As we like to code to music here at Troxo we wondered about the effect it has on the brain. We have come across many studies here but one by Teresa Lesiuk, Assistant Professor at the University of Miami, immediately grabbed our attention as it dealt with the effect of music listening on software design in particular.

The study, which involved 56 developers from four different Canadian software companies, was implemented in the participants’ actual work environments over five weeks.

It showed that people produce more quality work while listening to music and they finish their work faster when listening to music. It also stated that work environments with music help enhance employee moods. You may download the full text here.

The beneficial effect of music listening on work efficiency gains even more importance when you take a look at this study by Yuko Fujigaki which states that stress is present throughout almost all phases of software development.

Oblivious to such a tremendous effect of music on work performance, we asked some of our developers and designers what music they listened to while coding. Basically, our tastes differ to some extent but we all agree that we love having it around.

Ivan, Senior Software Architect: While I’m working, I prefer listening to classical music. It helps me stay focused on problems and tasks I’m working on. Vivaldi and Mendelssohn are my favorites.

Sasa, Senior Software Architect: I prefer listening to music while coding and that is a natural working environment for me. The list of my favorites is very long, but what I always love listening to is good old rock. Pink Floyd is very soft, easy and makes a good working atmosphere.

Classical music is inspiring and I sometimes put it on too. When I’m deep into a problem, music just fills the empty space around, brakes the silence and makes me more relaxed.

Dejan, Graphic Designer: At the creative stage I love to put on loud energy-filled music such as Prodigy or the UT2003 soundtrack created by Starsky Partridge and Kevin Riepl (favorite song Chemical Burn).

When doing xhtml/css I tend to listen to softer music like Air, dZihan & Kamien, Kevin Yost, James Blunt, Nelly Furtado, Amy Winehouse. Jazz anytime: Thelonious Monk, Dexter Gordon, Chareles Mingus, Miles Davis…

This post was written to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, (K. 448) to measure the disputed Mozart Effect.