Notched sound therapy for tinnitus, explained

Q: What does the research say?

A 2010 study in PNAS found that people who listened to their own music with a notch at their tinnitus pitch for about a year reported lower tinnitus loudness than a placebo group. A larger 2016 randomised trial of notched music found no clear difference from placebo music on its main measure. Results vary between people, and notched sound is best thought of as one tool among several, not a proven treatment. CBT-based approaches have the strongest support in clinical guidelines.

Q: How do I use it well?

Match your pitch carefully. A notch in the wrong place does nothing. Check the octave too: tones an octave apart are easy to confuse. Try the free tinnitus frequency test. Keep it comfortable. Play at a low level, alongside your tinnitus, never loud. Be regular. Studies typically used one to two hours a day for weeks or months. Background listening while you work counts. Re-match every few weeks. Tinnitus pitch can drift.

Guide · 6 min read · Updated 4 November 2026

Short answer: Notched sound therapy plays music or noise with a narrow gap removed around the pitch of your tinnitus. The idea is to rest the over-active nerve cells tuned to that pitch. Early studies reported less loudness for some people with tonal tinnitus, but later trials were mixed. It needs an accurate pitch match.

What is notched sound therapy?

It is ordinary sound, such as music or noise, with a narrow band of frequencies removed around your tinnitus pitch. In many people, tinnitus sits near a frequency where hearing has weakened. One theory is that nerve cells around that frequency become over-active when their usual input fades. Sound with a notch at the tinnitus pitch stimulates the neighbouring frequencies, which may help quieten that over-activity through a process called lateral inhibition.

What does the research say?

A 2010 study in PNAS found that people who listened to their own music with a notch at their tinnitus pitch for about a year reported lower tinnitus loudness than a placebo group. A larger 2016 randomised trial of notched music found no clear difference from placebo music on its main measure. Results vary between people, and notched sound is best thought of as one tool among several, not a proven treatment. CBT-based approaches have the strongest support in clinical guidelines.

How do I use it well?

Match your pitch carefully. A notch in the wrong place does nothing. Check the octave too: tones an octave apart are easy to confuse. Try the free tinnitus frequency test.
Keep it comfortable. Play at a low level, alongside your tinnitus, never loud.
Be regular. Studies typically used one to two hours a day for weeks or months. Background listening while you work counts.
Re-match every few weeks. Tinnitus pitch can drift.

Who does notched sound suit less?

Notched sound is designed for tonal tinnitus, a clear whistle or tone. If yours is a broad hiss or roar, ordinary relief sounds may suit you better. Studies mostly included people whose tinnitus was below about 8 kHz. If your tinnitus pulses with your heartbeat, see a doctor first.

Common questions

Is notched music the same as notched noise?

They use the same idea: a gap around your tinnitus pitch. Music is more engaging for daytime listening; noise is steadier and easier to sleep or work to.

How long before notched sound therapy works?

Studies ran for months, and not everyone noticed a change. If you try it, give it several weeks of regular, comfortable listening and judge by how much the tinnitus bothers you, not only by loudness.

Can notched sound make tinnitus worse?

At a low, comfortable volume it is not expected to. Stop and talk to an audiologist if any sound makes your tinnitus or ear comfort worse.

Sources

Okamoto H et al. Listening to tailor-made notched music reduces tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity. PNAS, 2010. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0911268107
Stein A et al. Clinical trial on tonal tinnitus with tailor-made notched music training. BMC Neurology, 2016. doi.org/10.1186/s12883-016-0558-7
Tunkel DE et al. Clinical practice guideline: tinnitus. American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNS), 2014. doi.org/10.1177/0194599814545325
Fuller T et al. Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012614.pub2

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Lullwell is not a medical device. Talk to an audiologist or doctor about your tinnitus.