Enjoy nature sounds at home with these free websites and apps
Nature sounds can be calming and therapeutic. Here are some free ways to enjoy them at home.
Earth Day is Wednesday -- a time to raise awareness about climate change, pledge to do more to help the environment and to celebrate our beautiful planet.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the event and organizers have been forced to do things differently, thanks to COVID-19.
In past years, millions of people gathered in stadiums, on streets, and in plazas around the world.
This year, people are being asked to participate virtually, by creating posters, messages, and presentations and sharing them on social media using the hashtag #EarthDayNetwork.
And here's another way you can celebrate our planet virtually: By listening to the calming and therapeutic sounds of nature from your home.
Here's a list of some free resources.
DESKTOP
Calm Sound offers a few nature-friendly sound mixes, including rain, Antarctic winds, and Niagara Falls.
Noisli lets you mix and match nature sounds to create personalized mixes.
The Nature Sounds Map Allows you to click on various points on a world map and listen to sounds from that area.
A Soft Murmur lets you overlay various natural sounds to set the tone for your day.
Brain.fm offers several nature-based sounds designed to improve focus and productivity.
A quick search for nature sounds on YouTube instantly returns thousands of results.
Spotify also has nature-themed playlists, which can be listened to on desktop and mobile.
Enjoy ocean sounds at home. File photo: Getty Images.
APPS
Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep (Android only) is free with in-app purchases. It has several nature-based relaxing sounds, including thunder, ocean sounds, sea, birds sounds, rain, nighttime in the jungle, water sounds and waterfalls.
Relax Melodies (Apple and Android) is designed to help you sleep better, using 21 relaxation techniques and tips on relieving stress.
Nature Space (Apple and Android) boasts a "massive catalog" of sounds, curated to help manage stress and anxiety, insomnia, tinnitus, and PTSD, according to its website.
Calm (Apple and Android) is mainly a meditation app, but comes with a library of nature sounds to enjoy. Calm is free to download and use, but users can unlock more features with a paid subscription.
