How loud is it here?
Loud sound damages hearing slowly and for good. Guess how fast very loud sound uses up a whole day's safe amount, then measure the noise around you and see how long you could listen.
Measure the noise around you
Use your microphone to measure live, or pick a sample sound if you'd rather not.
🎙️ The sound is measured on your device. Nothing is recorded, sent or saved, and the microphone switches off when you press Stop or leave the page.
Or try a sample sound
Phone microphones aren't calibrated, so the number is an estimate and can be 10 dB or more off. If you have a sound meter, or know a level, nudge the reading to match.
Not medical advice. If your ears ring or sound seems muffled after noise, or your hearing changes, see a doctor or audiologist.
How loud are everyday sounds?
Typical levels, and how long until you reach a whole day's safe dose using the NIOSH rule (85 dB for 8 hours, half the time for every 3 dB more).
Protect your ears
Every 3 dB louder doubles the sound energy, so your safe time halves. 85 dB is fine for 8 hours; 100 dB only for about 15 minutes.
With headphones, keep the volume low enough that you can still hear people around you, and take regular breaks. Noise-cancelling helps you keep the volume down.
If you have to shout to be heard by someone an arm's length away, the noise is probably above 85 dB. Move away or use earplugs.
Hearing loss from noise builds up slowly, can't be reversed, and can be prevented. Ringing ears after a night out is a warning sign.
Sources: NIOSH (US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), Science Blog "Understanding Noise Exposure Limits: Occupational vs. General Environmental Noise" (8 February 2016): recommended exposure limit of 85 dB(A) averaged over 8 hours with a 3 dB exchange rate (88 dB 4 hours, 91 dB 2 hours, 94 dB 1 hour, 97 dB 30 minutes, 100 dB 15 minutes); this is a workplace limit, and a 1974 US EPA report suggested 70 dB(A) averaged over 24 hours for the general public. World Health Organization and ITU, "Safe listening devices and systems" standard (February 2019): a weekly sound allowance for adults equal to 80 dB for 40 hours a week, and 75 dB for 40 hours a week for children and sensitive users. US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), "How loud is too loud?" bookmark: whisper 30 dBA; normal conversation 60–70; movie theatre 74–104; lawnmower 80–100; motorcycle 80–110; headphones, sporting events and concerts 94–110; ambulance sirens 110–129; fireworks show 140–160; at about 110 dBA damage can happen in about 2 minutes; sounds at or below 70 dBA are generally considered safe. US CDC, "Loud noises damage hearing" (2017): noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm. How this page measures: the microphone signal's RMS level in dBFS plus a fixed offset of 100 dB, with your calibration added; it is not A-weighted, and browsers and phones change the microphone's sensitivity, so treat the number as a rough estimate, not a measurement. Safe times use the NIOSH formula 8 hours ÷ 2^((level − 85) ÷ 3) and the WHO weekly allowance 40 hours ÷ 2^((level − 80) ÷ 3). Checked October 2026.