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Blue Noise
Blue noise is a thin, airy hiss, brighter than white noise. Press play and the generator runs here in your browser, free, with nothing to install, so a school or work laptop works as well as a phone. It can sit over a faint electronic whine or the hiss of speech through a wall, though most people find it tiring overnight.
Ready to play
Put this under rain or a fire, keep the blend you end up with, and play it through the night with your screen off. The Slo app does that on iOS, Android and Mac.
What is blue noise?
It is a crisp, airy hiss, brighter than white noise and much brighter than pink or brown. Use it when the annoyance is already high and thin: a computer fan, ventilation hiss, a distant "s" from a conversation across the room. It won't cover traffic, a washing machine, or bass through the floor, which need the deep rumble of brown noise.
Phone speakers reproduce it easily, because there is almost no rumble in it to lose, and the same speakers can make it sharper still. Age and hearing change how much of the higher pitches you actually get, so comfort beats any description on this page.
When a brighter hiss is a bad idea
A short work session is a fair test: if the hiss recedes behind the task, keep it, and if you start monitoring it, it is competing with the work. Most people who leave sound on overnight prefer pink or brown noise, though a very low blue setting can still suit someone who already sleeps to a fan.
People with sound sensitivity, tinnitus, headaches triggered by sharp sound, or hearing concerns should stay conservative and stop if it feels unpleasant. Listening to blue noise does not improve health. It is a color some people find clean and others find tiring.
Volume, timer, and layers
Turn it down before you press play, then raise it slowly. A high hiss can feel light while it wears you out, especially on headphones. Don't use it to overpower loud equipment or ringing in the ears. Try the 15-minute timer first and take a quiet break before you extend it to 30, 60, or all night.
The blue noise generator here is free, with no account and nothing to download; the Slo app on the App Store and Google Play is the version for a phone. If it is too exposed, open the browser mixer and blend a little blue into pink noise or rain instead of raising blue alone. The complete noise-colors guide is the place to compare white and pink at the same volume.
Frequently asked questions
What does blue noise sound like?
It sounds like a crisp, airy hiss, brighter than white noise and much brighter than pink or brown.
Is blue noise the same as violet noise?
No. Violet noise is thinner and brighter still, almost all hiss. Blue noise is already bright, and violet is the one most people last about a minute with.
Can blue noise mask tinnitus?
It may overlap some high ringing, but tinnitus care should not mean drowning the signal. Keep playback gentle and get assessment for sudden, one-sided, pulsatile, or distressing tinnitus.
Why would I mix blue noise with pink noise?
A little blue on top of pink can add crispness without leaving you in a thin hiss. Separate sliders let you back it off when it gets sharp.