The Power of Music: How Software Engineers Use Music to Boost Productivity

As a software engineer, you know how important it is to stay focused and productive while coding. With constant interruptions, distractions, and ambient noise in the workplace, it can be challenging to maintain concentration. That’s where music comes in.

According to a survey conducted by Qualtrics, a research software and experience management firm, 96% of software engineers reported listening to music at least some of the time while coding. And 78% prefer music over anything else while working on their code.

But what kind of music do software engineers listen to? The survey found that the most popular genre is Pop (28%), followed by Electronic music (12%) and Classical (11%). And the artists with the most consensus among software engineers were U2, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Maroon 5, Linkin Park, and Katy Perry.

Software engineers also prefer to use streaming services to get their music. Pandora is the most popular choice, preferred by 29% of respondents. YouTube and Spotify are also popular choices, coming in at 23% and 19%, respectively. And when it comes to listening to music, 80% of software engineers use headphones. The preferred headphone brands are Bose (25%), followed by Sony and Beats brands with about 20% each.

But it’s not just about blocking out distractions. Studies have shown that listening to certain types of music can improve productivity towards certain memory and cognitively intensive tasks. So it’s worth trying out different types of music while programming to see what works best for you.

The survey also found that software engineers over age 35 are three times more likely to listen to the radio while coding than engineers 35 or younger. And 71% of engineers 35 or younger report listening to music very often or always while coding, compared to 47% of engineers over 35.

In conclusion, music is an important part of many software engineers’ work routines. Whether it’s Pop, Electronic, or Classical music, it can help improve productivity and concentration while coding. So next time you’re working on a coding task, why not try listening to some music and see if it helps you focus?

What kind of music do you listen to while coding? Share your favorite tunes in the comments below!