White Noise vs Brown Noise: What’s the Difference?
Updated
White noise has a bright, steady hiss. Brown noise sounds deeper, with less emphasis on the high end. The difference is the balance of frequencies, not just the volume. Pink and green noise give you two more sounds to compare. Here’s what to listen for in each.
Compare the four noises on video
See and hear the four sounds in the Night Light app.
A preview of the app
Listen to all four noises
Compare 15-second samples of the actual sounds in Night Light. Choose a sound, listen to its texture and switch whenever you like.
White Noise
Sample · 15 seconds
Pink Noise
Sample · 15 seconds
Brown Noise
Sample · 15 seconds
Green Noise
Sample · 15 secondsChoose a sound to begin.
Start at a low, comfortable volume. Samples do not repeat automatically.
In Night Light, listen to your favourite sound for as long as you like, or set a timer to turn it off automatically. Unwind at your own pace.
Keep listening in Night LightWhite noise: a brighter, steady hiss
White noise spreads sound across a broad range of frequencies. In the ideal signal, equal-width frequency bands carry equal power. Compared with pink and brown noise, its balance leaves more high-frequency presence, giving it that familiar bright hiss. [1] [2]
When comparing white with brown, listen for that high-end texture rather than judging only which one seems louder. Start with a comfortable volume, then switch to the other track. Notice whether you enjoy the brighter sound or prefer less hiss.
Brown noise: more low end, less sharpness
Brown noise puts more weight on low frequencies than white or pink noise. Its sound is deeper and more muffled, with less sharpness at the top. The balance falls toward higher frequencies more steeply than pink, so brown noise is more than white noise with the volume turned down. [1] [2]
Try brown immediately after white. Listen for the low rumble, then ask whether you like that weight or want more of the higher-frequency texture. A different speaker can change the balance you hear, so compare using the device you plan to use.
Pink noise: a different balance between bass and hiss
Pink noise keeps a broad range of sound while giving the high frequencies less emphasis than white. Its technical definition gives equal power to each octave: for example, 100–200 Hz and 1,000–2,000 Hz. Those bands have different widths, but span the same musical interval. [1] [2]
If white feels too hissy but brown sounds too bass-heavy, pink is a useful next comparison. Listen for a less bright texture than white, with more high-end presence than brown, rather than expecting a change in volume alone.
Green noise: listen to the particular track
Green noise is a less standardized label. Dictionary.com describes it as an informal noise term with a limited frequency range. That description does not establish one fixed recipe for every recording. [3]
In Night Light, compare Green Noise first with White Noise, then with Brown Noise. Listen for the balance between hiss, the middle range and low rumble. That is more useful than expecting the color name alone to tell you exactly what the track will sound like.
For a sample and a closer look at the evidence for each sound, explore our guides to white noise, pink noise, brown noise and green noise.
White, pink and brown noise at a glance
| Sound | Frequency balance | What you may notice |
|---|---|---|
| White noise | Equal power per unit of bandwidth | A bright, even hiss |
| Pink noise | Equal power per octave | Less high-frequency hiss than white |
| Brown noise | A stronger emphasis on low frequencies | A deeper, more muffled texture |
How to compare them
- Use the same phone, headphones or speaker for each option.
- Start at a low, comfortable volume. Turn down any track that feels louder.
- Compare the hiss, bass and midrange texture; switch between one sound at a time.
- Choose the sound you enjoy. You can also leave the audio off.