Cicada sounds
Crickets and cicadas on a warm summer day. A bright, shimmering texture.
A 2-minute recording played in random overlapping segments, the way the app plays it, so you won't hear a loop. Start with your volume low. Keep this tab open.
About this sound
Crickets and cicadas on a warm summer day: a bright, shimmering buzz that rises and falls, the sound of heat in the countryside.
We used almost 5 minutes of the original and removed three steady background tones (at 100, 146.5 and 489 Hz) that ran under the insects. The app plays random stretches of about half a minute joined with 4-second crossfades and a gentle drift in volume. The player on this page uses a 2-minute excerpt.
How people use it
Cicadas are bright and busy, so they suit a summer afternoon, a nap or working more than deep night sleep. Some people simply like the memory of a holiday they bring.
Turn the Tone control down if the shimmer feels sharp, and keep the volume low. Water underneath, like a river or the ocean, rounds it off.
Questions
Is this a day or night recording?
Day. Cicadas sing in warm daylight; for a night sound, try Crickets or Frogs.
Are cicada sounds good for sleep?
They are louder and brighter than most sleep sounds, so many people prefer them for naps or focus. If you sleep with them, keep them quiet.
Why are there crickets too?
On a warm day crickets and cicadas often sing together, and the recording keeps both. Together they give the sound its shimmer.
Does it loop?
Not audibly. The app plays random parts of almost 5 minutes of recording, joined with 4-second crossfades, and each part comes back only after most of the others.
Mix it with
Get cicadas on your phone
Nightwool is coming to iPhone and Android. One e-mail when it launches, then we delete the list.