Pink Noise Generator
Soft, balanced pink noise that plays without gaps or ads. Press play, then use the ten faders to make it warmer or brighter. It keeps going with your screen locked.
What is pink noise?
Pink noise has the same energy in every octave. Its level drops 3 dB each time the pitch doubles, which matches how our ears hear, so no part of it jumps out. Like white noise, it covers the whole range you can hear, from deep bass to high treble. It spreads the energy differently. It sounds like steady rain or wind in the trees, fuller than white noise and lighter than brown.
Each fader above shapes one octave of white noise. Every octave is twice as wide as the one below it, so white noise gets louder as you go up. The Pink preset slopes the faders gently down from left to right to cancel that out, which leaves every octave equally loud.
Shaping your pink noise
For a warmer sound, lower the 8k and 16k faders a few steps. That moves it toward brown noise while keeping the middle intact.
To cover voices, raise the 500 Hz, 1k and 2k faders slightly. Most of the energy in speech sits there.
Turn on Drift and each band slowly swells and fades, which makes steady rain sound more like real weather.
Why people use it
Pink noise is a common choice for sleep because it's even without being harsh. It covers everyday household sounds like footsteps or a partner's snoring, and it has less of the high hiss that bothers some people about white noise.
Whether it improves sleep is less clear. A few small studies have looked at pink noise and deep sleep, with mixed results. A 2026 University of Pennsylvania study found that steady pink noise at 50 dB cut REM sleep by about 19 minutes a night in 25 adults. Think of it as a pleasant way to cover noise rather than as a sleep treatment.
Pink noise for testing speakers
Audio engineers use pink noise to check speakers and rooms, because every octave carries the same energy. The Pink preset here comes close, but octave filters shape it, so it isn't a calibrated reference signal. For measuring a room or setting up a sound system, use a dedicated test-signal generator. For sleep, focus or covering noise, this one is fine.
Gear for pink noise
Your phone works fine on its own. These help if pink noise is part of your nightly routine.
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Sleep headphones
These put flat speakers inside a soft headband. They're comfortable when you sleep on your side, and quiet for anyone next to you.
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Bedside speaker
A small speaker fills the room evenly at a low volume, which suits pink noise better than a phone speaker does.
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Sleep mask
A mask blocks light the way pink noise covers sound, so together they make the room darker and quieter.
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Questions
Is pink noise better than white noise for sleep?
Many people find it more comfortable because it has less high-frequency hiss. Try both at a low volume for a few nights and keep whichever you notice less.
Is it okay to play pink noise all night?
You can, but there's a tradeoff. In the 2026 Penn study, adults who slept with pink noise at 50 dB got about 19 fewer minutes of REM sleep. If you want the masking without the all-night exposure, set the sleep timer so the sound fades out after you fall asleep. Keep the volume as low as still works for you.
Does pink noise actually work?
For covering sounds, yes. A steady sound makes sudden noises like a door or a dog less noticeable. Whether it improves sleep itself is still an open question, as the section above explains.
Is there a sound machine that makes pink noise?
Some sound machines include a pink setting, but many only offer white noise and fan sounds, so check the specs before you buy. This page plays pink noise from any phone or computer for free.
Does it loop or have gaps?
No. Your browser generates the noise live instead of playing a recording, so you won't hear a gap or seam where a track starts over.
Does it keep playing when I lock my phone?
Yes. It plays like a music track, so it keeps going with the screen locked and you can pause it from the lock screen. The built-in browser inside some apps may still stop it. If that happens, open this page in Safari or Chrome.
Can I use it for a baby?
Keep it quiet and far from the crib. A 2014 study in Pediatrics found that all 14 infant sleep machines it tested were louder than 50 dBA at 30 cm at full volume, above the recommended noise limit for hospital nurseries. The Penn researchers also urged caution with broadband noise for newborns and toddlers. If you use it, put the phone across the room, keep the volume low and set the sleep timer.