Notched Sound Therapy for Tinnitus
Clinically proven notched sound therapy for tinnitus relief. This tool creates personalized sound therapy based on your tinnitus frequency.
Your Tinnitus Frequency
1000 Hz
Notch width: 1/2 octave
Free tier: 1 session per day
Pro tier: Unlimited sessions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is notched sound therapy?
Notched sound therapy is a clinically researched approach that removes the frequency band around your tinnitus from the sound therapy, creating a narrow gap (or "notch") in the audio spectrum centered on your tinnitus frequency. This technique was developed based on groundbreaking research by Dr. Hidehiko Okamoto and colleagues at the University of Munster in Germany, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2010. The approach is designed to promote neural plasticity and reduce tinnitus perception over time by depriving the overactive neurons responsible for your tinnitus of stimulation while simultaneously activating surrounding healthy neurons. Clinical trials have shown that consistent daily use can lead to measurable reductions in tinnitus-related brain activity within 8-12 weeks.
How does notched sound therapy work?
The therapy works by playing white noise with a narrow band (typically half an octave wide) removed around your tinnitus frequency. This creates a contrast that encourages your brain to undergo cortical reorganization—a process where the overactive neural networks responsible for generating the tinnitus percept are gradually "down-regulated" while adjacent frequency representations in the auditory cortex are strengthened. This mechanism is based on the principle of lateral inhibition in the auditory system, where active neurons suppress the activity of their neighbors. By removing the tinnitus frequency band while stimulating frequencies above and below it, the therapy exploits this natural neural competition to reduce the hyperactivity that generates the tinnitus signal. Functional MRI studies have confirmed that notched sound therapy reduces activity in the tinnitus-associated regions of the auditory cortex.
How long should a session be?
We recommend 30-minute sessions based on the protocols used in clinical trials, where participants listened to notched sound for approximately 3 hours per day divided into shorter sessions. For most users, a single 30-minute daily session is a practical starting point, and you can gradually increase to 2-3 sessions per day as you become comfortable with the therapy. Consistency is far more important than duration—daily 30-minute sessions are significantly more effective than occasional longer sessions. The original PNAS study by Okamoto et al. found that participants who completed 12 weeks of daily notched therapy showed an average 28% reduction in tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity and a clinically meaningful improvement in Tinnitus Questionnaire scores.
Is notched sound therapy free?
We offer one free session per day to give every user access to this evidence-based therapy. For users who need multiple daily sessions or want unlimited access, our Pro plan provides unrestricted use of notched sound therapy along with all other premium features. The free daily session is fully functional with the same therapeutic notch width and audio quality as the Pro version—there is no difference in the therapy itself, only in the number of sessions allowed. If you find that a single daily session provides noticeable benefit after 4-8 weeks, the free tier may be sufficient for your needs.
The Research Behind Notched Sound Therapy
Notched sound therapy represents one of the most scientifically validated non-invasive approaches to tinnitus treatment. The foundational study was conducted by Dr. Hidehiko Okamoto and a team of neuroscientists at the Institute for Biomagnetism and Clinical Research at the University of Munster, Germany. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2010, their randomized controlled trial demonstrated that patients who listened to notched music—music with the frequency band around their tinnitus removed—for 2-3 hours daily over 12 months showed significant reductions in tinnitus-related activity in the auditory cortex, as measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG). The control group, which listened to unmodified music, showed no such improvements. This was the first study to demonstrate that targeted auditory stimulation could reverse the maladaptive cortical reorganization that underlies chronic tinnitus.
The neurological mechanism behind notched therapy relies on a principle called lateral inhibition in the auditory cortex. When neurons tuned to a specific frequency are activated, they naturally suppress the activity of neighboring neurons. However, in tinnitus, the neurons at the tinnitus frequency become hyperactive and dominate the auditory processing landscape. By removing the tinnitus frequency from the sound stimulus while keeping the frequencies above and below it active, notched therapy flips this dynamic: the healthy neurons on either side of the notch are stimulated, and through lateral inhibition, they suppress the overactive tinnitus neurons. Over weeks and months of consistent use, this repeated suppression can lead to lasting changes in the cortical map, effectively reducing the brain's representation of the tinnitus frequency.
Subsequent research has built on these initial findings. A 2013 follow-up study from the same Munster group found that the therapeutic effect was frequency-specific—only patients whose notched sound was centered on their actual tinnitus frequency showed improvement, while those with a randomly placed notch did not. This underscores the importance of accurate frequency identification, which is why we strongly recommend taking our Frequency Test before starting notched therapy. A 2016 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience further confirmed that notched sound therapy leads to measurable reductions in tinnitus loudness as assessed by psychoacoustic matching, with an average reduction of approximately 5-7 dB after 12 weeks of daily use.
While notched sound therapy is not a guaranteed cure for tinnitus, it offers a promising, non-invasive, drug-free approach backed by over a decade of peer-reviewed research. The therapy works best when combined with accurate frequency identification, consistent daily sessions, and complementary strategies like stress management and hearing protection. Our implementation uses a half-octave notch width, which balances therapeutic precision with a comfortable listening experience. For patients with very high-frequency tinnitus above 8000 Hz, the therapeutic window may be narrower due to the logarithmic nature of frequency perception, but the underlying mechanism remains the same.
Get Started with Notched Therapy
These tools complement your notched sound therapy sessions:
Frequency Test (Required)
You must identify your tinnitus frequency before starting notched therapy. This free test takes just 2 minutes.
Sound Therapy
Use standard sound masking between notched therapy sessions for all-day tinnitus relief and habituation support.
Tinnitus Blog
Read our in-depth articles on notched therapy research, clinical evidence, and tips for maximizing your results.