About Sound Meter
Our Mission
Sound Meter is a free online tool designed to help people understand and monitor environmental noise levels. Our mission is to promote hearing health awareness and provide accessible tools for measuring sound levels in everyday environments.
We believe that everyone should have access to tools that help protect their hearing health. By providing real-time decibel measurements through your device's microphone, we make it easy for anyone to assess whether their environment poses a risk to their hearing.
What We Offer
- Real-Time Measurement: Instant decibel level readings using your device's microphone
- Visual Feedback: Color-coded displays showing safe, caution, and dangerous noise levels
- Educational Content: Information based on guidelines from WHO, NIOSH, and CDC
- Safe Exposure Guidelines: Recommendations for maximum exposure times at different noise levels
- Privacy-Focused: All processing happens locally in your browser - no audio is recorded or transmitted
Why Sound Meter?
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is one of the most common occupational and recreational health hazards, yet it is entirely preventable. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.
Our tool helps you:
- Monitor workplace noise levels
- Check if your home environment is conducive to sleep and concentration
- Assess whether hearing protection is needed in various situations
- Educate yourself and others about safe sound levels
- Make informed decisions about noise exposure
Evidence-Based Guidelines
All information and recommendations on Sound Meter are based on research and guidelines from internationally recognized health and safety organizations, including:
- World Health Organization (WHO) - Safe listening guidelines
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC) - Occupational noise exposure standards
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) - Hearing health research
- Hearing Health Foundation - Decibel exposure guidelines
Technology
Sound Meter uses the Web Audio API to access your device's microphone and measure sound pressure levels. All audio processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript - we never record, store, or transmit any audio data.
The tool provides estimated readings that are suitable for general awareness and educational purposes. For professional-grade measurements, we recommend using certified sound level meters.
Our Commitment
We are committed to:
- Privacy: Your data stays on your device. We never collect audio recordings.
- Accuracy: Providing measurements based on scientific standards and best practices.
- Accessibility: Keeping the tool free and available to everyone.
- Education: Sharing evidence-based information about hearing health.
- Transparency: Being clear about the capabilities and limitations of our tool.
Contact Us
Have questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you. Visit our contact page to get in touch.