Free tinnitus notch therapy
Notch therapy means listening to sound with a narrow band removed around your tinnitus pitch. The idea is that the brain may turn down overactive nerve cells at that frequency. This tool applies the same two-stage notch filter as the TinnitusBuddy app to any of 28 sounds. Find your pitch first, then listen at a comfortable volume.
Start quiet and stay below the level of your tinnitus, or just at it. If a sound is uncomfortable, stop. Headphones work best for the notch filter.
How to use it
- Find your pitch with the tinnitus frequency finder. Saved pitches load here automatically.
- Check that the notch Hz matches your pitch and the notch filter is on.
- Choose a sound you enjoy. Broad sounds like pink noise, rain or a waterfall carry the notch best.
- Listen through headphones at a comfortable, moderate volume.
- If you want to try it, the research protocols used regular sessions over months, not days.
How notch therapy works
In most tinnitus, the hearing system turns up its own sensitivity around the pitch you hear. Notched sound leaves that band empty while the frequencies on either side keep playing. The theory is that this pattern lets nearby nerve cells quiet the overactive ones over time, a process called lateral inhibition.
Our filter is two cascaded notch filters (Q 1.0) centered on your pitch, the same design as the TinnitusBuddy iOS app. Two stages make the band deeper and cleaner than one.
What the research found
A small 2010 study in PNAS had people listen to notched music for 12 months. Their tinnitus loudness ratings dropped, and so did brain activity linked to the tinnitus frequency, compared with a placebo group. A larger 2016 randomized trial saw lower loudness ratings after three months, but no clear change in overall tinnitus distress.
So the evidence is promising but limited, and it applies best to tonal tinnitus with a clear, stable pitch. It is a low-risk thing to try, not a proven cure.
Who it may suit
Notch therapy makes the most sense if your tinnitus is a steady, single tone you can match reliably, generally below about 8,000 Hz. It is less likely to help hissing, buzzing, pulsing or constantly shifting tinnitus. If you cannot match a stable pitch, plain masking or blending sounds are a better fit.
Frequently asked questions
Does notch therapy work for tinnitus?
Some studies found lower tinnitus loudness after months of notched listening, but results are mixed and overall distress did not clearly improve in the larger trial. It is reasonable to try for tonal tinnitus with a stable pitch.
How long should I listen?
Research protocols used regular daily listening for months. Keep the volume comfortable and track how your tinnitus feels over several weeks rather than single sessions.
What sound should I notch?
A broad, pleasant sound that has energy around your pitch: pink noise, rain, a waterfall or a shower. Very low sounds like brown noise have little energy at high pitches, so a notch there changes little.
How loud should the sound be?
Quieter than you think. Set it just below the level of your tinnitus, or at the point where the two start to blend, so you can still hear both. Fully drowning out tinnitus is not the goal, and long sessions at high volume can damage hearing.
Is notch therapy free in the TinnitusBuddy app?
The iPhone app includes notch therapy and keeps the notch on when your phone locks, so you can use it overnight.
Sources
- Okamoto H, et al. Listening to tailor-made notched music reduces tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity. PNAS, 2010.
- Stein A, et al. Clinical trial on tonal tinnitus with tailor-made notched music training. BMC Neurology, 2016.
- Tunkel DE, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 2014.
Last reviewed by the TinnitusBuddy team.
Sound credits
- Gentle Rain: “steady night rain” by chromakei, CC0 1.0
- Rain on Roof: “Medium rain on a tin roof” by Sassaby, CC0 1.0
- Ocean Waves: “” by treytatum3, CC0 1.0
- Waterfall: “Waterfall” by Tom_Kaszuba, CC0 1.0
- Shower: “Shower” by JGarc, CC0 1.0
- Underwater: “Underwater Ambience” by Kinoton, CC0 1.0
- Soft Wind: “Wind, in trees, med strong, constant, evening, 2011.wav” by TRP, CC0 1.0
- Forest Birds: “Dawn Chorus Birdsong” by squashy555, CC0 1.0
- Summer Night: “180903 Night late insects thick chorus field clean 3am PEC” by TRP, CC0 1.0
- Crackling Fire: “Wood fire crackling, near flames” by felix.blume (Felix Blume), CC0 1.0
- Air Conditioner: “Air conditioner window unit” by jefftbyrd, CC0 1.0
- Clothes Dryer: “Clothes dryer” by stomachache, CC0 1.0
- Cat Purr: “Paz purrs.wav” by heroic, CC0 1.0
- Heartbeat: “Heart Beat” by thenudo, CC0 1.0
- Train Ride: “double-decker_train_passenger_wiesel_austria_interior_01.wav” by magedu, CC BY 4.0
- Night Drive: “191115_SkodaRoomster_Autobahn_ST.wav” by blaukreuz, CC0 1.0
All other sounds are TinnitusBuddy originals.