Intro

Over the years, my relationship with music has evolved in many fascinating ways. No matter what I'm doing, I always feel a deep connection with the sounds around me. As time went on, I began to identify the different roles music plays in my life.

For me, music can be categorized into three main types:

Music for dancing
Music for listening
Music for focusing

The first two are pretty straightforward, but I'd like to delve into the last one a bit more.

Findings

Through my musical journey, I discovered that ambient sounds, soundscapes, and tracks without vocals help me achieve and maintain a flow state more effectively. I've conducted months-long experiments and I'm excited to share my findings with you.

I've found that I can instantly get into my flow with music that has:

A steady rhythm
No vocals
An immersive soundscape

Using headphones always helps me focus faster, and I highly recommend them. However, I also enjoy using my audio monitors, and I've found that both options produce comparable results.

Focus and Coding Music

In the list below, I share some YouTube channels that support my findings. Give them a try, especially if you have any prejudices against genres like techno and ambient.

These are broad categories, and you might be surprised at how you feel after just 15 minutes of coding, reading, writing, or working in general while being surrounded by a soundscape like those.