We use cookies.This website uses essential cookies to operate core features. With your consent, we also use analytics cookies to understand traffic and improve the service. For more details, see our .
We use cookies.This website uses essential cookies to operate core features. With your consent, we also use analytics cookies to understand traffic and improve the service. For more details, see our .
Was this tool helpful to use?
Your feedback helps us make it better
Measure environmental noise decibel levels in real-time using your device's microphone. Evaluate noise levels at home, in the office, or in public spaces to protect your hearing.
Displays relative digital-audio RMS amplitude, not environmental sound-pressure decibels.
Click Start Monitoring to see waveform
Overview
Understand what the tool solves, how it works, and the boundaries of its data.
This online sound meter asks for microphone access, then displays a live sound-level estimate and session minimum, maximum, and average. It is useful for comparing quieter and louder moments in the same setup or noticing a change in a room. It is not a calibrated sound level meter: the displayed value is calculated from the microphone signal and can vary with the device, microphone position, and system audio processing.
The meter’s categories are simple on-screen cues, not exposure determinations. Sound level alone is not the same as a person’s noise dose; duration matters too. NIOSH’s 85 dBA recommendation is an eight-hour occupational exposure limit, not a universal boundary for every sound or situation. Read the NIOSH overview of noise and hearing loss for that workplace context.
Current follows the incoming microphone signal; minimum and maximum retain the extremes observed during the session; average is the mean of the meter’s sampled display values. The output uses a sound-level-like dB scale, but it is not A-weighted and is not calibrated to sound pressure in dB SPL or dBA. Use it to compare conditions, not to certify a level.
Guide
Follow the workflow and verify inputs and outputs with practical examples.
Place the microphone in a consistent position with its opening unobstructed. Keep distance and orientation similar when comparing two locations.
Start listening and approve the browser permission prompt. If access is denied or unavailable, check the browser’s site permission and device microphone selection.
Watch the live value and the min, max, and average while the sound is being measured. Pause to hold the session, resume to continue, or reset before a separate comparison.
Use cases
See how the tool fits into real work and everyday tasks.
Check whether a fan, appliance, or open window changes the relative reading when the device stays in the same position.
Use the current and maximum values as a rough prompt to investigate a new noise source; repeat with the same device and placement.
Q&A
Find concise answers to common questions and confusing cases.
Microphones and operating-system processing differ, and this meter does not calibrate them. Compare readings on one device under similar conditions rather than treating different devices as interchangeable instruments.
No. The display uses a fixed threshold and does not measure calibrated dBA or exposure duration. NIOSH’s 85 dBA value applies to an eight-hour occupational average; consult a qualified measurement method for workplace decisions.
Confirm that the browser has microphone permission, that the correct microphone is connected, and that another application is not preventing access. Start listening again after changing permissions.
Notes
Review scope, result limitations, and important precautions before use.
This estimate is for a rough environmental check and cannot establish compliance, diagnose hearing risk, or replace a calibrated sound level meter. The meter does not calculate time-weighted exposure or apply frequency weighting. If a level could affect hearing or a workplace decision, reduce exposure where practical and use qualified measurement and safety guidance.
Related
Discover related tools, collections, and available API capabilities.
