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

• Calmis 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.
• freeCodeCampRadioJust 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!

• Eminem
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Limp Bizkit
• Linking Park
• Papa Roach
• Cornerstone

Your turn

Feel free to post your favourite music in the comments or in this Twitter thread