Finding Focus: Staying on Track With Dark Noise
Since launching this site, most of my writing has been done either in the early morning or while my two kids nap. I often play music and there is always white noise playing for our kids while they sleep. Without realizing it, that sound has become a foundation for my focus state and my writing process. While I like having white noise on in the background, The mono speaker on most baby monitors isn’t very good, with sound quality not being high on the list of features.
I’ve been aware of various white noise apps and have used one version on the Amazon Alexa a few times, however I hadn’t tried one on my Apple devices. Timing is everything apparently because as I was considering this, Episode 669 of my favorite tech podcast, the Mac Power Users featuring Charlie Chapman, the developer behind Dark Noise, was released. I downloaded his app while listening to the episode and have been using it since.
What is Dark Noise
Dark Noise is an ambient noise app for iOS and Mac. Its developer, Charlie Chapman, is the kind of app developer I am happy to support. He is also an artist, designer, and podcaster who’s been working on iOS and Mac Apps for nearly a decade. During his appearance on Mac Power Users, Charlie shared his perspective on being an indie developer and spoke candidly with hosts David Sparks and Stephen Hackett about moving Dark Noise from a side gig to a full-time project, which would likely require it to become a subscription app. Clearly, he is not interested in a money grab and is thinking carefully about how to provide the best value for his customers.
My favorite Dark Noise feature is it’s simplicity. When you open the app on mobile, the last used sound is shown just above a large play button. There’s little else aside from the usual audio source picker and volume slider, a timer, and an option to select other sounds. Nothing gets in the way of you pressing play and getting on with whatever you need to do.
Dark Noise on iOS, Mac, and iPadOS. Image Courtesy of Dark Noise
On the Mac, the design is similarly clean and intuitive. I am a big fan of the adaptive toolbar design, which makes it easy to show only the controls and what’s currently playing. This makes managing precious screen real estate much easier.
The app offers a large variety of sounds, with 50 to choose from, including traditional white noise machine options and a significant variety of other environmental sounds like rain, wind chimes, fireworks, and even a spaceship engine. You can also mix the different sounds to customize the vibe you’re looking for, and on the Mac you can use it while listening to other audio sources as well.
How I Use It
I’ve been listening to Dark Noise while writing for the last month. I spent the first week listening to a custom mix of the thunderstorms and coffee shop sounds, while the last few weeks have had me alternating mostly between the heavy rain and grey noise options. I’m finding that the specific time of day or mood helps dictate what I want to listen to, and learning what fits best is fun to explore. I’ve also used Dark Noise a few times while doing household chores. Sometimes I want to listen to something but don’t want a podcast, audiobook, or music, and it’s great to have another option. I’m spoiled for choices.
Dark Noise has robust automation support for Siri and Keyboard Shortcuts and offers Widgets and Home Screen quick actions. I access my preferred sound quickly through a shortcut that lives on my iPad and iPhone Home Screen and on my Stream Deck for the Mac.
I know that the baby monitor won’t be in my home and studio in a few years. So while I have some feelings about my kids growing up (Parents, you get it), I’m pleased to know that I’ll have a beautifully designed app that offers a variety of sounds to help me focus created by an indie developer who wants it to stick around. Dark Noise is subtle enough to keep my mind from wandering without being distracting, and with all that’s vying for my attention, it’s refreshing to have this option.