Free Online Player
Brown Noise
Brown noise is a deep, steady rumble, closer to a distant waterfall or a plane cabin than to static. Press play below and it runs free in this browser, with no ads, no signup and nothing to download. People put it on when traffic, an HVAC unit, or a neighbor's bass keeps punching through a quiet room. Phone and laptop speakers lose most of that rumble, so it will sound thinner than you expect unless you have headphones or a speaker that can actually do bass.
Slo is a brown noise app for iPhone, Android and Mac. This free browser player and the mixer at slonoise.com let you put brown noise under rain at your own levels, on a timer. Our guide to the best brown noise apps compared ranks the alternatives side by side.
Ready to play
Put this under rain or a fire, keep the blend you end up with, and play it through the night with your screen off. The Slo app does that on iOS, Android and Mac.
What is brown noise, and what does it cover?
It sounds like a heavy, even rumble. That deep rumble is what sits under road noise, a bus, a boiler, or bass coming through the floor. Voices, dishes, and a TV through the wall are higher-pitched, so brown noise is a weak cover for those. If speech is the problem, a brighter color usually does more.
It's a backdrop for a noisy room. It isn't a treatment for insomnia, tinnitus, or attention problems, so if sleep trouble keeps up, talk to a clinician. Comfort is personal too: some people find the rumble cozy for a long study block, and others find it muddy within ten minutes.
Brown noise for sleep and focus
Don't turn it up to compete with the room. A louder rumble through a phone just becomes a thin hiss plus a rattle, and it still won't cover a shouting neighbor. Start below the level you think you need, and keep the speaker off the pillow.
For sleep, set the timer to 15, 30, or 60 minutes if you only want help falling off, or to all night if a sudden stop would wake you. For a work block, leave it running and check after ten minutes whether you've stopped noticing it. Overnight, keep it quiet enough that you can ignore it.
Learn more
If you want to go deeper, read the best sounds for focus, the science behind brown noise, and the top Noisli alternatives if you want a fuller app. The right color depends on what is actually bothering you, not on the name.
This page plays a deep brown noise recording, free and in your browser, with nothing to download and no account to make. If you want a generator you can shape while it runs, open the noise generator. To put brown noise under rain, a fire, or ocean waves, each at its own level, try the Slo app on iOS, Android, and Mac.
Presets built on brown noise
Each one opens with the volumes and the timer already set for a single job, so you can press play and leave it alone.
- Brown Noise for Sleep One layer at 50%, timer set until morning.
- Brown Noise for Studying Brown noise at 45%, a little rain at 20%, timer at 90 minutes.
- Brown Noise for Focus Brown noise at 45%, a little wind at 15%, timer at 50 minutes.
- Brown Noise for ADHD Brown noise at 50%, one layer, timer set to 50 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What does brown noise sound like?
It is a deep, steady rumble. People compare it to a distant waterfall, heavy surf, or the muffled roar inside a plane cabin.
Can brown noise help with focus or sleep?
It can make traffic, HVAC, and bass through the floor less of a jolt. It's a weak cover for voices and dishes, and it isn't a treatment for insomnia or attention problems.
What volume should I use for brown noise?
Quieter than you think. Cranking it on a phone won't bring the rumble back, and it won't win against a loud neighbor. Aim for a level that softens the disturbance and still lets you ignore it.
Does this brown noise player have a sleep timer?
Yes, and it's free like the rest of the player. Stop after 15, 30, or 60 minutes, run it all night, or leave the timer off if a sudden silence would wake you.