Binaural Beats for Focus

The focus presets

Every focus preset keeps a steady 200 Hz tone in one ear and a slightly higher tone in the other, so the difference between them is the beat frequency you perceive. Focus plays 200 and 218 Hz for an 18 Hz beat over 20 minutes, and Study plays 200 and 214 Hz for a 14 Hz beat over 25 minutes; both sit in the range conventionally called beta (about 13 to 30 Hz). Calm Focus is gentler at 200 and 212 Hz, a 12 Hz beat in the upper alpha range, over 20 minutes. Deep Focus is the fastest at 200 and 240 Hz, a 40 Hz beat in the gamma range, also over 20 minutes.

Using them while you work

Binaural beats only work through headphones, because each ear needs its own tone. Put your headphones on before you press play, and keep the volume moderate: loud enough to hear comfortably, low enough to fade into the background. The preset lengths line up with common work blocks. Twenty to twenty-five minutes is roughly one focused sprint before a short break. Start the preset, let the timer run, and turn your attention to the task rather than the sound.

What the research says

Be honest with yourself about expectations. A 2023 systematic review in PLOS ONE looked at fourteen studies of binaural beats and brain activity and found the results inconsistent: five supported the idea that the brain follows the beat frequency, eight did not, and one was mixed. The presets are named after conventional brainwave ranges, but listening at a given beat frequency is not known to push your brain into that range. Many people simply find a steady tone helps them settle into work. Think of these presets as a focus aid to try, not a guaranteed effect.

Try the focus presets

Open any of these directly in the tool, then press play with your headphones on:

Open Deep Focus (40 Hz beat) →

Open Calm Focus (12 Hz beat) →

Open Study (14 Hz beat) →

New to binaural beats? Start with the overview guide →

Sources