You’ve seen people running outside or working out at a gym with their headphones on. They do this not to look cool or something – they just know that music helps them perform better! So, why don’t you follow the same approach when coding? As you know, coding is an ultimate exercise of the mind. It requires extreme attention to detail and a lot of critical thinking. With music’s ability to help relax the mind, it is the perfect companion for programmers.
Here are the best songs to listen to when coding.
- Most Popular Songs
When you are trying to focus on coding, listening to music can help you relax without getting distracted. Listening to podcasts or watching videos is a distraction and can prevent you from concentrating on your work. Of course, not all music can help you relax and focus on coding. That’s why you must choose the right music to listen to whilst coding. In case you are wondering which songs to listen to help you concentrate, check out the list below:
- Halo Theme by Martin O’ Donnell – you will find many variations of this song. However, the Halo 2 menu screen is the most epic. The chanting in this song is especially helpful during those coding situations that require intense concentration.
- Go Robot by The Red-Hot Chili Peppers – there are times when coding requires you to be in sync with the computer to find your flow and this song can help you with that.
- Spaceship Earth Theme – this song evokes images of evolving technology, helping you realise your place in the world of communication.
- Funkentelechy by Parliament – if you’re looking for a song to fight the coding blues, this song would be perfect. Its blaster-like bass will make you feel energised.
- Halcyon On and On by Orbital – this music starts slow and will eventually transition into an uplifting beat. It’s the perfect song to listen to when putting together long sequences. The song’s vocal tracks have a very soothing effect, which is very helpful when you feel stressed behind the keyboard.
- Love Game by Lady Gaga – Lady Gaga sure knows how to create catchy songs, and Love Game is one of them. When the music enters your brain, you will be more inspired to take your coding skills to a whole new level of creativity.
- Master of Puppets by Metallica – whether you’re programming a robot, changing a website’s layout, or animating a video game, one thing remains – you are the master, and this song will help you realize that.
- Most Popular Artists
When it comes to the most popular artists to code to, Daft Punk often takes the top spot, and their songs appear the most frequently when searching music for coding on Spotify. The French musician has an average of 15 million listeners each month on the music platform. Here are the other popular music artists whose songs are perfect for programmers.
- Bon Iver – Bon Iver’s songs ooze with nostalgic vibes, perfect for any programmer who needs to concentrate on an hour-long computer session. His songs often have a slow beat with an occasional rising tempo. He maintains energy levels throughout his songs and will keep your restless soul at bay in a good way.
- Alt-J – Alt-J brings in folk-inflected and layered sounds and pitches to his music, helping you to focus even further. His songs are ideal for those who need to work on coding jobs that require utmost concentration.
- The Wombats – if you want to listen to songs that are a little more upbeat, the songs of the Wombats can be an obvious addition to your playlist. When you’re faced with challenges during coding, listen to their songs, which are sure to keep your energy levels remain high.
- Porter Robinson – it’s a good idea to add the songs of this DJ to your playlist. Listening to electronic music will motivate you to finish your coding tasks quicker, and it will also pump you up for the coming weekend break. Porter Robinson is an electro-house DJ who hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- Ways to Improve Your Concentration
Coding is the core of what most programmers do, and it’s the kind of task that requires a sufficient level of concentration, especially when doing programming jobs using C++, which is very hard. Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with distractions, and it can sometimes be difficult to stay focused and alert with coding.
One way to improve your concentration is to work at the right time. If you choose the wrong time to work on your coding tasks, such as during those times when you feel sleepy, tired, and unmotivated, you won’t be able to concentrate. Try to do your coding tasks at a time when you are likely to feel the most refreshed and energized. If you don’t know what time this is, experiment until you find the ideal time, which you can dedicate as your “coding time”. For instance, some programmers are more alert first thing in the morning, while others prefer to work later in the day.
Another important tip to remain focused is to remove any distractions on your desk, including your mobile phone. What you thought to be only a minute of checking notifications could turn into an hour-long scrolling and getting lost in social media and the world of the Internet. A lot of programmers are guilty of this. But if you want to finish your coding tasks more efficiently, you should have enough discipline to get rid of anything that could distract you from concentrating.
It’s also a good idea to plan your tasks before starting any coding session and deciding what your targets are for this session. This is very helpful since it will not only avoid wasting time, but the decision-making in itself would require so much effort, leaving you feeling exhausted in the end, and could affect your focus and concentration for the rest of the session.
