Airplane cabin noise
The deep, even hum of an airliner at cruise, recorded in flight. Press play to sleep, study or work as if you were somewhere over the ocean.
Paused
Recording: Airplane_Cabine ambiance (during flight) by KaleidacousticsAudio.
Why a cabin is such a good place to focus
The engines and the air system make a constant, low roar that drowns out voices and sudden noises. Nothing changes, so after a minute or two your brain stops listening for it. Add a seat you can't leave and no messages coming in, and it's no surprise so many people do their best work on planes. Our post on why it's so easy to focus on a plane goes through the rest.
Ways to use it
- Studying or writing: pair it with the Pomodoro timer or a long block on the deep work timer.
- Falling asleep: set the timer to fade it out after 30 or 60 minutes.
- Covering a noisy room: traffic, neighbours, an open office.
- Getting a nervous flyer used to the sound before a trip.
Prefer it smoother? The brown noise generator has the same deep character without any detail.
Questions
Is this a real airplane recording?
Yes: a field recording made in an airliner's cabin during a flight, released into the public domain on Freesound. It's played as an endless bed, long stretches from random points crossfaded together, so you never hear it loop.
Why does airplane noise help people sleep?
It's loud, steady and broadband, much like brown noise: it covers the small sounds that would otherwise wake you or pull your attention, and it never changes suddenly. Many people also associate it with being off the grid for a few hours.
What's the chime?
Now and then you'll hear the seat-belt chime, the 'bing-bong' of an airliner, as you would on a real flight. It's rebuilt in the browser from measurements of a Boeing chime, and only plays every several minutes.
How loud is a real cabin?
Measurements on airliners typically put cabin noise at cruise somewhere around 75 to 85 decibels, depending on the aircraft and the seat. Here it plays at whatever volume you set, which should be much quieter for sleep.
Further reading
- How to sleep on a plane: 12 tips that workTwelve tips for sleeping on a plane: the best seat, a sleep kit that works, timing sleep to your destination, and what to avoid, from alcohol to the seat-back screen.
- Why it's so easy to focus on a planeNo notifications, an end you can see, nowhere to go and a steady hum. Why so many people do their best work on a flight, and how to get the same focus at your desk.
- A FocusFlight alternative for Windows, Android and webFocusFlight turns focus sessions into flights on iPhone. Flight does it in any browser. An honest comparison of platforms, features and app blocking.
More free tools
- White noise generatorWhite, pink or brown noise, with a sleep timer.
- Rain soundsRain on a tent, a downpour or a storm, recorded for real.
- Flight time calculatorHow long is the flight? Flying time, distance and local arrival time.
- Flight distance calculatorMiles, kilometers and nautical miles between any two airports.
- Where can I fly?Everywhere you can reach from your airport in 1, 3 or 10 hours.
- Time zone converterWhat time is 3 PM in London in Tokyo? Any city to any city.