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Frequently Asked Questions
Be aware that there is only one person behind this site. With thousands of visitors on the site every day, it's getting harder to answer all incoming emails. Please read this page before contacting me, as it may already answer the questions you may have.

Legal

Are there any restrictions on using myNoise?

Yes. The sound generators on this website are provided for personal/private use only. All other uses are prohibited, unless otherwise specified here.

What do I agree with, when using myNoise.net?

You agree to use the myNoise soundscapes generators for personal/private use only and allow myNoise to use the information you explicitly send back to the website (e.g. testimonials and custom generators settings) on its website and derivatives (e.g. the myNoise YouTube channel).

myNoise will never use your patron email address for marketing purpose nor share it with others.

When connecting to myNoise.net, you will anonymously share your connection statistics with Clicky - a GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Analytics.

Finally, some references on myNoise are Amazon affiliate links meaning myNoise will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Can I use your sounds for my own project?

No, not without licensing. While we appreciate that you enjoy our soundscapes, they are not readily available to use for commercial projects or any other public use.

May I license your sounds then?

The answer to this question will depend on the specific use case for your project and your offer. Your will find more information about licensing here. Be aware that we are not eager to license this extraordinary sound collection, designed over a decade, and prefer to keep it for the own exclusive use of myNoise. Furthermore, myNoise is NOT a source of CC-BY sounds; trying to license myNoise contents in exchange for links or credits will NOT work.

Background Information

Who runs this website?

My name is Stéphane Pigeon. I am a signal processing Ph.D. engineer with a strong passion for sounds. Besides being a consultant in the field of digital signal processing and a professional sound designer, I am running different audio-related websites such as AudioCheck.net - the biggest repository of online audio tests on the Internet - HearingTest.online – an unbiased and free online hearing test and audiogram printout – and this website, myNoise.net. More about me on my personal page.

Is there only one person behind this website?

Yes, indeed, with a little help from myNoise friends. Keeping the site alive and growing takes a lot of time and resources! Your donations help me to assign part of my professional time to the development of this website.

Why did Stéphane do all this?

Because he is crazy, would be the shortest answer.

If you are really interested, read and listen to this Podcast by Marilyn Janssen or read any of these interviews: The Noises I Hear, by Sarah C. RichHappy Baby, Sleepy Baby, by Maria LigerakisA blog post by Adam West.

Who else is talking about myNoise?

Chatty Co-Worker Driving You Crazy? Try a Smarter White Noise (The Wall Street Journal)
• MyNoise brings you realistic soundscapes from the outside world
• An Awesome Ambient Sound Generator (Cult Of Mac)
• Do You Know Smart Noise?
• Possibly the best ambient sound generator on the planet
• Make your home sound like a real office (c|net)
• Boosting Creativity with Background Noise
• Top 5 Web Sites That Will Melt Your Stress Away
• The Noise You Don’t Hear
• MyNoise Customizes Background Noise to Your Hearing (Lifehacker)
• Three websites that changed my writing career
• Productivity tools can be in the form of sound – Introducing myNoise
• The White Noise
• The Art and Science of White Noise
• The Sound of Silence (New-York Times)
• Play That Old-school Music Young Boy
• Entering Flow State With myNoise
• Mask Undesirable Sounds with myNoise
• myNoise Soundscapes Help Eliminate Distractions

Help

This website looks so complicated. Is there any help available?

On a laptop or desktop, type [H] - for Help - when you are on a generator page. A pop-up will explain how the player works and teach you a couple of tricks. To learn more about this site and what it has to offer, take a look at the different video tutorials we have.

I've favourited a few sounds, but I can't find them.

Your favorite sounds are very easily accessible, from the main menu, top left of the screen.

How do I keep up-to-date with new features and generators?

Open the main menu, and you will find a section dedicated to what has been added recently. When a new item appears in that list, the main menu icon will be highlighted with a red dot. Alternatively, you can follow @audiosampling on Twitter, like the myNoise Facebook page, or simply read the blog every once in a while. Blog updates will trigger a red dot on the main menu icon too.

Project Support

Is a donation the only way to help this site growing?

Surely not. Spreading the word about myNoise is always helpful and much appreciated! If you have a particular sonic talent — or have access to a location that might produce a great soundscape — sharing them with me is a fabulous way to help too! Please contact me, if you think you are able to actively contribute to the contents of this website, by hosting a sampling session for example. You can contact me at email.

May I suggest a new noise?

I used to say yes, but due to the overwhelming number of requests, it doesn't make sense anymore. I probably have your suggestion in my To Do list already. So please contact me only if you have a suggestion and are willing to help make it happen, either by recording the sounds yourself or by providing access to the sound source/location. You can contact me at email.

Browser Issues

What technology is myNoise using?

The myNoise audio player does not rely on any proprietary technology, but requires a browser that is compatible with the Web Audio API. All modern browsers now are.

Sounds becomes wavy after running for a long time

Some computers will put the web browser in idle mode when myNoise is running in the background. This power-saving mode is often fatal to myNoise, which translates into that wavy sound - the symptom. To solve this problem, try preventing your computer from entering sleep/power savings mode, by leaving your laptop connected to the power supply for example.

What is auto-play? And why isn't enabled by default?

Auto-play is the ability for a webpage to play audio automatically, without any user interaction. myNoise relies on that feature to start playing sounds without requiring any user interaction. Unfortunately, that ability has been abused by many websites in the past, and current browsers block autoplay unless the explicitly enabled by the user.

If you want myNoise to play as soon as you load a sound generator, please go to your browser autoplay preferences and add mynoise.net in the list of allowed websites.

In Google Chrome : chrome://settings/content/sound
In Safari : Preferences > Websites > Auto-Play
In Firefox : Preferences > Privacy > Permissions > "Block websites from automatically playing sound" > Exceptions

Speakers or Hearing Issues

Some sliders do not produce any sound!

These sliders probably produce frequencies that are beyond your speakers' or hearing range. Sometimes, frequencies associated with the first slider (brown) are so low - almost in the subsonic range - that they will require a sub-woofer to produce an audible output. If you are using mobile phone speakers, this is the #1 reason why some sliders remain silent.

Frequencies associated with the last slider (violet) are sometimes flirting with the ultrasonic range, and will require perfect hearing. At last it may also happen that a slider is simply not playing any sound, because the play head is located in a silent passage, like between two bird calls in a natural soundscape, for example.

How do I know if I sill have a good hearing?

Take this online hearing test, for example.

This is a reliable hearing test I developed for myself, because I could find any good one online.

How can I better hear those extreme frequencies?

By using good headphones, but also by enabling the myNoise calibration in the iEQ section of each generator. The myNoise calibration has been designed to help recover higher frequencies as much as possible.

Are there any headphones you would recommend?

My preference goes to the the Sennheiser HD600 (open design). The are the reference headphones I use to design sounds on myNoise. If you are on a tight budget, the Samson SR850 (semi-closed) are my top pick! Incredible performers for their price. In between, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 (closed) are great performers. You won't regret purchasing any of these purchases. If you are looking for earbuds, try the KZ ZST (approx. USD 20). They blew me away!

Mobile Apps

Are mobile apps available?

Available for iOS and Android, the myNoise app can be downloaded for free and comes with a selection of free soundscapes to try out. Should you decide to dive deeper into our audio collection, a single payment will unlock the entire myNoise.net catalog for you to enjoy anytime, anywhere. Note that the myNoise website has been designed to work smoothly on any mobile device, but if you're often on the go and wish to enjoy our sounds offline, our mobile app might be perfect for you.

Do you link donations on the website and In App purchases, and the other way round?

Donations on myNoise.net support the website and its content. Each platform needs to fund itself separately to ensure sustainability. Therefore, even if you are a patron of the website, you still need to unlock and pay for content on the mobile app. We strive to provide cost-effective pricing, aiming for lifetime access. However, we ask you to support each platform you wish to use.