Ambient noise generator
Free white noise online, plus pink, brown and green noise to mix with rain, surf, thunder, crickets, wind, a river, a fan or a fire. Everything is synthesised live on your device, so it never loops and never buffers.
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Start from a preset
Each preset is a starting point. Move any fader and it becomes yours; save it to find it again tonight.
- Deep Sleep
- Brown noise under steady rain. The brown layer fills the bass that rain alone lacks.
- Focus Flow
- Brown and pink noise with a thin layer of forest, for long stretches of work.
- Open-Office Shield
- Pink noise plus a fan, tuned to cover nearby conversation.
- Nursery
- Low, steady white noise and fan, nothing sudden. Keep it quiet and away from the cot.
- Storm Night, Shoreline, Cabin Fire, Reading Nook
- For winding down: thunder over rain, slow surf, a fire with rain on the window, and a gentle mid-range forest.
Every sound on the desk
Noise colours
- White noiseFlat hiss, equal power per Hz
- Pink noiseSofter, equal power per octave
- Brown noiseDeep rumble, −6 dB per octave
- Green noiseMid-band, centred near 500 Hz
- Grey noiseSounds equally loud at every pitch
- Blue noiseBright, +3 dB per octave
- Violet noiseVery bright, +6 dB per octave
- Black noiseNear-silence, a faint sub-bass hum
Nature and room sounds
- RainSteady rain with close drops
- Ocean wavesSlow surf, waves every ~8 s
- ThunderDistant rolling thunder
- Box fanAirflow with a low motor hum
- ForestWind in leaves, sparse birdsong
- CricketsSummer-night chirping field
- WindGusts rising and falling
- WaterfallDense, steady roar of falling water
- River streamBabbling brook over stones
- Coffee shopWordless café chatter, cups and clinks
- FireplaceLow roar with crackles and pops
- Singing bowlA struck bowl ringing out at a set interval
Questions
Is SoundScape free?
Yes. Every sound is generated in your browser, so there are no files to stream, no account and no ads.
How is the sound made without recordings?
Each layer is synthesised on your device with the Web Audio API: random noise shaped to the right spectrum, plus procedurally placed events such as raindrops, breaking waves, thunder rolls, birdsong phrases and fire crackles. Buffers join seamlessly, so there is no audible loop.
Which noise is best for sleep?
Brown and pink noise are the most popular because they are soft in the treble. Rain is close to pink noise. White noise masks the widest range of sounds but can feel harsh. Try the Deep Sleep preset, then adjust.
Which noise is best for focus or ADHD?
Brown noise is the current favourite, and pink noise is well suited to masking speech. Evidence is limited and individual, so test a mix for a few work sessions. See our brown noise for ADHD guide.
Does it keep playing when I lock my phone?
Usually, as long as the tab stays open. Some iPhones pause web audio in the background; use the lock-screen play button to resume.
What is the best ambient noise for studying?
Sounds without words: pink or brown noise to mask voices, plus a light nature layer such as rain or a stream. Try the Focus Flow or Speech Blocker presets and keep the volume low.
Are there keyboard shortcuts?
Press the space bar anywhere on the home page (outside a text box) to play or pause.
What do Tone and Drift do?
Tone tilts the whole mix warmer (more bass) or brighter (more treble), by up to 9 dB. Drift makes each active layer slowly rise and fall on its own one-to-three-minute cycle, so a long session feels less static. The faders stay where you put them.
Can I save or share a mix?
Yes. Saved mixes stay in your browser only (localStorage). "Copy link" puts the fader levels into a URL you can send to someone.