MotionShine01 / Everyday
60 to 70 dBA
Normal conversation, by the averages on the NIDCD (part of the US National Institutes of Health) page on noise-induced hearing loss, read 17 Oct 2026.
Free tool
Decibel meter, from your microphone.
See how loud your room, your street or your music is, live, in decibels. The meter switches off the browser's noise suppression and automatic volume so the level is not changed, shows A-weighted dBA (the scale health guidance uses) or unweighted dB, keeps the peak, the lowest and the average, and draws the last minute. A computer microphone gives an estimate; set the offset against a real meter for exact numbers.
--dBA
Press Start to listen.
Calibration
Hold a sound level meter (or a meter app you trust) next to the computer and move the offset until both read the same.
The microphone is used only in this tab. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent.
How loud is loud
Levels from the NIH.
02 / Caution
85 dBA and up
NIDCD: sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to cause hearing loss even after long exposure; long or repeated exposure at or above 85 dBA can.
03 / Loud
94 to 110 dBA
NIDCD: music through headphones at full volume, sporting events and concerts. Sirens are 110 to 129 dBA, a fireworks show 140 to 160.
Questions
Good to know.
How accurate is a decibel meter on a computer?
It is an estimate. Microphones differ, and some are tuned for voices. The meter starts from a common microphone sensitivity; with the offset set against a real meter it follows changes closely.
What is the difference between dB and dBA?
dBA weights the level like human hearing, counting very low and very high sounds less. Health guidance uses dBA; unweighted dB counts every frequency the same.
Why switch off noise suppression?
Browsers clean up microphone sound for calls, which lowers background noise and evens out volume. That would make a meter read wrong, so it is switched off here.
Does it record anything?
No. It reads the level many times a second and keeps only the numbers on screen.