If you like this I can’t recommend Brain.FM[0] enough. I use whenever I need to deep work/think about things and I find I have long stretches of incredible productivity combined with noise isolating headphones
They also boast a lot of actual research that backs up why they play the sounds they do and such.
It’s been a life changer for me, really. I hope I never see the day they go out of business cause I am heavily reliant on it to maintain productivity at this point (thanks ADHD)
Just to chime in here to agree - the first five work sessions I used Brain.fm I kept thinking "I really do feel more focused, I wonder if this is a placebo. Maybe it's a placebo." At this point, I think even if it is a placebo, it's helpful and great for my work. :)
I had the same train of though. I've been using it for years and while I am not sure if it's placebo or not, I can confirm that other music for work I've found online doesn't work as well for me. The "Relaxed focus" playlist is my favorite one.
Placebos get the worst rap. I think it's a startling human ability that should have way more research money going into it than it does. All hail placebo.
I use brain.fm, but I would not say "they boast a lot of actual research".
Their single "performance pilot" paper is mostly marketing, with a single trial on 12 people with no details on statistical significance. The effect could very well be no different from white noise.
On my desktop, it is just a website? Maybe you're accessing from a mobile device, where most people prefer to consume software as apps, and they are making that the default?
Yes, I’m on a phone. I don’t see a way to use it in-browser. I don’t install apps unless absolutely necessary (no need for the a app to have more permissions than it needs to function)
I don’t see why this has to be an app. I’ll have to wait until I get in front of a laptop to try it in-browser (if I remember).
They have a mobile app, and they also stream via the web. I imagine due to vast consumer preference, they detect mobile and steer you to the mobile app for ease of use, but the web player will work.
I use the web player on desktop all the time and its seen its fair share of improvements, so its really about meeting the average consumer where they are at, I think.
Seconded. It’s really quite impressive, and the music is updated all the time. I’ve been hearing newer stuff with guitars lately. You wouldn’t know it was computer generated if you weren’t told.
I have a theory that people like those sort of white noise sounds due to plesant memories associated to them. For instance, maybe the person is into sci-fi or, for the coffee shop ones, maybe it's someone who often goes to coffee shops with friends. I, particularly, like absolute silence. The quieter it is, the more relaxed I get. Is there any scientific explanation as to why some people like white noise whereas other people prefer silence?
Coming from Germany my belief is that Americans grow with a lot of noise like air conditioning, TVs constantly on and housing walls generally being very thin. So maybe they are used to that and take comfort in it. I personally hate white noise but a it seems a lot of Americans get nervous in absolute silence and look for something to fill in. Whenever I go back to Germany I am always surprised how quiet the houses of my siblings are.
I used to work in a noisy open plan office with multiple people around me on the same calls, it was very difficult to ignore 3/4 of a conversation so I started listen to a thunderstorm with heavy rain to block the noise/voices as white noise did nothing for me. Now that I work from home in an office on my own I still use the thunderstorm when I need to concentrate on one thing for a few hours. I think I've done some version of Pavlov's dog on myself.
Generally people who listen to noise are in a non-silent environment. I also much prefer silence however when that isn't possible, noise is a better option than music which might distract from deep focus.
Wonder how many people have access to a very low noise environment. Even at home with no one else here, during the day there's always some noise, be it the climate control system, a car driving by, someone mowing their lawn down the street, etc. It amazes me how silent things can be at 2am during the times of the year where climate control isn't necessary. I get so used to a low level of background noise that it is a noticeable experience when it is nearly silent.
> people like those sort of white noise sounds due to pleasant memories associated to them
I prefer white noise to silence because it drowns out the tinnitus (which is bad enough that it's present even over normal TV volumes of quiet dialogue.)
Actually, I prefer a bunch of the tinnitus stuff on MyNoise but same principle.
I thought it was supposed to be related to the constant background noise of the mothers circulatory system during those first 10 months in the womb. That we come out with a good association with white noise from the get go.
I have a theory that people like those sort of white noise sounds due to plesant memories associated to them
I think you are right.
For me it's Star Trek TNG :)
I’ve been throwing on ASMR reruns during work. It helps when I need to be in the zone for pure coding but not as much when answering emails or crafting documentation.
I rely on white noise in crowded offices or when I just need to get in-flow quickly. So far I have used ASoftMurmur with following config [1], but working on a space ship seems cool and I will try it.
Thank you. Usually I just extend youtube with similar themed video on one of the screens.
I have to be careful which one I use as a lot of them make me sleepy. Example being that Live Norwegian CAM, which makes me go from wide awake to lullaby sleepy in minutes.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24431132
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23985825
The credits can be seen/compared here:
https://landemy.netlify.app/credits.html
https://rainbowhunt.com/credits.html