Answers to common questions about Ocean Waves
Everything about the Ocean Waves generator: how it works, which presets suit sleep, focus, and meditation, and how to use it safely.
Yes, completely free. Open the page, press play, and adjust the controls. There is no account, no paywall, and no trial.
No. Ocean Waves runs entirely in your web browser using the Web Audio API. There is no app to install and nothing to download.
Just visit the page and press play on any modern browser, whether on a phone, tablet, or computer.
They are synthesized live in your browser, not recordings. The generator builds the sound from layers of filtered noise that are modulated slowly to swell and break like surf.
Because it is generated on the fly, it never loops or repeats exactly, so you will not hear the seam you sometimes notice in looped recordings. The science page explains the synthesis in more detail.
Start with a preset, then fine-tune with the sliders:
Presets: Calm shore, Gentle waves, Stormy sea, and Distant ocean are starting points for different moods.
Wave speed: how often swells roll in.
Wave size: how big the rise and fall of each swell is.
Tide and brightness: shifts the balance from a deep, distant sound toward a brighter, foamier breaking sound.
Master volume: the overall level. Sleep timer: stops playback after a set time.
For the most realistic surf, keep wave size moderate and the speed slow.
That is the swell, and it is intentional. Real surf rises and falls, so the generator uses slow oscillators to raise and lower the sound in cycles, brightening as each wave crests and softening as it recedes.
A second, slightly different cycle is mixed in so no two swells line up the same way, which keeps it from sounding like a repeating loop.
Most people find Calm shore or Distant ocean best for sleep. Keep wave size modest and the volume low, around 40 to 50 dB, so the sound is gentle and steady.
The point is to mask sudden noises and give your mind something predictable to settle on, not to fill the room.
For focus, try Gentle waves or Distant ocean at a moderate volume, roughly 50 to 70 dB. That is enough to mask conversations and sudden sounds without being distracting.
If you are doing fine detail work, you may prefer a lower volume or quiet.
A low Calm shore works well. Its slow, even rhythm makes an easy anchor for attention and pairs naturally with slow breathing, including ujjayi "ocean breath."
Keep it quiet enough that it sits in the background rather than competing with a teacher's voice. See sound and the sea for more on the ocean in contemplative practice.
Yes. The sound is generated continuously and can play for as long as you leave the tab open and the device awake.
Keep the volume moderate for overnight listening, and make sure your device will not lock or sleep the browser tab if you want uninterrupted playback.
The sleep timer stops playback after the time you set, so the sound winds down rather than cutting off jarringly while you are still awake.
Set it for a little longer than you expect to need to fall asleep, or leave the timer off if you prefer the sound to continue all night.
Once the page has loaded, the sound is generated locally, so a brief drop in connection will not stop it. However, if you fully close the tab or browser it will stop, and it is not a downloadable offline app.
Whether it keeps playing when you switch apps or lock your phone depends on your device and browser; many mobile browsers pause audio when the tab is in the background.
Mobile browsers require a tap before they allow audio, so make sure you have pressed play rather than expecting it to start on its own.
Also check that your phone is not on silent, that the volume is up, and that you are using a recent browser. If it still will not play, refresh the page or try a different browser.
Many people with tinnitus find that low-level background sound, sometimes called sound enrichment, makes the ringing less prominent and easier to ignore. Ocean sound has a broad, gentle spectrum that works well for this.
It is a management strategy, not a cure, and results vary. If your tinnitus is new, changing, or bothersome, please see an audiologist or doctor for personalized advice.
Used carefully, steady sound can help babies settle, but follow safety guidance:
- Keep sound below 50 dB in an infant sleep space (American Academy of Pediatrics guidance)
- Place the device at least 7 feet from the crib
- Use the lowest effective volume
- Test the level first, since many devices can exceed 85 dB at maximum
This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your pediatrician if you have any concerns.