While I really like brain.fm, some people might want to find alternatives: maybe because they have a limited budget, or they don't like the selection of music (sometimes I think that the music on brainfm is just too melodramatic), or they're just tired to use the same tool every time. In search of alternatives, I've found plenty of both free and paid options:
Brown/White/Pink Noise
My go-to Brain.fm alternative. It's simple: just look up "brown noise" on YouTube, and you will find an 8-hour video. Just click, and you're good to go.
Especially useful if you have YouTube Premium, that way your experience will be uninterrupted. I'm not convinced of the effects of "colored" noises, but if you need to remove noise and focus, just plug in some noise-cancelling headphones, choose the monotone sound of your liking, and do some focused work.
Rainy Mood
As the name suggests, it's just the rain sound. You can use it completely for free with the web version, or try the iOS/Android app with additional paid features. Fun fact: this is what I'm listening to while writing this article. You can try it here
Noisli
A background-noise and ambient sound generator app with dozens of options to choose from - rain, fire, wind, forest, train, busy coffee shop, etc. What's cool about it - you can mix those noises together with different levels of intensity. Want a busy train-compartment café? You can do that, just choose train + coffee shop. Want some cabin in the woods? You can to use some forest and fireplace sounds beautifully blended together.
You get 16 noises completely for free, and additional 12 come with a $12 per month subscription. With the premium, you can also set the timer for your working sessions, and get several playlists to choose from. You can start using Noisli here
Podcasts
If you're doing some shallow work or chores and you don't need to focus as much, you can look into some podcasts. My favorite one is Founders, but sometimes I just listen to interviews with great entrepreneurs. Just don't listen to podcasts too much, because it is the least effective form of information consumption, the value per second is not that great, but as something that you do once or twice per week - why not?
Audible audiobooks
For winding down, air travel, or when you're in the mood to read but too tired. You can also use audiobooks along with reading a physical book or your Kindle, that way your comprehension improves, as you're using two sensory "gates" to get the information.
You can use it two ways: either by paying for the books separately, or picking one book per month with the premium membership. The website has frequent sales, and sometimes you can get some great books with up to an 80% discount (I've bought the biography of John D. Rockefeller and Ayn Rand's Fountainhead just for $4 each).
It's remarkable how simple ambient sounds through your headphones can transform your deep work sessions. Whether you choose Brain.fm or one of these alternatives, the right background audio can make a significant difference in your productivity. For a deeper dive into the original platform, check out my comprehensive Brain.fm review here.