Do Programmers Listen to Music? (Let’s find out)

Wondering if it’s ideal for programmers to listen to music while coding?

If they do, won’t it be a distraction to their workflow?

Or what type of music is ideal for programming?

These intriguing questions are all answered in this article so grab a cup of coffee if you wish.

And without further ado, let’s get started.

Facts About Music Listeners

The data presented below encompasses both programmers and people of other professions.

• According to a survey conducted in the US in 2019, around 68% of the people belonging to the age group of 18 to 34 years reported listening to music every day.
• About 90% to 93% of the whole world’s population listens to music on regular bases as recorded by Nielsen Music 360 in 2014. 
• On average, a person spent 28.3 hours per week listening to music in 2018. This means that they spent about 4 hours listening to music every day.
• A person streams around 41 different artists per week.
• According to a Consumer Trends survey by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), people age 45+ are the ones who stream music the most.
• In 2020, following the lockdown period due to the covid pandemic, audio music consumption decreased by 12.5%.
• The worldwide music streaming industry was worth around $12,831.2 million in 2019 and it was predicted that this value was going to rapidly increase.

Benefits of Music and Programming

There are various benefits of listening to music while programming.

1. To get in the right mood

Writing codes requires focus and mind flow and this only happens when you are in the right mood for programming.

Music, on the other hand, is a hugely powerful tool for managing your own mind.

Programmers often listen to calm and cool music at slow tempo before and during coding to align their thought frequency with the intended task.

2. Avoid distractions

Distractions are disastrous to programmer’s workflow.

Listening to music in the office with headphones can deter colleagues from approaching you with small talk.

Personally, I put on my headset even when they are not listening to music.

The idea is to create the impression of someone that is deeply busy.

I use an Apple Airpod Max and I find the noise cancellation very useful for blocking out other noise like sirens, annoying squeaky chairs and other smaller room movement.

Of course, music can also be a distraction, so it’s important to choose the right thing to listen to.

3. Music reduces Programmers’ stress level

Music is a well-known stress reliever.

Programmers often get stressed or overwhelmed on the job and resort to calm music to uplift their mood.

Tim Ringgold, the owner of Sonic Divinity Music Therapy Services, says, “Because music cognition is so complex for the human brain, it offers easy distraction or diversion from any competing internal or external stress stimuli”.

4. Music keeps the mind active

Let’s face it, some programming tasks are not that interesting and can quickly get boring in some cases sleep-inducing.

Music helps keep the mind active while you navigate through your daily tasks.

If you feel bored, uninterested and less energetic, listening to music can actually make you feel much better.

5. Music helps in regulating anxiety 

Fast approaching deadlines, multiple calls from project manager, unopened technical issue tickets can quickly raise the anxiety of a programmer.

Listening to slow songs -60 to 80 BPM helps to reduce anxiety.

The harmonious sounds that the brain receives as signals tells our body to slow down. 

Hence, our heart rate and blood pressure decrease too, reducing anxiety. 

This is why music played while meditation is set at a tempo of around 60 BPM.

6. Music increases creativity levels

Recent studies conducted to check the effect of different songs on creativity, postulates that music encouraging happy emotions enhanced the creativity of the listener by promoting divergent thinking . 

The calmness and pleasure experienced as a result of song consumption gives our creativity a boost.

As an experiment, you can try listening to different types of songs while coding and explore the effect they have on your ability to come up with new ideas.

7. Performance boost

Studies also show that certain type of music increases arousal and the span of concentration, increasing overall productivity. 

A survey conducted by Spotify concluded that around 61% of respondents listened to music while working.

From the sample, 90% saw a performance boost as a result of music consumption and 88% experienced enhanced accuracy.

No doubt, music can help keep programmers motivated to achieve their goals.

8. Music as a source of inspiration

Where do programmers turn to when seeking inspiration?

What do they do when searching for the next light bulb idea?

Some programmers might sit quietly listening to their rap God, Eminem, others might be zoned away far off work, maybe in their garage digesting the lyrics of one of Kendric Lamar’s songs.

Whatever gives you your spark but music is known to be a source of inspiration as it helps you think outside of the box.

Best Music For Programmers

Our minds are tricky and given the opportunity will wander off to look for something a little more exciting. You can use music to tame your own mind.

Deep bass, beautiful vocals and rhythms will enhance your working routine and will give you space to collect your thoughts.

While searching the web, I discovered this tracklist by Work Music Lab, the compilation was just too awesome that I decided to share it with you.

The tracklist consists of soothing music which is perfect for focus and concentration.

No matter what language you speak or work with, all programmers will be able to appreciate the flow of this tracklist.

Genre: Electronic music, Downtempo

Style: Chillstep, Dubstep

Mood: Future, Night

Total Tracklist Duration: Two Hours

Total Listeners: 7 million + Programmers

Total Selected Music: 31 Songs

The best music tracklist for programmers:

1. ► Rainy Nights – Azaleh
2. ► In A Cabin By The Lake – Lazarus Moment
3. ► Hollow – Ecepta
4. ► For The Sky – Himalia
5. ► Disconnect – Victoriya
6. ► Horizon – Almost Vanished
7. ► Forget Me Not – Oscuro Official
8. ► Radiance – Menual
9. ► Dawn – Kazukii
10. ► No One Is Forever – Moon
11. ► But You Never Told Me – Groundfold
12. ► God Will Let Me Know – Dakun
13. ► Asylum – Eyeri
14. ► Tension – Kazukii
15. ► Your Reflection – Lux Natura
16. ► Frustration – Brimstone
17. ► Wanderer – Fyze
18. ► Hypnos – 4lienetic
19. ► We Are Blind – RIT & LuQus
20. ► Asterism – Ecepta
21. ► Cosmo Pollen – Brombaer & Noahs Boat
22. ► One Too Many – Exist Strategy
23. ► Somewhere – F3edo
24. ► Ilia – Kisnou
25. ► Tea – Quok
26. ► Quenching – Margari’s Kid
27. ► Glimmer – Kindred
28. ► Soul Essence – Strafola Music
29. ► Helo – Zenstep
30. ► Step Away From The Rain – Atlantic Cascade
31. ► Where Were U – Glo

You can create a playlist and add the music on Spotify or Apple Music.

If you prefer streaming, you can make use of the already compiled version on Youtube below.

Here’s a direct link to the Youtube Compilation: Website Hurdles Music for Programming

Other Music Listening Instances for Programmers

Apart from work, programmers also listen to music when carrying out various activities.

These activities include:

Traveling 

Traveling by air or locomoting across town on the metro bus just seems like a perfect time for programmers to plug in their earphones and listen to their favorite track by Maroon 5.

Studying

Recent studies have shown that 60% of students listen to music while studying as a means to improve their focus and motivation.

A sizeable portion of programmers are students in engineering and computer science fields as well as other disciplines.

Exercising

Listening to music during exercise and workout is like a common tradition for humans and programmers are not left out in this practice.

A Programmer exercising with music

Fun Activities and Miscellaneous

Programmers listen to music during fun activities like parties, weekend hangouts and also while gaming with friends.

Vibing to music also comes in handy while performing other miscellaneous activities like laundry, taking a morning stroll and prepping to sleep.

Programming Music Recommendations for Leisure Time

– Pop Music

1. Firework by Katty Perry
2. Blinding Lights by Weeknd
3. Hey Jude by The Beatles
4. Umbrella by Rihanna
5. Shake it off by Taylor Swift
6. Rolling in the deep by Adele
7. Hey ya by Outkast

– Jazz Music

1. Fever by Peggy lee
2. Fly me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra
3. So what by Miles Davis
4. Take Five by Dave Brubeck
5. Take the A Train by Duke Ellington
6. Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk

– Classical Music

1.  Suite No. 1 in G major for unaccompanied cello by J.S Bach
2. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor by  Ludwig van Beethoven:
3. Du bist die Ruh by Franz Schubert
4. Piano Quartet No. 1 by  Johannes Brahms
5. Carmen by Georges Bizet

– Rock Music

1. Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix
2. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
3. Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones
4. Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
5. School’s Out by Alice Cooper

– Hip Hop

1. Lose Yourself by Eminem
2. Bodak Yellow by Cardi B
3. Ms. Jackson by Outkast
4. Mind Playing Tricks On Me by Geto Boys
5. In My Feelings by Drake

Conclusion

In a nutshell, programmers listen to music while coding to get in the right mood for work, avoid side distractions and keep the mind active.

They also listen to music during leisure times and while carrying out other activities like traveling and exercising.

If listening to music while working is your thing, then try out the selected tracklist above.

Let the music clear your mind and snap everything into the right place as you keep working towards your goal.

As Kanye West once said in his song ‘Homecoming’:

‘Reach for the stars, so if you fall you land on the clouds’

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Till we meet again on another article,

Happy Coding!