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White noise
Updated 22 October 2026
White noise is a steady hiss with the same energy at every frequency, like a radio tuned between stations. It covers more sounds than any other noise, which is why it is the classic choice for sound machines. Press play to start it. It is generated live in your browser, so it never loops. White noise is one of the few sounds that is better generated than recorded.
Press play
Play opens the sound masker with this mix already loaded, so you can hear it and shape it.
How to set it up
- Press Play on White noise.
- Set the volume a little above the noise you want to cover, and no higher.
- If it sounds sharp, play Soft white noise, or open it in the sound masker and lower the 8k, 12k, and 16k sliders.
- For sleep, add the timer. For work, add a fan or rain to make it feel less like a test tone.
What white noise is used for
Sleep, by covering traffic, snoring, and household sounds. Focus, by blurring voices in a shared space. Babies, as a low steady whoosh. Privacy, by masking conversations in an office or clinic. Tinnitus, by making the ringing less noticeable in a quiet room.
A white noise machine without the machine
A hardware white noise machine plays one fixed sound. This generator starts from the same white noise and gives you an equalizer, so you can soften it, deepen it, or shape it around voices. Choose Pink or Brown if the hiss is too bright. Choose Speech to aim it at conversation.
White noise vs pink and brown noise
To your ear, white noise sounds high and bright, because each octave up contains twice as many frequencies, all at the same level. Pink noise lowers each octave a step to even that out. Brown noise lowers it further. The comparison page plays all three side by side.
Questions
What is white noise?
Noise with equal energy at every frequency. It sounds like a steady, bright hiss.
Is this white noise free?
Yes. Press play. No account is needed to listen.
Is white noise good for sleep?
It helps many people by covering disturbing sounds. Many prefer brown or pink noise because they are softer. See white noise for sleep.
Does it loop?
No. It is generated live, so there is no seam every few minutes.