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Free Decibel Meter

30 Decibels — How Loud Is It?

Quiet

30 dB is about as loud as whisper, 1 m away. A whisper at 1 meter measures about 30 dB, making it a useful everyday reference point for "very quiet." Bedrooms, libraries and rural areas at night commonly sit in this range. It carries no hearing-risk under any exposure guideline, at any duration.

What does 30 dB sound like?

  • 30 dB — Whisper, 1 m away
  • 25 dB — Empty recording studio
  • 35 dB — Quiet library

Safe exposure time at 30 dB

Under NIOSH's Recommended Exposure Limit (85 dB, 3 dB exchange rate), safe unprotected exposure at 30 dB is effectively unlimited. Under OSHA's legal Permissible Exposure Limit (90 dB, 5 dB exchange rate), it is effectively unlimited.

Compare nearby levels

Measure your own space

Start the meter below and see how your current surroundings compare to 30 dB.

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This measures the sound around you in real time.

Audio is processed on your device only. Nothing is ever recorded, saved or uploaded.

Settings

Measurement

Weighting
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Microphone

Calibration

Default sensitivity

Uncalibrated estimate from your device microphone. Typical accuracy is within ±3–5 dB.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Is 30 dB loud enough to wake someone?
    Unlikely for most sleepers. 30 dB is well under WHO's 40 dB night-time guideline and is roughly the level of a whisper — a common quiet-library or bedroom background level.
    What does 30 dB sound like?
    About a whisper heard from 1 meter away, or a quiet library — one of the quietest levels most people encounter in daily life outside a purpose-built quiet room.

    Sources