Why waves work
Waves rise and fall at an uneven pace, slower than breathing. Under the swell there's a constant wash that behaves a lot like brown noise, so the sound masks background noise while still feeling like a place.
No seam, even though it's a recording
Ocean Waves is the one recorded sound in the free set, because real surf beats anything synthesized. A recording normally loops with a tiny gap or a jump you start to listen for. Sleepy Noise crossfades each pass over four seconds into a random point in the recording, so it never restarts in the same place and there's no gap.
This page loads the same five-minute clip. It's about 3.6 MB, so it takes a moment on a slow connection.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real ocean sounds?
Yes. Ocean Waves is a recording of natural wave swells, loudness-matched to the other sounds and crossfaded so it never audibly loops.
Can I mix ocean waves with other sounds?
In the app, yes. Layer up to three sounds, for example ocean waves over brown noise, and set each one's level.
