How to find a comfortable tinnitus masking sound

1. Describe your tinnitus first

Ringing (a pure tone), whistling (narrow), hissing (broad and high), or humming/buzzing (low)? High sounds blend with white noise, hiss, rain and waterfall; mid sounds with pink noise, streams and fans; low sounds with brown noise, ocean and wind. The sound matching tool does this for you.

2. Compare at the same low level

Set the master volume low and leave it there. Switch between sounds rather than adjusting volume. Find My Sound in Experiments turns this into a guided A/B comparison.

3. Find the mixing point

With your chosen sound, raise the level slowly until the tinnitus just starts to blend. That is your level.

4. Add texture if pure noise feels clinical

Layer one nature sound under the noise. Keep it lower than the noise bed so there are no sudden events.

5. Give it a few days

Comfort grows with familiarity. If after several days a sound still draws your attention, change the sound, not the volume.

6. Watch for these signs

• You need it loud — wrong sound.
• It tires your ears — too bright; move toward pink or brown.
• You notice the loop — use generated sound or longer recordings.
• It makes the tinnitus feel worse — stop, rest, and consider talking to an audiologist, especially if you also have sound sensitivity.

Important: Find My Quiet Sound is designed for sound masking, relaxation and tinnitus management support. It does not diagnose, treat or cure tinnitus and is not a substitute for professional medical care. If your tinnitus is new, in one ear only, pulsing with your heartbeat, or comes with hearing loss or dizziness, see a doctor or audiologist.

Written from the sources above by the Find My Quiet Sound project; no clinician has reviewed this page. See Research & Sources and the medical disclaimer.