this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
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Ok, I start: I like synthwave, synthpop and sovietwave. And it’s not as much a question of focus as the fact music energized me, so lyrics are also ok and even welcome and I don’t get distracted at all.

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[–] FukOui@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago

Heavy metal to disassociate myself from the office

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

I enjoy non-AI generated music.

hard to come by after YT took away the ability to filter search results by age.

luckily I had ripped a bunch of music from YT before AI was a thing.

mostly around 80s jpop, synth, wave.

[–] alphabethunter@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

These days, I'd usually listen to either a Dungeon Synth playlist (like Mountain Realm, Atrium Carceri, Witch Bolt...) or I'll listen to my doom/stoner/psych playlist (Mars Red Sky, Colour Haze, Earthless, Kikagaku Mori, Youngblood Supercult...).

Also, there are a few Diablo Lo-fi mixes made by blizzard that really get me in the mood of writing. Tristram theme Lo-fi is also sick.

[–] alxdre301@lemmy.4d2.org 2 points 3 hours ago

I would prefer VGM (video game music), I like its wide range of genre and it's not repetitive or ALI PROJECT's albums :\

[–] bobbino@lemmychan.org 2 points 5 hours ago

Downtempo electronica.

[–] ExtraMedicated@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

The soundtrack for Virgo Versus The Zodiac. It's the only video game soundtrack I ever bought.

[–] MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 hours ago

Anything pretty laid back and lyric free is good coding music for me. At the moment, Solar Fields and Tangerine Dream are my faves.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 7 hours ago

Acid Jazz/Funk. No overwhelming lyrics, good background noise.

[–] foxymulder@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 hours ago

neurofunk/techstep

[–] thingsiplay@lemmy.ml 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Synthwave is my jam. But, and this is a big Butt, I'm a person who focuses on one job and get distracted too easily. So having any music in the background will distract me. So mute is it then for me.

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 hour ago

"this is a big Butt"

Nice.

[–] ViaGetty@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 11 hours ago

Jungle, dnb, futurecore. 140-180ish BPM is my focus zone

[–] wuphysics87@lemmy.ml 3 points 12 hours ago

Slayer 🤘

[–] softwarist@programming.dev 2 points 11 hours ago

Video game OSTs with some Lo-Fi sprinkled in, sometimes Jazz. More recently I've been having a good time with Bluegrass and Celtic Folk.

[–] alchemist2023@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

silence so I can concentrate else my brain focuses on the music and I get nothing done and end up dancing around to the music

[–] thingsiplay@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

At least you don't start sing. I think singing would be the worst. I'm the same BTW, minus dancing. :D Especially good music, my brain is in a different dimension when I listen to good music I can "vibe" with. (Hey don't judge, this is the first time in my life I used the vibe word appropriate).

[–] foenix@lemmy.radio 19 points 21 hours ago (5 children)

soma.fm always has great DJs and streams. Definitely a go to for flow state.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 hours ago
[–] kalpol@lemmy.ca 4 points 14 hours ago

SomaFM really is the best thing on the Internet

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 21 hours ago

Reminder to support SomaFM since they're fully independent and listener-supported: https://somafm.com/support/

[–] user_6282638282@sopuli.xyz 5 points 19 hours ago

Groove Salad for me. Unless I'm updating production severs then I put on Drone Zone to lower my heart rate.

[–] dadarobot@lemmy.ml 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

when i really have to focus, i listen to dronezone

[–] Feyd@programming.dev 12 points 21 hours ago

I mostly listen to videogame soundtracks with no lyrics, or various electronica (also no lyrics). https://rainwave.cc/ocremix/ if I'm not feeling anything in particular

[–] cybervegan@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Psytrance or Dubstep. Something without much (or any) lyrics but with a strong bassline, maybe a bit glitchy.

[–] N0x0n@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Psytrance + Glitchy? Kalya Scintilla fan over here 😁👋

[–] cybervegan@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Interestingly, the music I prefer to listen to is more rocky - Punk/Grunge/Ska/Folk/Dub.

I acquired my love of psytrance in the early noughties when I used to do henna art at festivals in the UK. We got friendly with a couple who ran a psytrance CD stall, and were very often pitched right next door, so I spent many a weekend doing henna art with their music blasting out of their PA as a backing track. One CD that was popular at the time was Virtual Memory by Alchemy, but I seldom knew who I was listening to - it never seemed to matter. Worked well for getting into "the zone" though, and it's not distracting because I don't find myself trying to listen to the (usually non-existent) lyrics.

[–] SinTan1729@programming.dev 7 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

When coding, I usually listen to Indian classical. It can't have any lyrics, as I get distracted by them.

When studying (it's my actual job, I'm a mathematics researcher), I usually prefer white noise, or just a good pair of noise cancelling headphones without anything actually playing on it. Sound of rain works pretty well too.

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 21 hours ago

A lot of prog rock, 70's rock, and prog metal. I need long winding and pace changing music to keep from stagnating my train of thought for too long. Synthwave and anything Nobuo Uematsu or Yasushi Ishii makes is good too.

Deep, minimal, liquid drum and bass. Nothing gets me into flow better.

[–] litchralee@sh.itjust.works 5 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Melodic dubstep when I'm debugging, metalcore when I'm developing new code.

I can't do lyrics when I'm working with GDB, and the gutteral screams help me maintain my composure as I quietly swear at the prior maintainers for leaving me with a poor foundation for my new code.

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 7 points 21 hours ago

Then you find out you were the prior maintainer...

[–] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 17 hours ago

I do but once I'm concentrating I have to pause it

[–] communism@lemmy.ml 3 points 19 hours ago

Normally no because music distracts me, but sometimes I want to feel a bit more chilled out so I put my entire music library on shuffle and just skip songs I don't want to listen to. So ends up with all sorts of genres.

[–] fruitcantfly@programming.dev 1 points 15 hours ago

https://mynoise.net/ is great if you want something non-verbal. I'm particularly fond of Dreaming Nautilus and Sleeping Dragon. They do have a paid tier with more soundscapes, but most of the time I just listen to stuff that's in the free tier

[–] Juice@midwest.social 2 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

For some reason, darkwave. I never listen to it in any other context.

Then there are specific albums that I love but am so familiar with that it just plays in the background if I'm doing something else, like comfort listens. So that's Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come; Gang of Four - Entertainment + Solid Gold; Bloodborne + Old Hunters OST; No New York; James Chance and the Contortions; Shin Joong Hyun

[–] Kissaki@programming.dev 1 points 16 hours ago

I always have music running when I'm not in meetings. Genres and platforms change, in phases. I listen to diverse genres.

I'm not sure listing genres even makes sense for me. Deep house, chillhop, synthwave, hiphop, pop, classics, japanese, …

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 1 points 16 hours ago

Disco from the '80s or soft rock from the '70s. Best music ever.

[–] ace@lemmy.ananace.dev 3 points 21 hours ago

I tend to go for House, DnB, or Electro Swing when coding. Something upbeat and with a steady rhythm.

[–] user_6282638282@sopuli.xyz 2 points 19 hours ago

My go-to's, with no real rhyme or reason..

Nightride FM - Chillsynth Venice Classical Radio Lofi 24/7 Soma.fm Groove Salad and Drone Zone

[–] kambusha@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago

The soundtrack to Tron legacy

[–] Mihies@programming.dev 2 points 21 hours ago

Either metal/Tidal or bicycling on GCN.

[–] quixaq@programming.dev 1 points 18 hours ago
[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 21 hours ago

Sometimes while studying. I have studied in a library but when I don't have a music player I can't keep at it for very long unless im studying in a group. For long sessions I need something.