Rain is the most streamed sound on earth by a wide margin, and it's not even close. Here's the science of why it works.

Broad and low

Rain is broadband noise — it spreads energy across the whole spectrum, with most of it down low. That's exactly the band where office chatter and street noise live, so it masks them without being loud.

Predictable, not boring

Your brain can predict rain, which is why it's calming — but it's never exactly the same drop twice, which is why it doesn't get annoying. The perfect middle.