SoundsFree, no ads, no sign-up
Brown noise for studying and focus
Brown noise (also called red or Brownian noise) is random sound whose energy falls by about 6 dB for every doubling of frequency, as the Colors of noise overview describes. Most of its power sits in the low end, so it sounds deep and soft: a distant waterfall, a strong wind, the rumble inside a plane. The name comes from Brownian motion, not the colour. You can make it by adding up (integrating) white noise, which is how this page generates it in your browser: a long, seamless loop that starts at a random point each time.
Live in your browser
-
Brown noise
Deep and soft, weighted to the low end. Like a distant waterfall.
Generated live in your browser. Start low and raise it until the room blurs.
Pair it with the 50/10 timer
Brown noise is easy to leave on for a long block. 50 minutes on, 10 off, and the break is a natural moment to switch it off and rest your ears.
Focus
50:00
Then a 10 min break
What the evidence says
Honest summary: there is no direct research on brown noise and focus. The 2024 meta-analysis on noise and attention found studies of white and pink noise only; none used brown noise (Nigg et al. 2024). Its popularity comes from how it sounds, not from studies. What we can say: brown noise is good at covering low, rumbling sounds such as traffic, and softer on the ears than white noise, so it is easy to keep on.
How to use it with a timer
- Press play and set the volume just loud enough to blur voices around you.
- Start the 50/10 timer. Leave the noise on for the whole work block.
- Switch it off in the break. A few minutes of quiet helps you notice if the volume has crept up.
- If it feels too heavy, move the tone slider up or try pink noise.
Keep it quiet. According to the NIDCD, sound at or below 70 dBA is unlikely to cause hearing loss; long or repeated exposure at 85 dBA or more can (NIDCD). A good rule: you should still be able to hear someone speaking at normal volume next to you.
Other sounds
Compare all soundsQuestions
About brown noise. Missing something? Write to [email protected].
There are no studies of brown noise and studying. Research on related white and pink noise found a small benefit only for people with ADHD symptoms. Some people like brown noise because it masks distracting sounds and is gentle to listen to; try it for a session and judge by what you got done.
Yes. It is generated in your browser, so there are no ads, no loops and nothing to sign up for.
It is not one frequency. Brown noise covers the whole audible range, with energy falling about 6 dB per octave (Colors of noise, Wikipedia), so low frequencies dominate.
Brown is deeper and darker; pink has a little more hiss, like rain. If brown feels muffled, try pink.