS and Android. One of our favorite music for programmers source.
Music to increase your cognition
For years, researchers at prestigious universities such as Harvard and Wisconsin have studied the relationship that music has with reducing stress and improving concentration in human beings.
These researches originated theories such as the Mozart effect, which suggests that listening to the music of the famous Austrian composer enhances the cognitive abilities.
Another research conducted by Susan Hallam, John Price and Georgia Katsarou of the University of London, found that those students exposed to silent environments or with background music obtained better results in tasks related to memory and concentration.
Music for programmers
Although this website does not have neuroscientists or artificial intelligence behind their music, the creators spent years designing and selecting the best music for programmers according to their experience in the field.
In the opinion of the authors of musicforprogramming.net, the most effective music to produce prolonged periods of concentration should combine features such as rhythmless textures, synth arpeggios, reverb walls, minor complex chords, field recordings, fuzz, old music and vagueness among other features.
Music for programming offers 51 sessions with interesting mixes made from the music of several artists. The website has a simple and intuitive interface. You can control music reproduction using your keyboard.
Music for programming is a non-profitable project and is always open to the contribution of musicians interested in this topic.
Music can influence cognitive states to improve focus, meditation, and sleep.
Noisli
When you first arrive at Noisli’s website you will find the next message: “Noisli helps you to concentrate quickly, block out annoying noises, increase your productivity and reduce stress”.
By using Noisli, you can choose between two kinds of sessions: productivity or relaxation. The next step is to wear your headphones and start programming your audio session by selecting different environmental sounds from a menu. For example, you can mix the sounds of the sea, the rain, and the breeze to create some relaxing track.
You can also choose combinations of preset sounds. The main difference between Noisli and other music for programmers sources is that it works as a noise insulator through atmospheres based on sounds of nature. This is very useful if your home or office is too noisy.
SomaFM
If the musical sequences of the previous options don’t convince you, try SomaFm. This online radio station based in San Francisco has been gaining popularity among many programmers for its good musical selection without interruptions or annoying ads.
The music that SomaFm offers is usually from independent artists. In SomaFm you can select between twenty music channels divided by genres: alternative, electronic, 70, eclectic, environmental, American, Celtic, folk, hip-hop, jazz, lounge and more.
Also, you can choose music from a large number of playlists. This station is excellent music for programmers alternative if you like selecting different music genres for coding instead of ambient sounds.
Your favorite music vs neutral music
There is evidence which demonstrates that individuals who listen to music with a constant frequency and a repetitive pulse plus a moderate volume, increase their concentration rather than those who listened to inconsistent music. Also, people who choose their favorite songs instead of neutral music failed while trying to focus.
Stellardrone
Another music for programmers option comes from Stellardrone. The musician Edgaras (aka Stellardrone) released all his albums for free on this website. Stellardrone music evokes spatial atmospheres, and if you are familiar to Brian Eno, the ambient music father, you will be attached to this type of intergalactic compositions immediately.
Stellardrone music has beautiful sound textures combined with relaxing sequences that will take you into the mental zone you are looking for while programming.
