White noise, pink noise and brown noise.

What is white noise?

White noise is a random sound with equal energy across every frequency you can hear. To the ear it sounds like a bright, even hiss, a bit like an untuned radio or a fan on high. Because it covers the whole range at once, it is very good at masking other sounds: a voice or a car outside has a harder time standing out against it.

White vs pink vs brown noise

The “colour” of noise describes how its energy is spread between low and high frequencies.

• White noise has the same energy at every frequency. Our ears are most sensitive to the higher range, so it sounds bright and hissy. It masks the widest range of sounds.
• Pink noise loses energy as the pitch rises (about 3 dB per octave), so each octave carries equal power. It sounds smoother and more balanced, like steady rain or wind.
• Brown noise (also called red or Brownian noise) falls off even faster (about 6 dB per octave). Most of its energy is in the low end, so it sounds like a deep rumble, a waterfall or the inside of a plane. It is good at covering low sounds like traffic and snoring.

How to get the most out of it

• Start quiet. Set the volume just loud enough to blur the sounds around you. You should be able to hold a conversation over it easily.
• Pick the colour for the noise you’re covering. Bright noises like voices and keyboards suit white or pink noise. Low noises like traffic, engines or a neighbour’s bass suit brown noise.
• Use the sleep timer at night. Choose 30 minutes to 8 hours and the noise fades gradually to silence, so it doesn’t cut out abruptly and wake you.
• Prefer nature? Rain sounds give a similar masking effect with a more organic texture.

Mix noise with nature in nive

nive is a sleep sounds and white noise app that lets you layer up to six sounds. Pair soft brown noise with rain, add an ocean or a fireplace, and set the balance yourself. Sleep Mode fades the mix to silence over your chosen time, and downloaded mixes play offline.

Questions