White, pink and brown noise: what's the difference?

The noise colours, in plain language

• White noise: equal energy at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy, like a fan or static.
• Pink noise: more low-frequency energy than white, so it sounds softer and fuller, like steady rain or wind.
• Brown noise: even more weight in the lows, so it sounds deep and rumbling, like a waterfall or distant thunder.
• Blue and violet noise: tilted toward the highs, so they sound crisp and bright.
• Grey and green noise: shaped to sound more even to the ear, or centreed on the mid-range.

When people use each one

People often reach for brown or pink noise at bedtime and pink or white noise while working. Brighter noise is good at covering speech and busy surroundings, while deeper noise feels warmer and heavier. There is no rule, so trust what feels comfortable.

Try them and layer them

Vibe Bloom generates all seven noise colours live on your device, so you can switch between them, layer a noise under a rain or ocean soundscape, and save the blend as your own mix. You can also try white, pink and brown right on the home page.