What Brown Noise Is
Brown noise loses energy steadily as the pitch rises, much faster than white or pink noise. What's left is mostly low sound: a soft roar with almost no hiss. That's why many people find it easier to listen to for hours than white noise.
Deep brown noise cuts the top off even further, down to a low hum. Smooth brown noise sits between the two.
Brown Noise vs White Noise
- White noise spreads its energy evenly, so the high frequencies dominate and it sounds like a hiss.
- Brown noise puts most of its energy in the low frequencies, so it sounds like a rumble.
- Both cover background sounds. White noise hides high sounds such as voices a little better; brown noise is gentler on the ears.
Try both on the white noise page, or blend them in the white noise generator.
Brown Noise for Sleep
- Choose Brown noise for sleep. It mixes classic and deep brown noise with the tone turned down.
- Set the timer to 60 minutes or 8 hours. The sound fades over the last two minutes.
- Keep the volume low. Deep sound feels quieter than it is, so turn it down a notch more than you think.
Brown Noise for Study or Focus
Some people find a steady low sound easier to work against than silence or chatter. There's little research on brown noise itself, so treat it as a matter of taste. Brown noise for study adds a little pink noise so it doesn't feel muffled.
FAQs
- Why is it called brown noise?
- After the botanist Robert Brown, not the color. The sound follows the same math as Brownian motion, the random jiggle of tiny particles he described in 1827.
- Does the brown noise loop?
- No. It's made live in your browser, so there's no recording to repeat.
- Is brown noise the same as red noise?
- Yes. Brown noise is also called red noise. Both names describe the same deep sound.
Last updated October 2026