# Best Sleep Sound Apps > An English-language comparison of eight current Taptanium sound apps for iPhone and iPad. Taptanium publishes this guide and makes every app featured in it. These are our editorial picks for different listening preferences. Reviewed 2026-11-07. Storefront: United States. [Canonical guide](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/). ## Quick answer Choose Windy Pro for recorded wind, Rainlayer for an adjustable rain landscape, Rainy for illustrated rain scenes, Sleep Better Fan for a steady fan, Sunny for waves, Flowing or Flowing 2 for flowing water, and Away for an explorable forest. Six apps are one-time purchases. Rainlayer offers subscriptions. Rainy includes two free scenes and lists subscription and one-time Rainy Plus options. Apple provides the current terms in each storefront. ## Windy Pro Recorded wind sits at the center of illustrated scenes. Keep the wind on its own or blend it with rain on a tent, water, birds, crickets, and optional music. Choose Windy Pro if soft gusts and a sense of space are what you want to hear at bedtime. Start with the wind alone on stereo headphones, then add a layer if it improves the mix for you. - Best fit: Binaural wind and illustrated landscapes - Primary sound: Wind - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 6504160127 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6504160127) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/windy-pro) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/windy-pro/) - [Recorded wind, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/wind.m4a) — A textured wash of wind with a slow rise and fall. - Binaural wind recordings for stereo headphones - Nature sound and music mixer - Background playback and an adjustable sleep timer with fade-out ## Rainlayer Move through a landscape of rain recordings, save a route as a Rain Journey, or mix white, pink, or brown noise underneath. AirPlay 2 supports listening through compatible speakers. Choose Rainlayer when you want control over the texture of the rain. Compare a fixed location with a moving Rain Journey, and try a small amount of colored noise if you want a more even background. - Best fit: Shaping or programming a rain soundscape - Primary sound: Rain - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: Subscription available - US App Store ID: 6744941675 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6744941675) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/rainlayer) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/rainlayer/) - [Steady rain, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/rain-landscape.m4a) — A close, continuous rain texture from the Rainlayer soundscape. - Explorable rain landscape and programmable Rain Journey - Noise Scan and white, pink, or brown noise mixing - AirPlay 2, Lock Screen controls, and a fade-out timer ## Rainy Pick an illustrated rain scene and add birds, crickets, or music. Two scenes are free. Rainy Plus has subscription and one-time options. Choose Rainy if you want to pick a scene quickly and hear the rain before paying. Try the rain on its own and add the other sounds only if you want them in your nighttime mix. - Best fit: Illustrated rain scenes with a free starting point - Primary sound: Rain - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: Free scenes · optional Plus - US App Store ID: 1214691833 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1214691833) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/rainy) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/rainy/) - [Rain on a pond, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/rain-scene.m4a) — A soft rain bed with individual drops audible over it. - Two free starting scenes - Illustrated scenes, rain recordings, and optional nature sounds or music - Background audio and a sleep timer with adjustable fade-out ## Sleep Better Fan Pick from four recorded fans and blend in white, pink, or brown noise. A sleep timer can fade the sound out. Choose Sleep Better Fan if you already like sleeping with a fan and want a portable version of that sound. Listen to the recording first and add colored noise only if you prefer a fuller background. - Best fit: The steady sound of a recorded fan - Primary sound: Fan - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 895207364 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id895207364) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/sleep-better-fan) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/sleep-better-fan/) - [Recorded fan, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/fan.m4a) — An even mechanical wash from a recorded fan. - Four fan recordings, including a ceiling fan and car ventilation - White, pink, and brown noise mixer - Background audio and a timer with a soft fade-out ## Sunny Beach and bay scenes center on waves and surf. The mixer lets you add sounds such as seabirds or rain on a tent. Choose Sunny if you enjoy the cycle of a wave breaking and receding. Try the coast recording against a flowing-water clip if you are unsure whether that rhythm will feel restful. - Best fit: Rhythmic waves, beaches, and bays - Primary sound: Ocean - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 916540089 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id916540089) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/sunny) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/sunny/) - [Coastal waves, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/ocean.m4a) — Waves gather, break, and draw away again. - Coastal soundscapes recorded for stereo headphone listening - Sound mixer and optional music - Background audio and sleep timer with adjustable fade-out ## Flowing Choose an illustrated stream, river, or waterfall scene. The app also includes guided meditations and music tracks. Choose Flowing for a ready-made water scene you can return to each night. If the position and balance of the water matter more, compare it with Flowing 2. - Best fit: Selecting a ready-made water scene or a guided meditation - Primary sound: Flowing water - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 1132992868 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1132992868) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/flowing) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/flowing/) - [Flowing water, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/flowing-water.m4a) — Continuous water movement from a Flowing scene. - Six flowing-water scenes - Three guided meditations and three music tracks - Sleep and meditation timer ## Flowing 2 Move a virtual microphone through streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Add nature sounds or music to the water if you like. Choose Flowing 2 if you want to find your own listening position within a water scene. Listen for how close or distant you prefer the stream before settling on a spot. - Best fit: Moving around an explorable water soundscape - Primary sound: Streams and waterfalls - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 1304310941 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1304310941) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/flowing-2) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/flowing-2/) - [Shallow stream, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/stream.m4a) — A layered burble from the Schwindequelle stream crossing. - Movable virtual microphone - Nature sound and music mixer - Background audio and a sleep timer with adjustable fade-out ## Away Move through a forest soundscape with water, birds, frogs, and wind in the leaves. Change the time of day to hear a different mix. Choose Away when you want a place with several sounds to explore. The forest stream preview is one layer. The native scene lets you move through the full mix and change the time of day. - Best fit: Exploring a forest at different times of day - Primary sound: Forest - Platforms: iPhone and iPad - Purchase model: One-time purchase - US App Store ID: 1073473120 - [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1073473120) - [Official Taptanium product page](https://taptanium.com/apps/away) - [HTML profile](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/apps/away/) - [Forest stream, 30 seconds including fades](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/audio/forest.m4a) — A water layer from Away’s explorable forest. - Movable virtual microphone and adjustable time of day - Forest, birds, frogs, and flowing water - Background audio and a sleep timer with adjustable fade-out ## Listening guides ### [How we choose and compare apps](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/methodology/) How Taptanium chose the apps, documented the features, and prepared the recordings. **Who makes the picks** Taptanium makes all eight apps and publishes this guide. A pick describes what we think an app is best suited to within our portfolio. We compare sound type, amount of control, playback options, and purchase model. **What we verified** App features come from our product documentation and Apple’s US listings. Each profile links to both. Availability, compatibility, and local prices can change, so use the App Store when deciding what to download. **How we prepared the recordings** Each preview comes from a Taptanium app or web demo recording. We kept a 30-second stereo excerpt and added a 1.2-second fade-in and 2.5-second fade-out. A recording may represent a single layer of a larger mix. The samples are intended for choosing a sound. **What the evidence can answer** This guide compares sound and app features. The sources describe the limits of research on sleep and sound. We have no clinical outcome data from this comparison. - [Read the sources and their scope](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/sources/) ### [Wind sounds for sleep](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/topics/wind/) Hear recorded wind and choose between a moving outdoor soundscape and a steadier fan sound. **Listen for the gaps** Recorded wind swells and recedes. Try the Windy Pro excerpt at a comfortable, low volume. If the quieter moments draw your attention back to a sound in the room, try a steadier recording or add a quieter background layer. **Try it on the device you use at bedtime** With stereo headphones you can hear the directional detail in a binaural recording. On a phone speaker, listen for the overall texture and how much it rises and falls. Those are separate things to compare. - [Taptanium’s headphones guide](https://taptanium.com/guides/headphones/) ### [Rain sounds for sleep](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/topics/rain/) Compare two ways to listen to rain on iPhone, with separate recordings from Rainlayer and Rainy. **Compare the texture of the rain** Listen for individual drops, a continuous wash, and changes in intensity. If one texture keeps calling attention to itself, try the other clip at the same comfortable device volume. **Choose a place or choose a scene** Rainlayer lets you move through a rain landscape and program a path. Rainy lets you choose an illustrated scene and add music or nature sounds. Start with the simpler setup you can repeat easily at bedtime. - [Rainy vs. Rainlayer](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/guides/rainy-vs-rainlayer/) ### [Fan sounds for sleep](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/topics/fan-noise/) Hear a recorded fan and decide whether a steady mechanical sound fits your bedtime routine. **Listen for the motor as well as the air** A fan can have a tonal hum under the broader sound of moving air. Compare that texture with your own fan if you have one. The device you play it on can change how much of the lower sound you hear. **Start with one sound** Try the fan on its own before adding white, pink, or brown noise. Sleep Better Fan gives you four recordings to try and a timer that can fade the sound out. A physical fan also provides airflow if that is part of what you want. - [What colored noise means](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/glossary/#colored-noise) ### [Ocean, stream, and forest sounds for sleep](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/topics/ocean-and-nature/) Hear coastal waves, flowing water, and a forest stream, then compare the apps that use them. **Choose the kind of movement you like** Surf rises and falls in cycles. A stream offers a more continuous bed of sound. An explorable forest adds variation across position and time of day. Try the clips with the same playback device before you decide. **Decide how much you want to explore** Sunny gives you beaches and bays. Flowing gives you preset water scenes and guided meditations. Flowing 2 lets you move around water scenes, while Away lets you explore a forest and change its time of day. ### [How to choose a sleep sound](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/guides/choosing-a-sleep-sound/) A short listening routine to help you compare wind, rain, fan noise, and water without changing several things at once. **1. Pick one steady sound and one moving sound** Start with a recorded fan and compare it with wind or surf. Notice which one you can leave in the background while you read or rest. The clips have the same duration and gentle fades, while their sound levels and textures reflect their sources. **2. Use the device you will actually listen on** Compare on your usual speaker or headphones at a comfortable, low level. Stereo headphones reveal spatial detail in binaural recordings. If you usually use a speaker, make your final decision on that speaker. **3. Decide when it should stop** If you want a wind-down routine, try setting a timer and fade-out. If you want a continuous background, check the native app’s playback settings. These previews end at 30 seconds. ### [Rainy vs. Rainlayer](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/guides/rainy-vs-rainlayer/) Compare the recordings, controls, and purchase options in Taptanium’s two rain apps. **Choose Rainlayer for control over the landscape** Use Rain Journey to program a path or find one place and stay there. Noise Scan and the Noise Shape Mixer give you more ways to adjust the background. AirPlay 2 is relevant if you listen on a compatible speaker. **Choose Rainy to start with a scene** Pick one of the two free scenes and add optional birds, crickets, or music. Rainy Plus offers subscriptions and a one-time option. Check the current choices in your App Store. **Compare the audio before the feature list** Play each 30-second rain excerpt on the same device. Choose the recording you would want to hear for longer, then check whether its app gives you the playback controls you need. ### [Sleep sound apps without a subscription](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/guides/sleep-sound-apps-without-a-subscription/) Find Taptanium’s six one-time purchase apps and see how the two rain apps handle optional purchases. **Pick a sound before you pick a purchase model** Windy Pro is the recorded wind option. Sleep Better Fan is the recorded fan option. Sunny centers on ocean waves. Flowing and Flowing 2 center on water, and Away covers an explorable forest. **Check the rain options separately** Rainy has two free scenes and offers a one-time Rainy Plus option as well as subscriptions. Rainlayer offers subscriptions. App Store prices and terms can vary by storefront. - [See the two rain apps side by side](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/guides/rainy-vs-rainlayer/) **Try a built-in sound first if you prefer** Apple includes Background Sounds on supported iPhones. Try its built-in options if you want a simple sound and already have a compatible device. - [Apple’s Background Sounds instructions](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/play-background-sounds-iphb2cfa052c/ios) ## Common questions **What is the best sleep sound app for iPhone?** Choose by the sound you want. We favor Windy Pro for recorded wind, Rainlayer for adjustable rain, Rainy for two free illustrated rain scenes, Sunny for waves, and Sleep Better Fan for a steady fan. **Which apps have a one-time purchase?** Windy Pro, Sleep Better Fan, Sunny, Flowing, Flowing 2, and Away are one-time purchases. Rainy Plus also lists a one-time option alongside subscriptions. Check your storefront for current terms. **Do I need headphones?** You can listen on a speaker. Stereo headphones are the intended way to hear the directional effect in binaural recordings. Use the same device when comparing clips. **How long are the listening samples?** Each sample lasts exactly 30 seconds including fades. Press Play to start. You can pause, resume, or replay it. The apps have their own playback settings and timers. **Will these apps improve my sleep?** The comparison helps you choose a sound for your bedtime routine. Research on continuous noise as a sleep aid has reported mixed results. The clips do not measure sleep outcomes. ## Glossary - **Binaural audio** — A two-channel recording made to preserve cues between the ears. Stereo headphones usually give the intended sense of position. - **Soundscape** — The sounds you hear together in a place or scene. An app may let you move around a scene or adjust its layers. - **White, pink, and brown noise** — Steady noise profiles with different balances across frequencies. Pink and brown noise generally sound lower and less bright than white noise. - **Sound masking** — Using a background sound to make another sound less noticeable. How well it works depends on the sounds, levels, and listening conditions. - **Fade-out** — A gradual reduction in volume. The guide’s samples fade at both ends, and some apps let you adjust a timer’s fade-out. - **Audio loop** — An audio segment played repeatedly. A seamless loop avoids an obvious cut where playback returns to the beginning. ## Sources - [Taptanium’s official app catalog](https://taptanium.com/apps/) — Publisher source. The developer’s catalog and product information. The app profiles link to the corresponding Apple listings. - [Apple’s Background Sounds instructions](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/play-background-sounds-iphb2cfa052c/ios) — Device documentation. Apple’s instructions for the sound option included on compatible iPhones. - [Riedy et al., Noise as a sleep aid](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33007706/) — Systematic review. The research reported variable outcomes and very low certainty for continuous noise as a sleep aid. - [Buxton et al., A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2013097118) — Research synthesis. Broader context on exposure to natural sounds. It does not evaluate these apps. [Full source register](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/sources/) · [Structured catalog](https://bestsleepsoundapps.com/catalog.json)