The Sound Atlas

Listen to the world.

A free, open atlas of sound: listen to thousands of animals, places and instruments, and explore frequencies, decibels and the science of hearing – with free tools that run in your browser.

1,544animal species

58,390field recordings

2,112instruments

2,747music genres

2,416glossary terms

14free tools

Explore the atlas

1,544

Animal sounds

Birdsong, frogs, mammals and insects – real recordings with facts.

58,390

Field recordings

Soundscapes from cities and wild places, on a world map.

Instruments

How every instrument makes its sound – and what it sounds like.

Frequencies

Play any tone from 1 Hz to 22 kHz, with notes and wavelengths.

Decibels

Every level from 0 to 194 dB, with safe exposure times.

Music genres

Origins, family trees and key artists.

Glossary

Acoustics, hearing and audio terms explained.

Free tools

Tone generator, dB meter, hearing test, spectrogram…

Today's listening

World sound map →

Cluj, Fortress Hill project, emotion tube 1 – Cluj-Napoca

5:20Public Domain Markby Frank SchulteInternet Archive

5:20

Traditional Markets – Taipei

5:20CC BY 3.0by Wu,Tsan-ChengInternet Archive

5:20

Hastings Railway Station, Station Approach – Hastings

7:17Public Domain Markby Tiago CarvEInternet Archive

7:17

Black-headed gull – Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) (W1CDR0001402 BD19)

0:58CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

0:58

Soundscapes

All themes →

Bird songs

All birds →

Chicken

Gallus gallus domesticus

House sparrow

Passer domesticus

Common raven

Corvus corax

Eurasian magpie

Pica pica

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Eurasian hoopoe

Upupa epops

Common blackbird

Turdus merula

Common quail

Coturnix coturnix

European robin

Erithacus rubecula

Common cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Rock dove

Columba livia

Eurasian golden oriole

Oriolus oriolus

How loud is it?

Decibel chart →

30 dBWhisper
A soft whisper at about 1.5 m (5 ft).60 dBNormal conversation
Two people talking at about 1 m.75 dBVacuum cleaner
At the operator's position.85 dBHeavy city traffic
Standing at the curb of a busy street.110 dBRock concert
CDC: concerts 94–110 dB; front rows near speakers can be louder.110 dBChainsaw
NIOSH lists a chainsaw at about 110 dB.140 dBJet engine at takeoff
At about 30 m (100 ft).165 dB12-gauge shotgun
NIOSH lists a 12-gauge shotgun at 165 dB.

Play a frequency

All frequencies →

440Hz

Volume

Start with your device volume low. Very low tones may be inaudible on phone or laptop speakers; very high tones can be uncomfortable on headphones.

Free tools

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Learn

All guides →

Decibels Explained: How Sound Level Is Measured

What a decibel is, why the scale is logarithmic, the difference between dB SPL, dBA and dBFS, and how to compare sound levels correctly.

Frequency, Pitch and the Range of Human Hearing

What frequency is, how it relates to pitch and musical notes, why we hear from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and how hearing changes with age.

How Loud Is Too Loud? Noise and Your Hearing

Which sound levels can damage hearing, how long is safe at 85, 94 or 100 dB, early warning signs and simple ways to protect your ears. General information based on NIOSH, OSHA and WHO guidance.

How to Read a Spectrogram

A spectrogram turns sound into a picture of frequency over time. Learn to read whistles, harmonics, noise and transients – and identify birds, voices and machines by sight.

How to Record Birdsong

Practical tips for recording bird song and calls – timing, microphones, parabolic reflectors, settings, ethics and how to share your recordings.

How to Start Field Recording: Gear, Settings and Technique

A practical guide to your first field recordings – which recorder and microphones to choose, the settings that matter, and techniques for clean, beautiful sound.