Brown noise
A deep, even rush, like a far-off waterfall.
Noise colorsMade live in your browser
Pink noise
A soft, balanced hush, gentler than white noise.
Pink noise
Made live, so it never loops. Free, for as long as you like.
- Slope
- −3 dB/oct
- Playing for
- 0:00
Sleep timer
What it sounds like
Pink noise sounds like a soft, balanced hush, a little like steady rainfall or a distant waterfall without any single drop standing out. It holds equal energy in every octave, which means the lows are strong, the mids are present and the highs are gentler. Next to white noise it feels warmer and less hissy. Next to brown noise it feels lighter and more open. No pitch stands out, and the sound does not pulse or change, so it settles into the background of a room quickly and stays there.
When it helps
Pink noise is a popular all-round choice. People use it at night as a steady bed that covers voices, doors and street sounds, and by day for reading, writing and quiet work. Because it sits between a hiss and a rumble, it is often the sound people try first. It suits shared homes, hotel rooms and open offices, where a constant, even sound can soften what is around you. If it feels too bright, try brown. If you want more cover, try white. As always, keep the volume low enough to talk over.
How it compares
The numbers explain the sound. White noise carries equal energy at every hertz, and because there are far more hertz in the upper octaves, white leans bright and hissy. Pink noise instead lets its energy per hertz fall 3 decibels per octave, which works out to equal energy in every octave and matches how we hear pitch more closely. Brown noise falls faster, by 6 decibels per octave, and sounds like a deep rumble. So the order from bright to dark runs white, pink, brown. Blue and violet rise toward the high end and sound thin and sharp by comparison. Many people find pink the most even of them all.
Seven colors, side by side
Each color is the same steady hiss with its energy tilted a different way. Press any of them to hear the difference; only one plays at a time.
- White noise
- Pink noise
- Brown noise
- Gray noise
- Green noise
- Blue noise
- Violet noise
Blue noise+3 dB/oct
A crisp, airy hiss that leans toward the high pitches.
Brown noise−6 dB/oct
A deep, even rush, like a far-off waterfall.
Green noisemid hump
A gentle mid-range rush, like a breeze through the woods.
Gray noiseear-shaped
A smooth, level hush, balanced to how the ear hears.
Pink noise−3 dB/octthis page
A soft, balanced hush, gentler than white noise.
Violet noise+6 dB/oct
A fine, very bright hiss, with the lows taken out.
White noise0 dB/oct
A bright, even hiss that covers sudden sounds.
The colors in words
| Color | Energy | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Blue noise | +3 dB/oct | A crisp, airy hiss that leans toward the high pitches. |
| Brown noise | −6 dB/oct | A deep, even rush, like a far-off waterfall. |
| Green noise | mid hump | A gentle mid-range rush, like a breeze through the woods. |
| Gray noise | ear-shaped | A smooth, level hush, balanced to how the ear hears. |
| Pink noise | −3 dB/oct | A soft, balanced hush, gentler than white noise. |
| Violet noise | +6 dB/oct | A fine, very bright hiss, with the lows taken out. |
| White noise | 0 dB/oct | A bright, even hiss that covers sudden sounds. |
Goes well with
Press play on one to layer it under Pink noise.
Calm Rainfall
Soft, steady rain with no thunder, close and even.
Electric Fan
A small electric fan humming steadily nearby.