Despite what you might think, a low level of noise in the background can accomplish a lot of things. Perhaps you’re too tired to sleep, the constant whir of your thoughts keeping you awake. Or perhaps you simply need to relax, but can’t find that perfect soundscape that’ll allow you to do so.
Regardless of your reasons, here is a list of websites that will allow you to fill the silence with the perfect ambient noise for any situation.
1. Noisli
Noisli is a great starting point due to its clean interface and variety of great presets. Several playlists exist across the top of the screen, featuring different combinations of sounds for different categories such as Productivity, Relax, and Random.
These playlists are really just combinations of various other sounds such as rain, wind, waves, and crackling fires. You can tweak the sounds to your preference. The tool gives you the option to raise or lower the volume of each component or to add or remove different sounds, all resting at your fingertips.
For a free account, you’ll get access to 16 of these sounds, with a further 12 becoming available if you choose to sign up for a premium account. These premium accounts offer several other features as well, such as oscillation and shuffle.
By default, you’ll only be able to use Noisli for one and a half hours per day, a limit that gets removed in the premium plan. Further, you’ll be getting seven additional playlists to the three listed above, and an expanded suite of options for some of Noisli’s other features such as their Timer and Text Editor.
2. myNoise
If you’re looking for something with great customization options and a range of sounds, then myNoise might be for you.
The site features over 200 different sound generators, with the most popular ones bundled together on the front page. The sounds have useful headers such as “I want to sleep” or “I need to calm down” to help you find what you’re looking for.
myNoise’s biggest selling point comes only once you’ve chosen one of these sound generators. All the sounds making up the generator have different slider, allowing you to customize the sounds to just how you like them. You can even create your own binaural beats. These sliders can also animate, allowing the sounds to grow louder or weaker in several patterns.
myNoise’s biggest strength is its customization. Different presets exist for all of these sound generators, and you can even adjust the animations to your preferences. Some of these features are locked behind privileged access, requiring you to donate to access them. But the vast majority of features remain available to everyone.
3. Purrli
For something a little different, you can always give Purrli a try. Its premise is simple. What if you wanted to hear a cat purr, but had no cat handy to do so? For some of you, this may seem bizarre, but plenty are no doubt nodding their heads.
The sound of a cat purring can be used much the same as any other ambient sound generator, for those looking for anxiety relief or stress control, productivity, or sleep. But for those who miss their cat because they are away from home or have allergies, Purrli offers a unique experience.
Its interface is simple, with six bars to adjust various factors such as how close or far the cat is to your ears, as well as how often it meows for your attention. If you enjoy Purrli, there's an option to donate to the website as well, which unlocks two additional purring options recorded from different cats.
4. Hipstersound
For those of you that just love to get your work done at the nearest Starbucks or café, Hipstersound is sure to bring a smile to your face. Hipstersound holds a host of different café options for you to choose from. It features sounds from Texas, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro, among others.
Once you’ve chosen your track, you can then customize it with a number of SFX sliders to the right of it. Adding extra voices talking, or a fireplace, can change the entire vibe of the recording and adds a good deal of personality to the experience.
Only three of these tracks are available to free users, with a further five options becoming available for those who choose to pay for the service.
5. Brain.fm
Hundreds of generators all with different options and sliders may be too much for some of you to deal with, no matter the number of presets available to you. That’s where Brain.fm steps in. The platform provides multiple playlists that do all the work for you.
It’s a simple as choosing one of the options labeled Focus, Relax, or Sleep. From there you can put it in the background and forget about it. Each option seems to last for about two hours and is suited perfectly to the task at hand.
There are other options available, as well, for users who want to get the most out of the service. In total, you can choose from 36 different options sorted into one of the above three categories, each providing a different experience for those who want it.
While effective, Brain.fm is a paid service. You can try it for free for three days, but after that, you need to pay to continue using the service.
6. Rainy Mood
Finally, we have Rainy Mood. Rainy Mood has no customizable options, no premium pay structure. It has no sliders or buttons or playlists, nor choices. It simply has a play button. When you press it, it fills your ears with the soothing sounds of rain.
Sometimes that’s all you want, and Rainy Mood delivers on that premise beautifully.
The Perfect Sounds for Every Mood
Hopefully, with all of these options, you'll be able to have found the perfect mix of sounds for your specific needs. If none of them quite scratch that itch, you can always try running more than one at the same time.
Get productive, relax, or fall asleep at last. There’s the perfect option out there for you and with this the tools to find it.