White noise, pink noise and brown noise

Noise is the simplest sound in the library and often the most useful: a steady hiss or rumble with no melody, no words and no surprises. White noise is the brightest, an even, airy hiss across the whole range. Pink noise tilts the balance toward lower tones and sounds softer, a little like steady rain. Brown noise is deeper still, a warm rumble closer to a distant waterfall or the inside of a plane. Two oddities complete the set: a soft snore, which some people find strangely comforting, and alien signals, a crackling space transmission for when you want something stranger.

People use noise to blanket sounds they cannot control: a partner’s TV, street traffic, chatter in an open office, a dog next door, a noisy hotel corridor. Because it never changes, it is easy to stop noticing after a few minutes.

If white noise feels harsh, switch to pink or brown before you turn the volume down. Keep the level just loud enough to cover the disturbance, and try a little brown noise under rain for a fuller, less hissy sound.