How to Listen to macOS Background Sounds

Do you enjoy calming background sounds like rain, campfires, or ocean waves? If so, and you’re using macOS, you’ll be happy to know that it already includes built-in background sounds. They’re just a bit hidden in System Settings.

Not in the mood for reading? Watch the video instead.

To listen to background sounds on macOS, follow these steps:

Open System Settings.app by clicking the Apple logo  → System Settings…
Click Control Center from the sidebar.
Scroll to the bottom until you see the Hearing section.
Check Show in Menu Bar under the Hearing section.

System Settings → Control Center → Hearing

Look at the top menu bar and find the ear 👂 icon.
Click it, then click the circle button with musical notes to turn background sounds on or off.
You can also choose which sound you’d like to listen to!