White, pink & brown noise generator
Steady background noise, made on your device. Choose a colour, press Play, set a timer if you want it to fade away on its own. Nothing is streamed or downloaded, so it starts instantly and keeps going without a connection.
Noise player
Bars: how the energy is spread from low (left) to high (right) for the chosen colour.
White, pink and brown, by ear
| Colour | Sounds like | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| White | Even hiss across all frequencies, like a fan or TV static. | Equal energy at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy. |
| Pink | Softer highs, like steady rain. | Energy drops by half (3 dB) per octave going up: equal energy in each octave, so it sounds balanced. |
| Brown | Deep rumble, like a distant waterfall or a plane cabin. | Energy drops by 6 dB per octave: mostly low rumble, very little hiss. |
Brown noise is named after Robert Brown, who described the jittery "random walk" motion of particles, not after the colour. It is made exactly that way here: each sample takes a tiny random step from the last one.
How it's made
When you press Play the page computes 12 seconds of noise in the chosen colour, joins the end smoothly onto the start, and loops it. Twelve seconds of random noise is far too long for an ear to recognise a repeat. Every colour is set to the same average loudness, so switching colours doesn't make you jump, and playback fades in over two seconds instead of starting at full level. The sleep timer fades out over the last ten seconds.
Tips for background noise
- Start quiet and creep up. Set it just loud enough to blur the sound you want to cover, and no louder. Noise that you notice is too loud.
- Try brown first if white sounds harsh. Most of its energy is low, so it covers rumble and voices with less hiss.
- Use the timer at night. It fades out slowly over the last ten seconds, so the stop is gentle.
- Prefer a speaker across the room to headphones for long sessions, and give your ears a break now and then.
What noise can and can't do
Many people like steady noise to cover a snoring partner, a noisy street or office chatter. The research on noise for focus or sleep is limited, though. A 2024 meta-analysis found a small benefit of white or pink noise on task performance for people with ADHD symptoms, a small negative effect for people without them, and no studies at all on brown noise Nigg et al., J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024 (checked 2026-10-09). A systematic review of noise as a sleep aid rated the evidence as very low quality Riedy et al., Sleep Med Rev 2021 (checked 2026-10-09). Use it if you like how it sounds; it isn't a treatment for anything.
Keep it low, especially near babies
Steady noise is easy to turn up without noticing. The World Health Organization suggests keeping personal audio below about 60% of maximum volume and taking breaks WHO: safe listening (checked 2026-10-09). A test of infant sleep machines found all 14 could exceed 50 dBA at 30 cm when turned all the way up, and three exceeded 85 dBA Hugh et al., Pediatrics 2014 (checked 2026-10-09). If you play noise for a baby, keep the phone or speaker well away from the cot and the volume low.
Questions people ask
Will it keep playing if I switch tabs?
On a computer, yes. On phones, browsers often pause pages in the background or when the screen locks, so keep the page open in front.
Why is there no sound on my iPhone?
Silent mode mutes web audio. Tick "Play with the silent switch on" in the sound bar (shown on Apple devices that support it). That also pauses music from other apps while the noise plays.
Does it loop?
Technically every 12 seconds, with the join smoothed out. With random noise that is not something you can hear.
Which colour is best for sleeping?
There is no good evidence that one colour beats another. Many people find brown or pink gentler than white because they have less hiss. Pick the one you find least noticeable.
Does it use data?
Only to load the page once. The noise itself is calculated on your device.
Can I mix colours or add rain sounds?
Not in this version: one colour at a time, kept simple on purpose.
Can I control the volume separately from my device?
Yes, with the slider in the sound bar. Keep your device volume moderate and fine-tune with the slider.