16 of the Best Sources for Calming Sounds, White Noise & Rain

Some of the best feelings are climbing into bed and peacefully drifting off to sleep or getting into the zone while working. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone, and it’s not always the case for those who cannot fall asleep easily or get distracted quickly while working. Known as white noise, spa music, etc., calming sounds can make all the difference. Let’s take a look at some of the best sources to find the perfect white noise sounds.

1. Your Echo Device

Echo speakers pack a deceptively large amount of depth into their tiny frames, and the fact that they’re voice-activated makes them perfect for playing all kinds of relaxing loops – whether it’s rain on a tent, the sound of the ocean, or more generic white noise.

There are various different skills that you can go for, activated by different requests. Here are some examples:

“Alexa, play relaxing rain sounds”

“Alexa, play white noise” – plays one hour of white noise. You can say “Alexa, start loop” to get it to play continuously until you tell it to stop.

“Alexa, open Sleep Sounds” – a skill with over 125 different sounds you can use, such as white noise, rainforest, waterfall, cat purring and many more. See the Skill’s page for more info.

2. Beltone Tinnitus Calmer

Some of us listen to rain sounds simply because we prefer a gentle background noise over complete silence (or the sound of noisy neighbors through the wall), but others suffer with tinnitus – a persistent or intermittent ringing in the ears that can prevent you from getting to sleep.

Beltone is a well-known hearing aid company, and they’ve designed an iOS app that helps people with this extremely common problem. It functions much like a “Relaxing Sounds” app, with various gentle background noises like crowds, birds, bubbles, crackling fire and so on.

What’s particularly interesting about it is that you can use sliders to mix the various sounds together, creating your bespoke relaxation soundscape. According to Beltone (and these guys know their stuff), the brain eventually adapts to focus less on the tinnitus, making you less dependent on the app.

3. Rainy Mood

When it comes to white noise websites, Rainy Mood is the best it can get. The entirety of the website is based on a single play button that immediately starts rain sounds. There is a separate volume control specific for the site right beneath the play button which can work in tandem with your computer’s volume controls. There are also links to apps for both iOS and Android.

4. Coffitivity

With the understanding that “white noise” can mean many things, to some the background noise of a coffee shop is incredibly relaxing. Enter Coffitivity. Multiple ambient sounds are available all from the point of view of a cafe or coffee shop to help you fall asleep easier. As soon as you jump onto the page, there is a play button at the top-left corner where a cafe noise immediately starts. Out of the six sounds available, three are available for free, while three additional sounds require a $9 payment once a year.

5. Calmed by Nature

YouTube may never be the first place you think of for calming sounds, but there are literally thousands of white noise channels. One favorite is Calmed By Nature, which offers, among other sounds, eight hours worth of coffee shop ambiance, rain and fireplace sounds, and seasonal sounds of Spring, Winter, Summer and Fall. There are dozens of options to choose from, and each offers something different yet calming. There is even a Christmas jazz option with more than eight hours of your favorite holiday tunes that can play in the background.

6. Soundrown

Offering ten different white and ambient noises, Soundrown is a uniquely designed site that adds a 30-minute timer for each audio clip. You can play multiple clips at once, and as the music starts to play, the selection disappears, allowing a timer to count up to 30 minutes. The clips themselves vary between coffee, rain, waves, birds, white noise, trains and more. Given the selection of noises, Soundrown is a great option for utilizing white noise both day and night.

7. Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds

Led by a very user-friendly design, Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds offers both Android and iOS apps as well as a website full of relaxing sounds. Bolstered by more than 52 free sounds, channels for sleeping better, working more productively and meditation are all available. Jump into the premium subscription for $4.99 through the apps and get access over 150 sounds in total. You can even take your white noise listening to the next level by using the app’s five-day programs to learn how to achieve a better sleep, reduce stress and more.

8. White Noise

What would a white noise article be without an app appropriately titled White Noise? Available through Android and iOS, there are as many as 40 sounds included in the app. One of the nicer aspects of White Noise is the depth of those sounds: mechanical like a bedroom fan all the way to the sound of waves crashing at the beach. You can also utilize any audio from the app as an alarm sound for a more gentle wakeup. Add a “Full” or “Pro” in-app purchase ($0.99 and $2.99 respectively) to make your own sounds and add support for Apple Watch, Apple TV and widgets for Android and iOS.

9. Relaxing Sounds of Nature

Few white noises offer as much calming or relaxation as the sounds of nature. Thankfully, the Relaxing Sounds of Nature YouTube channel offers more than two dozen options,including a terrific mix of peaceful nature sounds. Ranging in length from around an hour to over eight hours, all four seasons are present, as are videos offering little more than the sounds of driving through a snow covered forest. Add to that heavy thunderstorms, two hours of wind blowing, mountain streams and so much more.

10. Noisli

If you’re looking for a white noise solution that enables you to mix and match sounds to create the perfect background experience, Noisli is the answer. All of the sounds are customizable, allowing you to create the perfect ambience that will help you relax, work better or sleep more soundly. The free version of the app for Android or iOS ensures you can listen offline for up to 1.5 hours a day. The $10 per month (billed annually) makes daily listening unlimited while bumping available sounds to a total of 28. The free and paid tiers each offer a really great timer feature that fades out as time runs out, which is especially helpful in the evening.

11. Atmosphere: Relaxing Sounds

Just as the name hints at, Atmosphere: Relaxing Sounds is full of ambient white noise sounds to help you stop anxiety in its tracks or quickly fall asleep at night. Apps are available on iOS, Amazon and Android, all of which offer sounds from the beach, city, countryside, forest, underwater and more. A countdown timer ensures your phone or tablet will shut off at night, saving battery no matter which of the 70 plus sounds you choose from. Mix and match any of the available audio options to create your own mini playlist – all without any additional in-app costs.

12. Brain.FM

One of the most interesting white noise apps online, Brain.FM is more about quick listening sessions rather than tuning in for hours at a time. The site’s patented technology invites you to listen for no more than 10-15 minutes at a time but still offers all-day listening. The idea is not only to help you fall asleep but also enhance your focus while working, creating, developing, etc. The website itself offers plenty of science to support its methods, while a $6.99 monthly cost ensures you can try it without breaking the bank. Apps are also available for Android and iOS.

13. Allolo.ru

One of the most basic sites on this list, allolo.ru is a combination wallpaper and audio experience that offers around 20 different white noise sounds. Each noise matches with a wallpaper on screen to create a more immersive experience. The entire mix of sounds are nature-based, jumping from the sounds of the jungle to the Amazon, to city sounds and even that of the calming noise of sitting in a field and just listening to the world around you. Sometimes all you need is the most basic option, and in this case, allolo.ru works perfectly.

14. Raining.FM

For anyone who wants simplicity with their white noise choices, Raining.FM is here to help. As the name would suggest, there is a heavy emphasis on rain noise to help block out any background distractions. Rain and rolling or cracking thunder or a mix of all three options come together to help you find the right sound for you. Mix and match as you please, it’s as easy as dragging and dropping how much or little you want of the three sounds. Join for free and utilize the countdown timer to limit how long the sounds play in the background. Of course, enjoy the apps on Android as well.

15. Relaxing World

A free website that allows you to mix and match to find the perfect ambiance of sounds for you, Relaxing World is a great white noise solution. Start by choosing from a mix of nature, music, weather, technics and animal sounds, of which there are many specific sounds under each category. Needless to say, there are almost too many options here, but that’s okay, as it ensures you will play around until you find exactly the right mix.

Also read: 11 of the Best Coloring Book Apps for Android and iPhone

16. Ultimate Ambient Noise Soundzzz

Another outstanding YouTube option for a strong mix of ambient and white nosies is Ultimate Ambient Noise Soundzzz. As the channel name suggests, the true goal is to help you comfortably drift to sleep, but realistically, these sounds work just as well to block out daytime noise as they do nighttime distractions. Thunderstorms at sea, windy rain in Japan, and tent thunderstorms are just a few of the video options, many of which can last well beyond a full day’s worth of work at 11 hours in total length. New videos are added periodically, as are live streaming videos, so you might find something new each day you look at the channel.

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