Oct 25, 2022
Is brown the sound of your brain on vacation?
Sphere is a cultural research tool that studies online data and applies machine learning models for deeper, more empathetic insights.
The crackle of a fireplace, the distant wail of a whale.
If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping, you might have come across sleep sounds as a remedy for insomnia. They’ve also been said to work wonders for deep focus at work or drowning out crying babies for some parental reprieve.
One of the more popular sounds in recent years is white noise, a mix of sounds that creates one powerful constant like a howling vacuum or crashing waves. And then there’s pink noise — the soothing alternative best described as rustling leaves or heartbeats.
Lately, another sonic hue has joined the club — brown noise. TikTokkers have been raving about this magic frequency for improving concentration, relaxation, and sleep.
But what does the rest of the internet have to say about this aural trend? We used Sphere’s AI analysis across different data sources to uncover the full picture:
Sphere data source dive: Google Search
A comparison of searches for sleep hues shows a sudden interest in brown noise that’s plateaued but still going.
Sphere data source dive: Google Trends
Brown noise looks to be a rising trend in global searches on sleep sounds in the past year.
And this interest in brown noise is trending the most in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
Sphere data source dive: Twitter
Brown noise also looks to be Twitter-approved as a soundtrack for sleep.
Sphere data source dive: Instagram
Similarly, Instagram posts mentioning #brownnoise were joyful and optimistic about it being a solution for sleep or unwanted noise.
Sphere data source dive: YouTube
Finally, a semiotics analysis of comments on top YouTube brown noise videos shed some insight on the benefits of brown.
Write to anurag.banerjee@quilt.ai for more information on how Sphere can radically transform the way your company understands online data.
