Campfire sounds for sleep, kept in the distance
Fire crackle is lovely to fall asleep to and useless as cover on its own, because it is a run of small pops with quiet between them. That is why brown noise runs underneath, a deep rumble that sits under traffic and a building’s machinery, though it does little about voices. The crickets are further back still, enough to suggest you are outdoors without giving you something to count. If you want the same idea with less going on, compare it with rain and brown noise.
How loud to let the fire get
Start with the overall volume low and listen through a dozen crackles before you decide anything, since a fire is uneven by nature and one loud pop is not the average. On earbuds, bringing the fire down to around 25% usually stops the sparks from jolting you, while a speaker across the room is often fine where it starts. A phone speaker loses most of the rumble underneath, so use earbuds you can lie on or put a small speaker on a shelf away from the pillow. Set the timer if you only want it while you drift off, and the sleep soundscape guide has a practical way to build your own.
Explore the sounds in this mix
Listen to each layer on its own: Brown Noise, Campfire and Night Crickets. Or start from scratch in the free online sound mixer.
Frequently asked questions
Which sound is loudest here?
Brown noise leads, the campfire sits under it, and the crickets are quietest by a wide margin. The page lists each starting level under the Play button.
Can I turn the crickets off?
Yes. Switch night crickets off and you are left with the fire over brown noise, which is the steadier of the two versions.
Is this a recording of a real campsite?
No. Three separate sounds are playing together, which is why you can move the fire, the crickets, and the noise underneath them one at a time.