British Cosy Hours

White noise

Bright, even, good at masking. Free, live and never looping.

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White noise is every audible pitch at once, at the same strength, which gives a bright, even hiss. Press play to hear it, made live with no loop, and soften it with pink or brown noise if it is too sharp.

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    Steady rain on the village green, heard from indoors.

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What white noise is

White noise has equal power at every frequency, in the way white light holds every colour. Because your ear is most sensitive to high pitches, it sounds bright: the hiss of an untuned wireless.

That brightness is why it masks well. Sudden sounds such as speech, a door or a dog are mostly made of the same high and middle pitches, and a steady layer of white noise leaves them less to stand out against.

White, pink or brown

Pink noise falls away gently as the pitch rises, and sounds like steady rain. Brown noise falls away twice as fast, and sounds like a distant weir. All three are on this page. Many people find white best for masking and brown or pink easier to listen to for hours.

Whichever you choose, keep it low. A masking sound should sit just under the noises you want to cover, not over them.

A black rain cloud emptying itself in grey sheets over a flat sea.
Seascape Study with Rain Cloud, John Constable, 1824 to 1828. Public domain.

Questions

What is white noise used for?

Mostly for covering other sounds: for sleep, for concentration in a busy room, and for settling babies. It is also used to test audio equipment.

Is white noise safe to play all night?

At a low volume, yes for most people. Keep it quiet enough to talk over comfortably, and place a speaker away from the bed rather than beside your head. If you have concerns about your hearing, ask a doctor.

Why does this white noise not loop?

It is generated by your browser as you listen rather than played from a file, so there is no end to return from.

A long lake between wooded hills in hazy evening light, seen over old stone walls.
Next door: Pink noise. Roundhay Lake, John Atkinson Grimshaw, 1893. Public domain.

Other mixes