Maybe the most essential skill for a developer is having a crystal clear focus. Some call it “the zone”, a state of mind in which your mind is genuinely focussed on the very problem you are dealing with right at that moment.
Your surrounding plays a crucial role in that. In the office, you might easily be distracted by people coming and leaving or your co-workers’ conversations. Even when working from home any distraction can snap you out of your “zone” – a dishwasher starts to beep, the postman delivers a parcel for your neighbour or what else can happen.
If it were just about creating a quiet environment, you could just go with a hearing protection aid, such as the 3M Peltor. I have tried it, but it did not convince me. I need to hear at least “something” in order to not feel lost.
Here are my personal top pics:
White Noise by TMSoft
The White Noise App by TMSoft is available for mobiles and Desktops. No subscriptions, no ads, and a great collection of background sounds. I use the creator to generate the exact noise setting I need.
Focus@Will
Focus @ will is a collection of music specifically designed to concentrate. I like the Electro Bach most. Downside: Subscription! However, if you have Spotify, Prime Music or Apple Music, you’ll find some of their tracks here, too. Some are even on YouTube.
Music To Code By
Music to Code By is a collection of lofi music by Carl Franklin. You can get 9 hours of music for 20 bucks. Each track is 25 minutes, aligning nicely with the Pomodoro Technique.
Other Mentions
- Calm is an app that not only helps with focus but also contains guided meditations and sounds to improve sleep quality. It comes as a subscription but has a lot of value if you use it regularly.
- freeCodeCampRadio Just open the website, click play, and you will have a free stream of music designed to concentrate.
- brain.fm offers “functional” music and is similar to Focus@Will
- lofi.cafe - a lofi radio
- music for programming - another radio
- nightride.fm - and still another radio
- Classical Music Only is a collection of classical music
Some good YouTube Playlists
- WoW Ambient Music
- Solar Fields (onAppleMusic)
- Neotokyo by Ed Harrison (on Apple Music)
- Billy Childs (on Apple Music)
- Anachronist
- The Witcher Soundtrack
- Dreamscape
- Stimulus Progression The idea of special designed music dated back to 1934!
- Skyrim
- LOTR - Nazgul
- Rain Sounds
- Chilhop Music
- Lofi Hip Hop Radio
Suggestions from Friends and Co-Workers
Here are some more suggestions from friends and co-workers. Personally, I find most of these songs too distracting, but maybe there’s something in for you!
Your turn
Feel free to post your favourite music in this Twitter thread