Ambient Sound for Study or Sleep

As I entered the final days before I move into my first home, I began to contemplate the changes to the sonic space of my studio. I anticipated that the new space would likely be devoid of external noises and the familiar nuanced sounds of other persons moving about in the residence. I also considered the longing I’d felt for the bustle of a metro village cafe – something I’ve yet to find locally befitting of an eccentric like myself.

So it appeared I’d a new project on my hands – to archive a bank of ambient noise to calm me and to promote productivity in my new home. Astonishingly, (as I’d never searched YouTube for ambient field recordings before), there was an incredible bank of 6-10 hour environmental recordings available, and all of it for free. I extracted the audio from each, archived my favorite selections, and put together a playlist for my readers to sample for themselves.

The playlist includes:

• the sounds of drafting a dissertation in a university library
• various intensities of rain in a variety of environments, from city streets to the inside of a vehicle in evening traffic, and from a tin roof to the inside of a camper’s tent
• room-expanding noises from several coffeehouses.
• and it ends with a soothing, 8-hour train ride

Explore my playlist below. I’d welcome further recommended environments if you have any to share!