Top 5 Websites for Ambient Noise to Increase Your Productivity

One of my favorite things to look for when I’m editing my life are little tweaks and tricks to improve my productivity.

Getting more done in less time. That’s what we’re all looking for, right?

I’ve noticed something related to my environment that you might have noticed too. I can’t seem to concentrate when it’s completely silent, but having too much noise also kills my productivity.

There’s a sweet spot in terms of noise; just enough to create a sense of urgency, but not too much to be annoying.

Now that I work from home and not in a corporate office, I don’t have that general hum of activity in the background.

My solution? Listening to ambient noise while I work. Besides wearing shoes inside, this simple change has helped me stay focused and get more done than anything else I’ve tried.

Here are my top websites for ambient noise so you can up your productivity game too.

Coffitivity

Have you heard of the term “coffice”? It’s when busy professionals and solo entrepreneurs park themselves at the local coffee shop to work.

These folks are clued in to the benefits of ambient noise. Coffee shops tend to play soft, mellow background music and even the machines and steamers create a gentle hum.

But what if you cant haul ass to the local Starbucks? Enter Coffitivity. This brilliant website mimics the bustling vibe of a coffee shop perfectly. Choose slightly different atmospheres including Morning Murmur, Lunchtime Lounge, and University Undertones.

Now all I need is a soy latte. Mmm!

Soundrown

Sometimes you just need to drown out whatever else is going on so you can finally do your work. Soundrown does just that as it helps you “relax, focus, and escape.”

You can get coffee shop sounds here too, but also some fun niche sounds for the noise connoisseurs. My favorites are cracking fire and nighttime crickets.

Soundrown is great for apartment dwellers or urbanites who could use some peaceful nature sounds as oppose to the usual honking cars.

Calm

If you’re looking for serene images as well as soothing sounds, check out Calm. Scroll through an impressive selection of repetitive videos of clouds, mountains, lakes, wheat fields, forests, and more. Choose just the images or add nature sounds or new-agey music.

Like the name suggests, you’ll be calmer and more relaxed after just a few minutes on Calm. Try it when you start to feel like you’re burning out or when your to-do list is longer than your arm. By the way, “calm” just happens to be my favorite mantra.

You can also try their timed or guided meditations. I like to start my day with the guided 2-minute meditation to relax my entire body. Calm is perfect for those of us who spend most of our time sitting at a desk.

Songza

There are a ton of free music sites out there, but in my opinion, Songza is by far the best.

It greets you with a “music concierge” that asks you to make a series of choices to determine your mood, and then it suggests playlists to match your mood (for energy, to relax, to concentrate, etc.). And there are no audio ads during your music (yes!).

But why am I recommending a music site when I’m talking about ambient noise?

It’s because you can also search Songza for playlists with no lyrics. Here you’ll find nature sounds, white noise, plus classical music and film scores.

I’ve mentioned before that you shouldn’t listen to music with lyrics while doing tasks that require reading because your brain will get confused with the competing words.

Rainy Mood

This one’s a classic. As their tagline says, “Rain makes everything better.” If you’re the type who loves listening to the rain on the roof or hearing the far-off rumbling of a thunderstorm, then Rainy Mood should be your go-to source for ambient noise.

The gentle downfall is hypnotic, and I can almost instantly feel the tension drain out of me as soon as I turn it on. I even use Rainy Mood when I give myself permission to be sad. It’s like washing away whatever’s bothering you.

Do you listen to ambient noise while you work?

This post focuses on Step 3 of the Life Editing Process, Add Good Habits and Routines. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.

The Editor’s Toolkit

  • Free Workshop: 3 Simple Steps to Become a Productivity Superstar
  • 25+ Printable Worksheets
  • 6 Life Editing Ebooks
  • My Favorite Books and Resources

14 Comments

  1. Gisele Grenier on August 7, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    I’ve been listening to Binaural Beat music for about a year now and it’s helped me tremendously, whether it’s being creative, learning or sleeping.



  2. Eva Wright on May 6, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Thank you for these links Sage, they are lovely!



  3. Suzie Cheel on July 25, 2014 at 4:29 am

    Brilliant Sage and so in sync for me right now. never heard of any of these sites before Thank you will book mark



  4. Elle on June 20, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    What a great list Sage. I’m checking some of them out straight away. I usually have classical music for my background noise, it seems to keep my brain functioning and my body calm!



  5. Fran Sorin on June 20, 2014 at 4:29 am

    Sage-

    Love your offerings. Would have never even known they existed. Will take time later to check them out. Thanks so much. Fran



  6. Rachel on April 5, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    Great post! I’ve been using Coffitivity for quite some time now and I love it! I’ll have to check out these other sites though!



  7. Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista on April 2, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    These are great Sage! I will definitely try these out! I like to either listen to classical or the spa suite station on Pandora when I am sitting in front of my computer. But then I definitely bump up the music when I need to do work around the house to get my energy level up! I also have started to wear shoes more which is such an amazing concept at getting me to work more efficiently! Thanks for the links…off to check them out!



    • Sage Grayson on April 4, 2014 at 10:54 am

      Awesome! Wearing shoes inside and listening to ambient noise are such little things, but they make a HUGE difference.



  8. Sarah @ Long Island Nerd on April 1, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    What a cool idea for a post! It’s so funny because I never really gave much thought to ambient noise but once you mentioned Coffitivity I remembered how I would go edit pictures in my favorite coffee house and get so much done! The ambient noise (and cave-like lighting ;]) made it a perfect place for me to be super productive! Very cool idea, I can’t wait to check it out!



    • Sage Grayson on April 4, 2014 at 10:56 am

      Haha, coffee shops ARE kind of like caves! Delicious smelling caves. 🙂 I hope you like these new ambient noise websites.



  9. Lori on April 1, 2014 at 5:34 am

    I’m so glad you mentioned Coffitivity! That is one of my favorite sites for ambient noise.



    • Sage Grayson on April 1, 2014 at 12:00 pm

      Mine too! It’s great for those time when I can’t make it to Starbucks.



  10. Tracy on March 31, 2014 at 10:59 am

    I have been using calm but I will definitely check out your other suggestions.



    • Sage Grayson on March 31, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      What’s your favorite image on Calm? Soundrown is quickly becoming my favorite ambient noise website.