What is Sound Masking and How Does it Work?

What is Sound Masking and How Does it Work?

A modern way to control sound levels and increase productivity

If you find that you're constantly getting distracted at work due to noise around the office, you might want to implement sound masking technology in your space. With sound masking, you add gentle background sound to your space to soften existing sounds and keep them from traveling.

You might be wondering, what is sound masking? It is an excellent way to protect your employees' and clients' privacy during meetings and can help you stay focused when you're working on your own.  If you're curious about sound masking for your workplace, here's what you need to know to get started.

How does sound masking work?

Many people assume that sound masking is similar to adding white noise to your space, but it's actually very different. White noise would be very loud and irritating if it were added to a workplace environment, but sound masking is designed so that you don't actually notice it when you're around it.

This is because the sounds are specifically engineered to be at the same frequencies as human speech. All of a sudden, noise that you might have been able to hear at a distance sounds unintelligible. It sounds similar to the way flowing air sounds - audible but not irritating. In fact, you may have been in a space with ambient noise before - you just didn't notice it.

How is sound masking implemented? 

Sound masking is actually fairly easy to implement in any workplace or educational environment to keep your noise levels balanced. Ambient noise machines are placed at strategic points throughout the building, places where the noise will travel without being overwhelming. Although it's adding noise, it will actually make it seem quieter and more relaxed.

Sound masking professionals will determine exactly what level of white noise is going to be appropriate for your space and then implement it and adjust it as needed to keep your space comfortable.  Many sound masking systems actually adjust to the existing noise level of the environment.

Noise sensors placed at appropriate points along the ceiling to determine how much ambient noise is needed.  This way, the noise won't be overpowering when the office is quiet, and it will adjust when the office gets louder to prevent conversations from being overheard.

BCS offers revolutionary sound masking solutions that can easily be implemented in your office. Whether you're working on your own or you need to have a productive meeting with your coworkers, this additional ambient noise will prevent you from getting distracted.

Sound masking is particularly great for smaller office spaces or spaces where sound travels long distances because of the acoustics in the space. Contact us today to learn more about sound masking and how your business can benefit from it.