Megan Bate
Whether you’re sitting at a desk in an open office, or working from home with the sounds of children and pets in the background… Sometimes you just need to shut out the world and get some work done.
Music is usually the first choice, and it can be the perfect companion for that boring workday afternoon. Desk-dancing to some Bruce Hornsby or nodding along to your favorite hip hop artist can only do so much though… Studies have shown that music only helps you focus if you’re doing the right type of task.
So, what can you do if your job deals with data entry or heavy amounts of reading/writing/editing, or if you simply don’t focus well with music?
Try white noise!
…Not the nightmare-inducing, TV-channel-gone-wrong white noise, but the more modern definition: low-level ambient noise, like the whirring of a fan or a gentle rain.
This new designation of white noise improves concentration and memory recall, and a study by Harvard Business Review found that low-level ambient noise helps mask phone conversations and other sound distractions. Science and studies aside, background noise for productivity is a personal choice – and the internet has plenty of options!
Spotify
Before branching out ambient noise websites or apps, take a first stop at a standard that you might already use! A quick search on Spotify will provide a bounty of playlists and albums, from the sounds of thunderstorms and rain to a gently babbling brook or waves on the shore. This is a great option for those that already have the app installed but might not need (or want) white noise on a regular basis.
Coffitivity
This cleverly-named website offers ambient noise tracks reminiscent of busy coffee shops and cafes. Morning Murmur, Lunchtime Lounge, and University Undertones are the only free options, while their $9/year Premium membership offers three more tracks (Paris Paradise, Brazil Bistro, Texas Teahouse) in addition to an offline mode. Coffitivity is inherently quite simple, with only a volume control offered on the free tracks.
Noisli
Noisli is the ultimate in customizable ambient noise generators. With an adjustable slider for rain, thunderstorm, wind, forest, leaves, trickling water, waves, splashing water, fire, nighttime, cafe, train track, and fan noise-effects, the possibilities are nearly endless – and entirely personalized based on your choices. If that level of variety sounds overwhelming, they also have three preset options available – Random, Productivity, and Relax.
Sounds can be combined with each other to create the perfect atmosphere, from a quiet summer campfire (fire + leaves + nighttime) to that busy cafe not far from your first cheap apartment (cafe + train). A simple click on each icon will start that sound and bring up the volume slider, and a second click on the same icon will turn that sound back off. If you sign up for a free account, you can even save your personalized combinations, share them on social media, and set a fade-out timer for the task you’re working on!
Bonus: Noisli is also offering a distraction-free text editor (currently in Beta mode) for all you writers out there!
A Soft Murmur
A Soft Murmur is very similar to Noisli, but doesn’t offer an account option to save your mixes. Like Noisli, it offers customizable mixing using sliders, this time with rain, thunder, waves, wind, fire, birds, crickets, coffee shop, singing bowl, and white noise options. It also has a built-in timer, preset mixes, and a share option.
One feature that stands out is the Meander button. This option will randomize the volume levels of your selected sounds. This makes for an interesting, realistic soundscape – especially when using the nature-based effects.
Soundrown
For the first time on this list, Soundrown adds a new option to the ambient noise mixer: music. A simple interface has a scrollable top section full of the traditional noise effects… But the menu options down below are where new innovations come in to play!
Using a Soundcloud plugin, Soundrown allows you to search for your favorite tracks and mix them into the sound of rain, chirping birds, or one of its many other options!
On top of that, the interface disappears when you navigate away, leaving a simple photo background and a timer counting up the minutes of your productivity.
Rainy Mood
Just as the site name suggests, Rainy Mood is a free ambient noise site with a randomized soundscape of rain, thunder, birds, and wind. There are no customizable options, no way to sign in or save anything, and just a basic volume control in the center of the page. What it lacks in personalization, it more than makes up for in elegant simplicity – an uncomplicated concept executed well.
Fire Feeling
Want a fire-based version of Rainy Mood? Welcome to Fire Feeling! It’s a simple, one-page website with 4 fire options, including a quiet, crackling woodwick candle. No signup or premium account is required, but there is a donate button if you feel like saying thank you to the creator!
Purrli
Just when you thought the internet had enough cats, here comes Purrli – a customizable purr generator where you can adjust 6 settings to reflect the mood, pattern, and speed of the perfect, stress-reducing, anxiety-fighting cat’s purr. (Of course, this is going to be on our list – cats are the best!)
Ambient Music
If a purely musical ambiance is more your style, check out this master list of ambient albums compiled by one of our former writers, Dave!
32 Best Ambient Albums Ever Made
While most of the sites on this list are perfect for tuning out the rest of the world to focus on your tasks distraction-free, here are two bonus favorites that can act as helpful tools for creative work!
Ambient Mixer
Ambient Mixer is a community-made project with customizable soundscapes from pop culture. A quick exploration of the categories will yield thousands of pre-made mixes based in any imaginable world, all of which can be a helpful soundtrack for your creative writing, art, gaming session, etc.
Maybe you’re studying, and have always wanted to know what the Gryffindor Common Room sounds like, or your historical novel is best written with the sounds of a busy Victorian London street playing in your head. Whatever your creative outlet, Ambient Mixer will most likely have a helpful soundscape to use while you do it!
Tabletop Audio
Another community-driven project, Tabletop Audio provides a plethora of 10-minute original tracks meant to enhance gaming sessions, story writing, and brainstorming. Need the sounds of a medieval battle for your tabletop campaign?
How about ghoulish zombie noises while you write that horror short story? Choose from over 100 premade 10-minute tracks, all of which are downloadable for offline use, or available to play from the built-in interface. You can also build playlists, donate to the creators, or make your own custom track using their new SoundPad tab!
Ambient sounds can make for a calm, productive, and focused workday, but it doesn’t just have to be for work!
As mentioned above, these types of soundtracks can be great for gaming with friends, yoga, meditation, long walks… You name it! Explore ambient noise (or music) in the workplace or at home, and see what it can do for you! We’d love to hear about your experience!
Want to learn more?
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