What is the difference between white, pink, and brown noise?

White noise has equal energy at all frequencies — every octave from bass to treble has the same total power. It sounds like static and is good for masking a wide range of sounds. Pink noise has equal energy per octave (less treble than white), sounding more natural and balanced — like rain. Brown noise emphasises bass heavily (even less treble), sounding like a deep ocean rumble, and is popular for sleep and relaxation.

Is listening to noise for focus or sleep safe?

Yes, at safe volume levels. Keep the volume low enough to have a comfortable conversation — roughly 50–60 dB. Prolonged exposure to loud noise (above 85 dB) can damage hearing. Most people use noise generators at 40–55 dB for focus or sleep, which is equivalent to a quiet library or soft rain. Using headphones at excessive volume is the main risk to avoid.

Can white noise help with tinnitus?

Many tinnitus sufferers find that broadband noise masks or reduces the perception of their tinnitus by providing a competing sound that partially fills the same frequency range. Pink and brown noise are often preferred for tinnitus masking because they have more energy in the lower frequencies where many tinnitus tones occur. Consult an audiologist for a personalised sound therapy programme.

Noise Generator — White, Pink & Brown

Generate white, pink and brown noise with a correct spectral shape, for masking, testing or concentration.

Noise Type

The noise colours

Type	Spectrum	Sounds like	Good for
White	Equal energy per hertz — flat	Bright, hissy, like untuned radio static	Audio testing, masking high-frequency distractions
Pink	Equal energy per octave — falls 3 dB/octave	Balanced; like steady rainfall	The most comfortable for long listening. Standard for speaker measurement
Brown	Falls 6 dB/octave	Deep and rumbling, like a waterfall or distant thunder	Sleep and masking low-frequency noise such as traffic

Pink noise sounds "flat" to human ears even though it is not flat in energy, because we perceive pitch logarithmically — each octave spans twice the hertz of the one below, so equal energy per octave is what sounds even. White noise, which is flat per hertz, therefore sounds top-heavy.

What it is genuinely useful for

Masking intermittent noise —Steady noise raises the floor so speech and sudden sounds do not stand out against silence. This is why it works in open-plan offices — it masks conversation rather than cancelling it.
Sleep —Pink and brown are usually preferred over white. Keep it quiet — around 50 dB. Loud all-night noise is itself a sleep disruptor.
Speaker and room measurement —Pink noise is the standard test signal, because its equal-energy-per-octave spectrum matches how measurement systems band the audio range.
Testing for rattles —Brown noise excites low frequencies broadly and finds resonances in speaker cabinets and rooms faster than a frequency sweep.
Tinnitus masking —Widely used, and worth discussing with an audiologist rather than self-prescribing — the effective type and level vary by individual.

About

The Noise Generator produces three types of broadband noise using the Web Audio API. White noise has equal energy at every frequency and sounds like TV static. Pink noise rolls off at −3 dB per octave (equal energy per octave) and sounds more natural and balanced. Brown (Brownian) noise rolls off at −6 dB per octave, producing a deep rumble resembling ocean waves — popular for sleep and focus.

How to use

1 Select the noise type: White, Pink, or Brown.
2 Adjust the volume slider to a comfortable level.
3 Click Play to start the noise. Click Stop to silence it.
4 Note: listen at a safe volume level, especially through headphones.

What is the difference between white, pink, and brown noise?: White noise has equal energy at all frequencies — every octave from bass to treble has the same total power. It sounds like static and is good for masking a wide range of sounds. Pink noise has equal energy per octave (less treble than white), sounding more natural and balanced — like rain. Brown noise emphasises bass heavily (even less treble), sounding like a deep ocean rumble, and is popular for sleep and relaxation.
Is listening to noise for focus or sleep safe?: Yes, at safe volume levels. Keep the volume low enough to have a comfortable conversation — roughly 50–60 dB. Prolonged exposure to loud noise (above 85 dB) can damage hearing. Most people use noise generators at 40–55 dB for focus or sleep, which is equivalent to a quiet library or soft rain. Using headphones at excessive volume is the main risk to avoid.
Can white noise help with tinnitus?: Many tinnitus sufferers find that broadband noise masks or reduces the perception of their tinnitus by providing a competing sound that partially fills the same frequency range. Pink and brown noise are often preferred for tinnitus masking because they have more energy in the lower frequencies where many tinnitus tones occur. Consult an audiologist for a personalised sound therapy programme.

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