Free Noise Generator
Generate white, pink, brown, rain, ocean, or fan noise for sleep, focus, and tinnitus relief. Volume, bass and treble filters, timer, all in your browser.
What is a noise generator and why do people use one?
A noise generator produces continuous, unstructured sound — the audio equivalent of a smooth, unchanging texture rather than a melody. The most useful thing about it is masking: by filling your environment with a consistent low-level sound, sudden noises (a neighbor’s door slam, a passing car, an office conversation) become far less noticeable because they don’t stand out against silence. This is why noise machines are wildly popular for sleep, focus, tinnitus relief, and infant soothing.
Our noise generator produces six distinct sounds using mathematics — no audio samples, no loops that eventually repeat, no downloads. Everything is synthesized in real time by your browser using the Web Audio API’s noise generation and filtering, which means the sound never loops and never sounds artificial.
The six noise types explained
| Sound | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| White noise | Equal energy at all frequencies — sharp hiss, like an untuned TV | Blocking sudden noises; tinnitus masking |
| Pink noise | Equal energy per octave — deeper than white, softer on the ears | Sleep, deep focus, natural sound |
| Brown noise | Even deeper — sounds like distant thunder or a low waterfall | Very deep focus, blocking traffic and voices |
| Rain | Filtered pink noise — steady rainfall | Sleep, meditation, relaxation |
| Ocean waves | Slowly modulated brown noise — waves rolling in and out | Sleep, meditation |
| Fan | Low-pass filtered pink noise — like a ceiling fan or air conditioner | Familiar background hum for sleep |
How to use the noise generator
- Click on the noise type you want to hear.
- Adjust the volume to a comfortable level — noise machines work best around 50-65 dB SPL (roughly a normal conversation level in the room).
- Use the bass and treble sliders to shape the tone: cut treble for a rounder, less harsh sound; boost bass for a deeper masking effect.
- Set a timer if you want the sound to fade out after a set period — 30 or 60 minutes is standard for falling asleep.
- Click Start. Keep this browser tab open, or use a device (phone, tablet, spare laptop) dedicated to noise playback overnight.
Popular use cases
Sleep. The single most common use. Noise masks sudden environmental sounds that would otherwise wake you up. Pink and brown noise are popular for adults; white noise is common for infants. Studies have shown noise machines significantly reduce the time it takes to fall asleep in noisy environments.
Deep focus and studying. Coding, reading, writing, and studying all benefit from a consistent auditory background that prevents your attention from being hijacked by every random noise. Many productivity researchers recommend brown noise for focus.
Tinnitus relief. Millions of people with tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears) find that a low level of white or pink noise makes the ringing far less noticeable — the brain’s attention shifts from the tinnitus to the ambient sound.
Infant sleep. The womb is not a quiet place — it’s approximately 70-90 dB of low-frequency rumble. Newborns are often calmed by white or pink noise at moderate volume, which reminds them of that familiar sound environment.
Meditation and yoga. A gentle background of rain or ocean waves supports meditative breathing without demanding attention the way music can.
Open-office concentration. Nothing kills productivity like a nearby conversation. Pink or brown noise through headphones masks conversation intelligibility without being distracting itself.
Which noise should you use?
For sleep: Try brown noise first — it’s easiest to fall asleep to for most adults. If that’s too deep, try pink noise. If that’s too active, try rain.
For focus: Brown noise blocks voice frequencies best. Pink noise is a good all-purpose focus sound.
For tinnitus: This is highly individual. Try white noise first (it’s the traditional recommendation), then pink, then brown, and choose whichever makes your tinnitus least noticeable.
For infants: White noise at moderate volume (not louder than a normal conversation). The American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about extremely loud noise machines near infants, so keep the volume reasonable.
Volume and safety guidelines
Sound around 50 dB (a quiet office) is safe indefinitely. Around 65 dB (normal conversation) is safe for 8+ hours. Above 75 dB, prolonged exposure can potentially cause hearing damage over years, so keep sustained noise-machine levels below that. If someone else in the room can clearly hear your noise machine, it’s probably too loud for you too. When using on-ear or in-ear devices for tinnitus or focus, keep the volume markedly lower than you would with speakers.
Tips for best results
Place the sound between you and the noise source. If your neighbor is on the north wall, put your phone or laptop between your bed and that wall. The noise machine should be closer to the noise source than you are.
Use a dedicated device for overnight playback. Leave a spare phone or tablet running the noise generator overnight. Modern smartphones handle continuous audio playback for 8+ hours with the screen off.
Don’t sleep in headphones. Uncomfortable, potentially harmful to hearing at close range, and the wire can wrap around you. Use a nearby speaker instead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
White has equal energy at every frequency and sounds like sharp hiss. Pink has equal energy per octave and sounds like a waterfall. Brown drops even more in the treble and sounds like distant thunder. Pink and brown are usually more comfortable long-term.
Yes. There’s no evidence that noise at safe volumes (below ~65 dB) causes any harm during sleep. Keep it at a low, comfortable level. Set the timer to 8 hours or leave it open all night.
It depends on your browser and device. Chrome usually keeps audio playing when the screen locks. Safari on iOS may pause audio when the tab is in the background — enable “Autoplay” for the site or keep the tab active.
No. Every second of noise is freshly generated using randomness (for white and brown) or the Voss-McCartney algorithm (for pink). There’s no loop point, so no repetitive artifacts.
Yes at moderate volumes. Keep the noise machine at least a few feet from the crib and below the volume of a normal adult conversation. Very loud noise near infants for long periods is not recommended.
Yes for many people. It’s called sound masking or sound therapy and it’s one of the standard non-medical approaches to tinnitus. It doesn’t cure tinnitus but makes it much less noticeable while the noise is playing.
Yes. Once the page has loaded, everything runs in your browser. You can go into airplane mode and the noise generator continues working.