Mask office noise with white, pink, or brown noise

The job

Silence does not exist in a shared office or a thin-walled apartment — the goal is not quiet but a steady sound your attention can slide off. Broadband noise covers speech and clatter better than music for many people.

Pick a color

Start with pink: it rolls off toward the high end so it reads as rain or a fan — masking without hiss. Switch to white if voices still cut through (it puts equal energy everywhere, masking more but sounding sharper), or brown for a deep rumble that covers traffic and footsteps.

• White: brightest, masks the widest range, can feel hissy over time.
• Pink: softer balance, the usual pick for work and sleep.
• Brown: heavy low end, good against rumble — thin laptop speakers will barely reproduce it.

Set the level

Loud enough to blur the intruding sound, quiet enough that you stop noticing it — that is usually much lower than expected. Start at the lowest volume that covers the noise; more volume does not mask better, it just tires your ears.

Limits

The tool loops a 2-second generated buffer — seamless, but a very practiced ear can notice the repeat. There is no sleep timer or file export, playback stops when the tab closes, and backgrounded browsers may throttle audio.