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Poll: What is the best music for translation work?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Aug 5, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What is the best music for translation work?".

This poll was originally submitted by Omri Ofek Luzon. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:25
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No music for me! Aug 5, 2019

I don’t listen to music while working as it totally distracts me and interferes with my ability to focus on my work, but my TV is always on as a distant background noise on the other side of my apartment, except when I'm proofreading my work or editing others' work: I press the mute key!

Morano El-Kholy
Paul van Zijll
Elaine Ruby
Alaa Mahm
Hedwig Spitzer (X)
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Martha Schwan
Martha Schwan  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:25
Member
English to Portuguese
+ ...
DISTRACTING TO THE BONE!! Aug 5, 2019

Very distracting, don't you all agree?? No music or talking at all in my work space!

Elaine Ruby
Laura Bissio CT
Kay Denney
Philip Lees
Muriel Vasconcellos
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Julio Madrid
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:25
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Aug 5, 2019

I usually have the radio on in the background, like right now, most often BBC six music. However, sometimes I prefer a bit of silence, although on other occasions I can find silence distracting. The type of music I listen to might depend on the type of text I'm working on as well - for example, in a language area where I am very familiar with the content I might have some fast techno in the background, to sort of speed things up.
On the other hand, they say that Vivaldi and similar types
... See more
I usually have the radio on in the background, like right now, most often BBC six music. However, sometimes I prefer a bit of silence, although on other occasions I can find silence distracting. The type of music I listen to might depend on the type of text I'm working on as well - for example, in a language area where I am very familiar with the content I might have some fast techno in the background, to sort of speed things up.
On the other hand, they say that Vivaldi and similar types of classical music are conducive to our brainwaves, and I'm all for trying most things at least once. Then again, on other occasions I might find the four seasons suite too relaxing...
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Angie Garbarino
 
Morano El-Kholy
Morano El-Kholy  Identity Verified
Egypt
Local time: 11:25
Member (2011)
English to Arabic
+ ...
No music for me too! Aug 5, 2019

Generally speaking, I find music distracting too!

But, sometimes, only during my work-breaks, I can listen to oriental songs/music: "Um Kolthoum", "Fairoz", "Shadia" and "Abd-El Halim Hafiz".


expressisverbis
 
Sergiy Butkov
Sergiy Butkov
Ukraine
Local time: 11:25
Member (2014)
English to Russian
+ ...
Music can help if chosen properly Aug 5, 2019

I can't work while listening to music with a lot of words, sharp sounds or too monotonous.

But I've discovered that one style of music really helps me to concentrate on my work. It is especially helpful when there are a lot of distractions around (for example, noise from my playing children) or when I feel sleepy but I have to work.

The style is called Future Garage, and you can listen to it legally for free on the online Radio channel DI.fm
If you wish to try, fo
... See more
I can't work while listening to music with a lot of words, sharp sounds or too monotonous.

But I've discovered that one style of music really helps me to concentrate on my work. It is especially helpful when there are a lot of distractions around (for example, noise from my playing children) or when I feel sleepy but I have to work.

The style is called Future Garage, and you can listen to it legally for free on the online Radio channel DI.fm
If you wish to try, follow the link https://www.di.fm/channels and look for the Future Garage in the list.

Let me know if it helps you the same as me.

Also, sometimes instrumental music helps me (but not classic like Beethoven, etc.). My favourite is Spanish guitar.
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Angie Garbarino
 
Mariana Passos
Mariana Passos  Identity Verified
Ireland
Local time: 09:25
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Instrumental Irish traditional music Aug 5, 2019

I find that anything spoke distracts me while working. So any music with lyrics is a big no-no.
But Irish traditional music is great! And a lot of it is instrumental, so it helps me.

Someone suggested that games soundtracks are designed to keep your attention. So maybe that can help some people


Kaisa I
 
Carlos Heras
Carlos Heras  Identity Verified
Spain
English to Spanish
+ ...
No music for me, but... Aug 5, 2019

I definitely focus better without music, but, if I'm in a busy environment and need to cancel out the noise, I always go for classical music or Spotify's Brain Food playlist, which is updated regularly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_hBf1ghAGE&list=PLGF7Ym7LTxS_wpZOjv86_oyHwjnp-_6u3


 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:25
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
Rock, soft rock Aug 5, 2019

I never work with total silence, I feel too alone, I always have soft rock music in background, in particular Bruce Springsteen.

Edited for typos, I forgot 2 S, as usual



[Edited at 2019-08-05 11:42 GMT]


Peter van der Hoek
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 10:25
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Death, power and folk metal, and a smattering of NDH Aug 5, 2019

Omri Ofek Luzon wrote:
What is the best music for translation work?


Anything that doesn't require me to think about the music too much, along with a good speed. Music in foreign languages also work well (e.g. I have a hundred or so Finnish schlager songs at the ready, for when I need to take a break from English-language unblack). I can't work when someone else is playing music, though.


[Edited at 2019-08-05 12:37 GMT]


expressisverbis
Ben Gaia
 
Waleed Dahmash
Waleed Dahmash
Egypt
English to Arabic
+ ...
It,s not good for me Aug 5, 2019

For me I feel that any sound makes me lose my focus.So I prefer to work with nothing in background but in free time I enjoy listening to traditional music

[Edited at 2019-08-06 02:18 GMT]


 
Maciej Bogucki
Maciej Bogucki
Poland
Local time: 10:25
English to Polish
+ ...
No single 'best', but there's a caveat Aug 5, 2019

I listen to a variety of styles while working, but as others said - lyrics can be very distracting, so if they are there, it has to be in a language I can't *understand*. This is why early music probably makes for my favourite background jingle - since whatever singing there is, it's typically not only something I can't immediately understand (Latin, French, etc.), but also in dialectal or medieval versions, or both. I also listen to it off an online radio (ancient.fm), so I'm not familiar with ... See more
I listen to a variety of styles while working, but as others said - lyrics can be very distracting, so if they are there, it has to be in a language I can't *understand*. This is why early music probably makes for my favourite background jingle - since whatever singing there is, it's typically not only something I can't immediately understand (Latin, French, etc.), but also in dialectal or medieval versions, or both. I also listen to it off an online radio (ancient.fm), so I'm not familiar with many of the pieces played there as well, which is another plus.

But that said, I also find that work goes very nicely with other stuff, namely jazz, traditional/folk and electronica, depending on mood or even the assignment itself.
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Romeo Baldovino
Romeo Baldovino
Philippines
Local time: 17:25
Member (2014)
English to Tagalog
+ ...
Upbeat music Aug 5, 2019

In rare occasions, I play a favorite happy morning music.

 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:25
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
@Romeo, sorry off topic Aug 5, 2019

Romeo Baldovino wrote:


Can I ask your ancestry? Because your surname is Italian (North West of Italy) I have relatives with your surname, and also your first name sounds Italian

[Edited at 2019-08-05 14:40 GMT]


 
Gilliane Elsa
Gilliane Elsa
Local time: 12:25
Member (2018)
English to French
I prefer to play something that won't distract me Aug 5, 2019

Usually when translating, especially if I need to stay awake late at night, I prefer to play a movie, not because I want to watch it but just because it does distract me, it is just to keep me awake. It should be a movie I do not know. I cannot translate while listening to music because I will find myself singing and definitely be distracted.

 
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Poll: What is the best music for translation work?






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