Recently, I discovered Mynoise.net by @Stéphane (Dr. P). Sometimes, when I cant sleep or need background noise for boring work, I use various background soundscapes. Here is my article about Mynoise from the blind users experience. Long post follows:

Getting Started

• We won’t install or configure anything.
• Simply open the page mynoise.netmynoise.net in your web browser.
• Activate, for example, the link windSeaRainNoiseGenerator (wind, sea, and rain noise generator).
• Since browsers block autoplay by default, enable focus mode and press the letter p twice. The first press pauses playback, and the second resumes it. At this point, you should already hear the sound of the sea and wind noise.

Here you can also try other soundscapes, such as Rain on a Tent or Fireworks. I recommend opening the Full List. The soundscapes are organized under headings.

Playback Control

At this point, the possibilities of Mynoise are just beginning. Each player can be customized. Although the ambiance differs, the controls are always the same. Let’s take another look at the previously mentioned Wind, Sea, and Rain Noise.

Presets

Under the heading Presets, you’ll find buttons with various predefined settings. Activating them changes the sound’s characteristics. For instance, you can choose Breaking Waves or Irish Summer.

Under User Stories, you’ll find user comments. By activating a comment, the sound’s parameters adjust to the same configuration used by that commenter.

How to Create Your Own Background

Let’s say you want to manually adjust the balance between wind, waves, rain, and so on. Each player consists of ten sliders whose volume you can control. Here’s how:

• Enable focus mode in your screenreader.
• Press Enter to deselect all sliders.
• Choose one of the sliders using numbers 0–9.
• Adjust the volume with the + or – keys.
• Press Enter twice to deselect all sliders.
• Choose another slider (0–9).
• Adjust the volume again with + or –.
• If you’re satisfied but find the overall sound too loud, you can lower the volume with J and raise it with K.
• You can also generate a random setting by pressing the ? (question mark)key.

I Created a Beautiful Ambience—How Can I Return to It?

The author thought of that, too. Press B to find the Save as URL button. After pressing it, a URL containing your custom parameters will appear in an edit field. You can copy this link to your clipboard and save it as a bookmark. That’s how it works in Firefox. Chrome, on the other hand, will automatically reload the page with the new URL. You can share this URL as usual—for this article, I created This Noise as an example.

Can I Combine “Rain on a Tent” and a “Crackling Fireplace”?

Yes, and there are two ways to do it. If you’ve been experimenting with the site for a while, you might have opened one soundscape in one browser tab and another in a second tab. However, this setup is difficult to save or share. Fortunately, you can create a single page that combines multiple generators—up to ten soundscapes in one! This way, you can really make something like a Campfire in the Rain. Here’s how:

• Open your first soundscape, e.g. Rain on a Tent.
• Reset the sliders to zero and adjust them as you wish, as described earlier.
• Press C to save your current setting.
  – In another tab, open the main Mynoise page and find your second soundscape.
  – Open a new generator, for example Fireplace.
  – Adjust everything again as you like.
  – Press C again to save it.
  – Use Shift+C to save all settings together.
  – The page will ask for a name.
  – Enter a name and confirm.
  – You can now save the page as a bookmark or copy and share the URL.

Mobile App

Unfortunately, Mobile app is not accessible for blind users yet. You can still use Mynoise in your smartphone’s web browser. The easiest way is to share the custom links you prepared on your computer. That way, you’ll always have your favorite sounds at hand—for example, to help you sleep.

The author also offers online radios featuring some of the sounds. You can find them in the RadioBrowser database by searching for Mynoise. Additionally, there’s a podcast called Pomodoro Sessions, so you can enjoy your favorite soundscapes right in your podcast app.

Conclusion

The author is open to discussing accessibility. Thanks to this, button labels have already been added to the player pages. To celebrate finishing this article—and your reading it all the way through—you can listen to Fireworks.

Pomodoro Sessions

Podcast · myNoise · No ads, no talking. This podcast provides a wide range of background noises and music formatted for the Pomodoro technique: stop procrastinating and get the job done, 25 minutes at a time! These sounds won’t interfere with your fo…

^Spotify