Take Action: How to Protect Your Hearing

Protecting your hearing comes down to three things you control: how loud, how long and how often. The World Health Organization puts it in numbers: you can safely listen at 80 dB for up to 40 hours a week, but at 90 dB the safe time drops to four hours a week. In practice that means keeping headphone volume at no more than 60% of maximum, wearing earplugs at gigs and in loud venues, standing back from speakers, giving your ears quiet time afterwards and getting a hearing check if something changes. Each step below is small, and together they cover most of the risk from music and everyday noise.

Key facts

• WHO advises setting your device volume to no more than 60% of maximum and, if you use an app to monitor levels, staying below an 80 dB average.
• Concerts, sporting events and headphones at maximum volume average 94 to 110 dBA, according to the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
• In a randomized trial at an Amsterdam music festival with an average level of 100 dBA, temporary hearing loss appeared in 8% of ears in the earplug group against 42% in the unprotected group.
• In open space, sound drops by 6 dB each time you double your distance from the source, according to the OSHA Technical Manual.
• Temporary hearing loss after loud noise can disappear 16 to 48 hours later, yet NIDCD notes research suggesting residual long-term damage may remain.
• Apple's headphone notifications warn you after, for example, over 80 dB for 40 hours total within the last 7 days, the same weekly dose WHO uses.

What is a safe amount of sound?

Hearing damage depends on dose: level multiplied by time. The NIOSH recommended exposure limit for workers is 85 dBA averaged over an eight hour workday, and for each 3 dBA increase NIOSH recommends halving the time. Australia uses the same workplace figure: the WHS Regulations set an exposure standard of 85 dB(A) aggregated over 8 hours.

For music and leisure, WHO counts the dose over a week rather than a working day. Its safe listening table shows how quickly the allowance shrinks as volume rises.

Sound level	Safe listening time per week (WHO)	Example given by WHO
80 dB	40 hours	Doorbell
85 dB	12 hours 30 minutes	Heavy traffic (inside car)
90 dB	4 hours	Shouted conversation
95 dB	1 hour 15 minutes	Motorcycle
100 dB	20 minutes	Hair dryer
105 dB	8 minutes	Car horn at 5 meters
110 dB	2.5 minutes	Shouting in the ear
120 dB	12 seconds	Standing near a siren

Source: WHO, Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening. For a fuller explanation of the decibel scale, see Decibels and damage.

The practical lesson is that a few loud hours can use up a whole week. A gig at 100 dB passes WHO's weekly allowance in 20 minutes, which is why protection matters more than trying to limit time at events.

What is the 60/60 rule for headphones?

The 60/60 rule is a popular rule of thumb rather than a formal standard: keep the volume at no more than 60% of maximum and listen for no more than 60 minutes before taking a break. The first half matches WHO's advice to set your device to no more than 60% of maximum. The second half follows WHO's advice to give your ears frequent breaks from loud sound so the sensory cells can recover.

The rule is useful because most people cannot judge decibels by ear, and maximum volume can be very loud. A 2012 study in The Laryngoscope measured personal music player output inside the ear canal and found it reached 126 dB. Treat 60% as a ceiling, not a target. If music is comfortable at 40%, stay there.

How do you set a volume limit on your phone?

Phones now include tools that track headphone exposure and can cap volume for you.

• iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. In Settings, open Sounds & Haptics (Sounds on iPad), then Headphone Safety. There you can turn on Headphone Notifications and Reduce Loud Audio, which automatically lowers headphone volume when it exceeds the decibel level you set. Apple notes that the 7-day exposure limit applies only to media audio, so phone calls do not count, and that in some countries headphone notifications cannot be turned off. You can check live headphone levels from the Hearing icon in Control Center.
• Android phones. Settings differ by manufacturer and Android version. Look under Sound or Sound and vibration for a volume limiter, media volume limit or headphone safety option, and set a cap below the top of the range.
• Third-party apps. WHO names dBTrack and HearAngel as examples of apps that track in-ear exposure and show a message when you go above a threshold.

If you share a device with a child, a hard cap is easier than repeated reminders.

Do noise cancelling headphones protect your hearing?

They help indirectly. People turn music up to drown out background noise, and blocking that noise lets you listen at a lower level. WHO recommends well-fitted, noise cancelling headphones for exactly this reason.

Research backs the idea. In the Laryngoscope study, 17.8% of 45 volunteers chose a level above 85 dB in silence, but with 90 dB of background noise, 40% chose a level above 94 dB. Earphones that blocked more outside noise led to lower chosen levels. A study in Ear and Hearing of 38 adults found preferred levels were highest with earbuds, lower with over-the-ear headphones and lower still when a noise reduction circuit was switched on.

Noise cancelling is not a substitute for earplugs at a concert. It reduces the background so you can keep your own music down, which is where the benefit comes from.

Should you wear earplugs at gigs and festivals?

Yes. This is the step with the clearest evidence. In the Amsterdam festival trial, 51 adults spent four and a half hours at a festival averaging 100 dBA. Temporary hearing loss showed up in 8% of ears in the earplug group against 42% of unprotected ears, and new tinnitus after the event affected 12% of the earplug group compared with 40% of the unprotected group.

Foam plugs from a pharmacy work well if you roll them tight and let them expand fully in the ear canal. Filtered musician's plugs cost more but lower volume more evenly, so music sounds closer to normal and people are more likely to keep them in. For help choosing, see Which earplugs should you use?

Venues are also expected to help. WHO's Global standard for safe listening at venues and events recommends a maximum average sound level of 100 decibels, live monitoring of levels, making hearing protection available to audiences and access to quiet zones where people can rest their ears. If a venue hands out plugs at the bar, take a pair.

How far should you stand from the speakers?

Further than feels natural. The OSHA Technical Manual explains that in open space the sound level drops by 6 dB each time the distance from a point source doubles, so a source producing 90 dB at 1 meter gives 84 dB at 2 meters. Indoors, reflections from walls mean the level falls by less than 6 dB per doubling, so moving back helps less in a small club than at an outdoor stage, but it still helps.

Because every 3 dB halves the recommended exposure time, a 6 dB drop roughly quarters your dose. Practical moves:

• Stand away from the speaker stacks and out of their direct line, especially at the front of the stage.
• Avoid leaning against speakers or standing next to subwoofers.
• Use the WHO arm's length test: if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone at arm's length, the sound is too loud.

NIDCD sums up the approach as a rule of thumb: avoid noises that are too loud, too close, or last too long.

How long do your ears need to recover after loud noise?

Muffled hearing or ringing after a gig is a sign that the sensory cells in your inner ear are fatigued. WHO says this often improves as the sensory cells recover, but regular exposure can damage them permanently. NIDCD reports that this kind of temporary loss can disappear 16 to 48 hours later, and adds that research suggests residual long-term damage may remain even when hearing seems back to normal.

The OSHA Technical Manual notes that a temporary threshold shift returns to normal in hours or days, assuming there is no continued exposure, and that shorter recovery time between loud shifts lets temporary effects become permanent more quickly. So after a loud night:

• Keep the next day quiet: no headphones at high volume, no loud gym class.
• Take breaks during the event itself. Step outside or into a quiet zone every hour or so.
• Space out loud events when you can, rather than stacking them night after night.

If ringing or muffled hearing has not cleared after a couple of days, see a doctor or audiologist. More on ringing is in the tinnitus guide.

Can a phone app measure how loud it is?

Some can, reasonably well. NIOSH, the US occupational safety research agency, built the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app for iOS devices, and WHO lists it as a free way to check the sound level around you.

Quality varies widely. In a 2014 NIOSH study in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers evaluated more than 130 iOS apps, of which only 10 met their selection criteria, and tested only 4 of 62 Android apps. Two apps came within 0.07 dB (unweighted) and 0.52 dB (A-weighted) of the reference values, and two others were within 2 dB. Treat a phone reading as a good guide rather than a lab measurement, and prefer apps from a known publisher.

When should you get a hearing test?

WHO lists the warning signs: persistent ringing in the ears, difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds such as birds or doorbells, difficulty understanding speech on the phone and trouble following conversations in noisy places. If you notice any of them, get your hearing checked. A baseline test is also worth having if you play in a band, work in a loud job or go to gigs often, so later changes can be spotted.

Where to go depends on where you live:

Country	Free or low-cost options
Australia	Hearing Australia offers a free 15-minute adult hearing check at its centres and a free online hearing check
United Kingdom	The NHS offers a free hearing test and treatment through a GP referral; adults can also use the RNID free online test, and many large pharmacies and opticians offer tests that are often free
United States	NIDCD advises having your hearing tested if you think you might have hearing loss; start with a primary care doctor or an audiologist

Online checks are screening tools. They can tell you whether a full test with an audiologist is worth booking, but they do not replace one.

A quick checklist

• Cap headphone volume at 60% of maximum or lower, and turn on your phone's exposure warnings.
• Use well-fitted or noise cancelling headphones on trains, planes and busy streets.
• Carry earplugs and put them in before the music gets loud.
• Stand back from speakers and out of their direct line.
• Take a quiet break every hour at loud events, and keep the next day quiet.
• Check levels with a sound meter app when you are unsure.
• Book a hearing check if ringing or muffled hearing lasts, or every so often if you are around loud sound regularly.

Frequently asked questions

Is 60% volume always safe?

Not always. Output differs between phones, headphones and music, and a 2012 study found in-ear earphones produced significantly higher output than other types. WHO's 60% advice is a starting point; an exposure tracker or a level below 80 dB on average is a more reliable guide.

Does one loud concert cause permanent damage?

It can. WHO says even a one-time exposure to extremely loud sound can damage your inner ear cells and cause hearing loss. Most damage from music builds up over repeated exposure, which is why regular gig-goers benefit most from earplugs.

Are earbuds worse than over-ear headphones?

In the Ear and Hearing study, listeners chose higher levels with earbuds than with over-the-ear headphones, and turned earbuds up further as background noise rose. The volume you choose matters more than the style, but headphones that block outside noise make lower volumes easier.

How loud is too loud at a venue?

WHO's venue standard recommends a maximum average sound level of 100 decibels. At that level the WHO weekly allowance is used up in 20 minutes, so earplugs are worth wearing at any venue near that limit.

Can hearing come back after noise damage?

Temporary loss usually recovers within 16 to 48 hours. Permanent loss comes from the death of inner ear hair cells, which do not grow back, so is why prevention is the only reliable protection.