Studies have shown that background noise can help with concentration and creativity. The SciShow has put up a helpful 4 minute video explaining the difference between white noise, pink noise and brown noise.

Via IdealtoValue:

White Noise [20 – 20,000 Hz] – Sounds from all frequencies we can hear. Tends to sound high pitch and tinny. This tends to be the least pleasant noise of the three.

Pink Noise – More balanced as the higher frequencies are dampened. It sounds akin to a storm.

Brown Noise – Bass heavy sound like a distant waterfall.

Via LifeHacker:

Three popular paid noise apps to checkout:

• Noisli: The Noisli app features 16 different sound loops, and any sounds can be mixed together or have their volume adjusted as you see fit. You can save your favorite sound combos, it has a built-in timer, and the webapp has a simple, distraction-free text editor. There’s also a color changing background to help with your productivity or relaxation. Noisli is available on iOS ($1.99), Android ($1.99), and as a free Chrome plug-in or webapp.
• White Noise: The White Noise app comes in three different flavors: a free version, a full version, and a pro version. The free version has in-app ads and boasts a whopping 40 mixable sound loops, plus alarm sounds, the full version ($1.99) has no ads and more alarm sounds, and the pro version ($2.99) has an extra 50 high-quality sound loops and allows volume and pitch adjustment when mixing sounds. You can save your favorite mixes, set timers for your sounds, and download more loops for free from a separate app market. The full and pro versions of the White Noise app also let your ambient sounds play in the background while you use other apps on your device. The free version is available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, and Kindle Fire. The full version is available on iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire. And the pro version is available on iOS, Android, and Mac.
• Rain Rain: Rain Rain’s app has 26 loops to listen to, and there are several additional sound packs available for purchase. Like Noisli and White Noise, you can mash loops together to create your own custom, savable mixes. You can also set a sleep timer for your sounds, and it has a sound-reactive, color-changing background option to help you relax. Rain Rain is available for free on iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire devices. No web-based app is currently available, and additional sound packs cost anywhere from $0.99 to $2.99 (the original 26 loops are free).

I’ve been digging this chillout mix. What do you use?