4 Sites that Provide Ambient Noise to Increase Productivity

Posted February 18, 2015 | Laura Christianson

Does background noise help you focus during your workday?

Does ambient noise relax you when you’re trying to go to sleep?

Personally, I concentrate best in silence, but silence is not always an option in my office. So I’ve been exploring “white noise” websites, to see if I can find the perfect combination of sounds that simultaneously relax, inspire, and help me focus.

Here are four sites I’ve tested, with a brief commentary about each.

4 white noise websites with ambient sounds that increase focusCoffitivity

https://coffitivity.com/

Since I own Blogging Bistro, it made sense that I would visit Coffitivity first. As you’d expect, Coffitivity recreates the ambient sounds of a café. My favorite: “Morning murmur.” App available for Android and iOS.

  • Morning murmur
  • Lunchtime lounge
  • University undertones

Soundrown

http://soundrown.com/

A simple, web-based tool in which you can play one or more sounds simultaneously. I found “white noise” irritating – it sounded like a fan on steroids. “Night” with an owl hooting was nice, but that owl can get irritating after a while.

  • Coffee shop
  • Rain
  • Waves
  • Fire
  • Birds
  • Night
  • Train
  • Fountain
  • White noise
  • Playground

MyNoise™.net

http://mynoise.net/noiseMachines.php

This site offers the greatest variety of sounds and customized control (via a slider) of sound frequencies. Since I’ll be on an airplane this week, I tested “cabin noise.” Thankfully, the sound file didn’t include screaming toddlers or tipsy passengers!

This site has a ton of sounds to explore, offers the most comprehensive customization options, and is available as an iOS app. Thumbs up (or perhaps I should say, “Ears up”).

  • Synthetic noises (white noise, grey noise, sweep noise, impulse noise)
  • Natural noises (rain on a tent, distant thunder, waterfall, cat purr, etc.)
  • Tonal drones (didgeridrone, bagpipes, Tibetan choir, Himilayan bowls)
  • Brainwaves (isochronic, binaural harmonic, etc.)
  • Voices (babble, coffee shop, etc.)
  • Industrial (fan, laundromat, traffic, fireworks)
  • Atmospheres (in utero, spaceship, ferryboat, froggy pond)
  • Patternscapes (shortwave radio, African trance, clockwork)

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Noisli

http://www.noisli.com/

With Noisli, it’s easy to mix-and-match sounds. And if you like staring at your screen while you’re listening to ambient noise, it has a color generator, as well. Free download app for iOS.

In addition to offering sound combos that enhance productivity or help you relax (rain + leaves is my favorite), you can create your own combos, such as a crackling fire at the seaside at night. Or a train passing by a coffeeshop during a thunderstorm (not recommended!)

  • Rain
  • Thunderstorm
  • Wind
  • Forest
  • Leaves
  • Water stream
  • Seaside
  • Water
  • Fireplace
  • Summer night
  • Coffee shop
  • Train
  • Fan
  • White Noise
  • Pink Noise
  • Brown Noise

Give ‘em a try!

I’d love it if you’d test some of the sounds at these sites and let me know two things:

  1. Which site and sound(s) you like best.
  2. Which sounds grate on your eardrums.

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2 responses to “4 Sites that Provide Ambient Noise to Increase Productivity”

  1. Robert says:

    I particularly liked the sound track of the boys playing xbox.

  2. Yes, the sounds of “Call of Duty” are so soothing! But I get those sounds “live” at my house; I don’t even need to go to a website to hear them.

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