Brown noise
Ready Mixes
Sounds
0Brown noise
"Brown Noise" (also called red noise, Brownian noise) is synthesised noise whose power decreases with frequency by 6 dB per octave (twice as steep as pink). Energy is strongly shifted to the low-frequency end, and the sound feels deep, "visceral" — somewhere between a muffled waterfall and a heavy engine drone. The name "brown" comes not from a colour but from Robert Brown — the term refers to Brownian motion, whose mathematical formalism describes this spectral shape.
Psychoacoustically brown noise is the "softest" of the standard noise references for most people. High frequencies are suppressed, which is particularly valuable for people with hyperacusis, for those with ADHD (Söderlund et al., Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2007), and for those with high-frequency tinnitus. Forced-choice research by Helfter and colleagues (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020) showed that among three standard noises (white, pink, brown) most participants preferred brown for long-form background, especially at night.
Use this track for sleep (especially for hypersensitive listeners), for long focused-work backdrops (programming, accounting), to mask neighbours with low-frequency emphasis (e.g. conversations from the room below), for people with tinnitus, and for breath-focused meditation. Pairs with Pink Noise, Deep Underwater, Air Conditioner. One of the best sleep tracks in the collection.
Included in Mixes
Related Sounds
Auto-off Timer
Alarms
Settings
Appearance
Audio
Timer
About
ReduxSound v1.0.0
Ambient sound mixer for relaxation and focus