White, Pink or Brown Noise for Tinnitus — Which Helps Most?
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Which noise color is best for tinnitus — white, pink or brown?
A 2017 trial that fitted people with sound generators playing white, pink or red (brown) noise found similar improvement whichever color they used. The best color is the one that overlaps your tinnitus frequency and that you can tolerate comfortably for long periods. High-pitched tinnitus is often paired with white or pink noise, low-pitched with brown. Individual results vary significantly.
Does it matter which sound I use for tinnitus?
What appears to matter most is that the sound is on consistently — at low volume, just below the level of your tinnitus — and that it keeps playing through calls, meetings and overnight. The specific noise color matters less than daily use. Start with whichever sound you find least irritating to listen to for hours at a time.
White noise, pink noise, brown noise — the options multiply quickly, and online forums debate endlessly which one works best. The research answer is more useful than most of those discussions. You can also compare the colors in your browser just below, before choosing.
What Are White, Pink and Brown Noise?
Noise colors describe how sound energy is distributed across the audible frequency range. White noise contains equal energy at every frequency — it sounds like static. Pink noise has more energy at low frequencies and less at high — it sounds like steady rain. Brown noise (also called red noise) is even more bass-heavy — it sounds like distant thunder or a deep waterfall.
For tinnitus, the practical question is which noise color overlaps best with your tinnitus pitch. There is no universal best color — only the one that covers your particular phantom sound and that you find comfortable enough to use through the day.
What the Research Actually Says
A 2017 trial in Italy fitted 20 people with sound generators that let them choose white, pink or red (brown) noise, and compared them with 20 people using white noise only. Both groups improved on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory at three and six months, with no significant difference between them. Two-thirds of those given the choice preferred white noise; the rest chose red because it reminded them of rain or a shower. Nobody chose pink. The study was small and not randomised, so read it as a signal rather than a verdict.
The 2018 Cochrane review of sound therapy for tinnitus (8 randomised trials, 590 participants) found no convincing evidence that any sound therapy option is superior to another, and rated the evidence as low certainty. The 2014 US guideline (AAO-HNSF) lists sound therapy as an option. The 2019 European multidisciplinary guideline found the evidence too limited to recommend it and puts cognitive behavioural therapy first. Individual results vary significantly.
The practical conclusion: the best noise color for tinnitus is the one you can comfortably listen to at low volume for hours at a time. A perfect sound used for 20 minutes is worth less than a good-enough sound used consistently all day.
Free browser tool
Compare the noise colors right now
Plays in this page — nothing to install. Start at a low volume, listen to each for at least 30 seconds, and pick the one that feels least intrusive while your tinnitus is still faintly audible underneath. Grey is white noise with the middle frequencies softened, which some people find less piercing.
Nothing playing. Volume starts at 15% on purpose.
White, Pink, Brown and Nature Sounds — How Each Feels
Equal energy across the audible range from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Sounds like TV static, a detuned radio or a high-pitched hiss. Because it covers every frequency at once, it overlaps any tinnitus pitch to some degree.
Pink noise has equal power per octave rather than per frequency — lower frequencies carry more energy and high frequencies less. It sounds softer and warmer than white noise, close to steady rainfall or rustling leaves.
Brown noise (also called red noise) puts even more power in the bass than pink noise, with a steep roll-off toward higher frequencies. Sounds like a deep rumble, distant thunder, a strong waterfall or a large fan. The least harsh of the three.
Rain, ocean waves, river and forest sounds are spectrally close to pink or brown noise, with natural variation. Some people find variable sounds easier to keep on for hours than constant static, which makes them a common choice overnight.
Matching Noise Color to Your Tinnitus Pitch
The most practical way to choose a sound is to match its frequency content to the pitch of your tinnitus. This is why frequency matching matters — once you know your pitch, you can pick the sound that overlaps it best.
Sharp whistling or ringing
Likely 4,000–15,000 Hz
Start with white or pink noise
Mid-range buzzing or hissing
Likely 1,000–4,000 Hz
Start with pink noise or rain
Low humming or droning
Likely 100–1,000 Hz
Start with brown noise or ocean
Several tones, or a complex sound
Range varies
Start with pink noise — the broadest practical coverage
Pitch unknown
Not yet matched
Start with pink noise, then adjust
Volume — The Variable That Matters Most
Noise color matters less than volume. The approach most guidelines describe is partial masking — setting volume so your tinnitus is still faintly audible in the background, but less prominent. Not full masking, where you cannot hear the tinnitus at all.
The reasoning in habituation models is that partial masking lets the brain hear both signals at once and, over weeks to months, begin to treat the internal one as less important. Full masking removes that opportunity. This is a model rather than a settled finding. Individual results vary significantly.
A practical rule: if you can no longer hear your tinnitus at all, turn the volume down slightly. The goal is not silence — it is a gentler soundscape where your tinnitus is present but no longer dominant.
Best Noise Color for Sleep with Tinnitus
Sleep is when most people find tinnitus hardest. Silence sharpens the contrast between the phantom sound and the room, and lying still removes the daytime distractions that normally pull attention away.
For sleep, many people choose brown noise, rain or ocean. Their bass-rich profile is gentler than white noise, and they create a low, steady background that some find easier to fall asleep to. White noise can work too, but for some its higher frequencies feel too sharp at low volume.
Rain and ocean have an extra advantage: natural variation. A constant signal like white noise can feel monotonous, and the brain may keep listening for changes. Variable nature sounds give it something to settle into rather than something to monitor.
Practical settings: low volume (just below your tinnitus level), continuous play through the night on the free tier, or the Premium sleep timer with a gentle fade-out. For a full bedtime routine, see the sleeping with tinnitus guide.
Which Sound to Start With Tonight
If you are using a tinnitus app for the first time, white noise centred on your tinnitus frequency is a sensible starting point — it gives the broadest coverage without extra setup. From there:
- If white noise feels harsh after a few minutes, switch to pink noise
- If pink noise still feels too bright, try brown noise or rain
- For sleep, try ocean or rain with a sleep timer set to fade out gently
- Use the frequency matching dial to tune the sound to your tinnitus pitch
Frequently Asked Questions
Which noise color is best for tinnitus?
Research so far has found no significant difference between noise colors for tinnitus. A 2017 trial comparing white, pink and red (brown) noise sound generators found similar improvement whichever color people used. The best choice is the sound that overlaps your tinnitus frequency and that you can tolerate at low volume for hours. Individual results vary significantly.
What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?
White noise has equal energy at all frequencies — it sounds like static. Pink noise has more power at low frequencies and less at high — softer, like rain. Brown noise has even more bass emphasis — deep and rumbling, like a waterfall. As you go from white to brown, energy shifts progressively toward lower frequencies.
Does white noise help tinnitus?
Some people report that white noise makes tinnitus less intrusive by narrowing the contrast between the ringing and the surrounding environment. It is often chosen for high-pitched tinnitus because its equal-energy spread overlaps high frequencies well. Research suggests consistent use at partial-masking volume matters more than the specific sound. Individual results vary significantly.
Is brown noise better than white noise for tinnitus?
Not categorically. Research does not show brown noise to be superior to white noise. Brown noise may suit low-pitched tinnitus, or people who find white noise too harsh for long listening sessions. Many choose it because it is easier to sustain continuously, and consistent use is what appears to matter for habituation. Individual results vary significantly.
What volume should I use for sound therapy?
Partial masking is the approach most guidelines describe — set volume so your tinnitus is still faintly audible but less prominent. If you cannot hear your tinnitus at all, turn the volume down slightly. Keep it well below normal conversation level. Consistent use at this lower level is generally preferred over occasional high-volume sessions.
Can nature sounds help tinnitus as much as noise colors?
Some people find them just as useful. Rain, ocean and forest sounds are spectrally close to pink or brown noise, and their natural variation can make them easier to listen to for long periods. Rain is a common choice because it covers a wide frequency range. Individual results vary significantly.
Should I use headphones or a speaker for sound therapy?
Either works. Speakers are generally preferable for all-day and overnight use as they avoid prolonged in-ear pressure. Headphones are useful during calls or in noisy environments. If using earbuds, keep volume at the lowest effective level — the goal is not to block out the tinnitus but to create a gentler acoustic environment around it.
Tinnitus Relief App
Start with white noise matched to your pitch — free
White noise is free, permanently. It plays at your matched frequency, through calls, meetings and on the locked screen. Brown noise, pink noise, rain, ocean and 40 more sounds unlock with Premium.
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For the full picture of what helps and what doesn't, read Tinnitus Treatment: What Helps, What Doesn't, and Why.
- Barozzi S, Ambrosetti U, Callaway SL, Behrens T, Passoni S, Del Bo L. Effects of tinnitus retraining therapy with different colours of sound. International Tinnitus Journal. 2017;21(2):139–143. doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20170026
- Sereda M, Xia J, El Refaie A, Hall DA, Hoare DJ. Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;12:CD013094. Cochrane Library
- Tunkel DE, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2014;151(2 Suppl):S1–S40. doi:10.1177/0194599814545325
- Cima RFF, et al. A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment. HNO. 2019;67(Suppl 1):10–42. doi:10.1007/s00106-019-0633-7
- Baguley D, McFerran D, Hall D. Tinnitus. The Lancet. 2013;382(9904):1600–1607. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60142-7