White Noise
Constant power across all frequencies. Ideal for masking distracting speech.
FREQUENCY: HIGH
White Noise
Equal energy at every frequency — the bright hiss that flattens sharp, sudden sounds.
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Sound Library
Calibrated frequencies for deep work and relaxation.
Color Noises
Continuous frequencies for auditory masking.
Brown Noise
Deep, bass-heavy rumble reminiscent of a distant waterfall or thunder.
FREQUENCY: LOW
Pink Noise
Balanced spectrum that sounds more natural to the human ear, like steady rain.
FREQUENCY: BALANCED
Red Noise
Even deeper than Brown noise, focusing heavily on the low-end spectrum.
FREQUENCY: LOW
Black Noise
Near-silence with subtle low-frequency drift. Meditative, like the sound of a quiet room at night.
FREQUENCY: NEAR SILENT
Grey Noise
Psychoacoustically equalized to sound equally loud at every frequency.
FREQUENCY: EQUALIZED
Ambient Sounds
Natural soundscapes recorded in high fidelity.
Rain
Gentle rainfall creating a natural, soothing atmosphere perfect for deep concentration.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Rain on Tent
Rainfall on a tent canvas — cozy, immersive and deeply relaxing for focused work.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Ocean Waves
Rhythmic ocean waves rolling onto shore — a timeless natural soundscape for calm focus.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Wind
Steady breeze flowing through open spaces — airy and expansive for clear thinking.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Forest Stream
A gentle brook flowing through a quiet forest — peaceful and grounding for deep work.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Meadow
Birds and insects in a sunlit meadow — warm, organic ambience for relaxed focus.
SOURCE: RECORDED
Binaural Beats
Brainwave entrainment through stereo frequency offset. Layers with any noise above.
Headphones required for binaural effect
Delta
Deep sleep and healing. Ultra-low 2 Hz beat for total relaxation.
BEAT: 2 Hz
Theta
Meditation and creativity. 6 Hz beat for deep introspection and flow.
BEAT: 6 Hz
Alpha
Calm focus and learning. 10 Hz beat for relaxed concentration.
BEAT: 10 Hz
Beta
Active thinking and energy. 14 Hz beat for alertness and problem solving.
BEAT: 14 Hz
What white noise actually is
White noise carries the same power in every equally wide slice of the audible spectrum, roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The name is borrowed from white light, which mixes every visible wavelength at once. That definition is mathematical, not perceptual: because human hearing is far more sensitive around 2–5 kHz than at the extremes, a spectrum that is flat on paper sounds bright and hissy to the ear — untuned radio static, a hair dryer in the next room, a fan at full speed.
FocusNoise generates it live with the Web Audio API rather than looping a recording, so there is no file to download, no loop point to notice, and no seam to hear however long you leave it running.
What it is good for
All that high-frequency energy is exactly why white noise is the most effective of the noise colors at covering speech. Most of what makes a sentence intelligible sits in the consonants, and consonants live high in the spectrum. Raise the floor there and a conversation two desks away stops resolving into words — it becomes texture your attention can ignore.
- Open-plan offices where nearby talking is the main problem
- Thin walls, a housemate on a video call, hallway traffic
- Clattering keyboards, cutlery, sporadic short noises
- Masking tinnitus-range sounds for some listeners
When to reach for something else
The same brightness that makes white noise a strong masker also makes it tiring. Many people find an hour or two is their limit before the hiss itself becomes the distraction. If you are settling in for a long session, start on white noise to break through the chatter, then step down to pink noise for a softer balance or brown noise if you want the high end gone entirely.
A practical starting point: set the volume just high enough that distractions stop registering, and no higher. Noise that you notice is noise that costs attention.
Common questions
Is it safe to listen to white noise all day?
Treat it like any sustained audio: keep the level comfortably below conversational volume and take breaks. Because of its high-frequency content, many people find white noise fatiguing after an hour or two — brown or pink noise is gentler for long stretches.
What is the difference between white noise and pink noise?
White noise has equal power per hertz across the spectrum. Pink noise rolls off as frequency rises — about 3 dB per octave — so it sounds softer and more like steady rain. Pink is usually the more comfortable choice for long sessions; white is the stronger masker of voices.
Can I use it offline?
Yes. The noise is synthesised in your browser, not streamed, so nothing is downloading while it plays. Install FocusNoise as an app from the browser prompt and it works with no connection at all.