My article is included in The Safe Listening Issue of Hearing Health magazine. Because it’s 2026. But the answer is wrong if you ask Artificial Intelligence, AI, or chatbots the question, “What is safe listening?”
It’s definitely not the typical dangerous answers:
- 75 or 80 dB noise levels are unsafe for all ages, no matter how short the listening time.
- 60/60 personal listening rule or 60% volume (~80 dB) for 1 hour max daily is a recipe for noise-induced tinnitus and hyperacusis, whether the World Health Organization and personal audio system manufacturers call it “safe” or not.
- American NIOSH and OSHA occupational noise limit answers of 85 to 90 dB are too dangerous for public health.
I’m a retired human audiologist. If you ask me the same question, my answer is, “It depends.” I need more information to give a science supported answer. What is the noise source? Who is exposed? Where?
All the widespread misinformation on so-called “safe-listening” is why I’m doing a YouTube channel Safe Sound Science. Instead of retiring, I’m sharing science fact and debunking noise fiction.
Based on decades of public health evidence-based science (at least up to 2018):
- If you want to protect total health and speech communication, safe listening is at most 50 dB daily average noise pollution, with lower limits recommended for bedrooms, classrooms, hospital rooms, etc.
- If you want to prevent hearing health damage like noise-induced tinnitus, hyperacusis, and hearing loss, then safer listening is likely below a 65-70 dB daily average exposure.
If we don’t educate children, teens, and adults on science-supported safer listening science, the future will stay unhealthy and dangerous from preventable noise damage.
For more information, check out my article Safe Sound Science on pages 14-15 of Hearing Health Magazine: The Safe Listening Issue (Winter 2026).
Note: If you like the feature article on young musicians needing better protection, check out musiciansclinics for education and resources, including recommended hearing protection for rock or classical musicians, e.g. violin, guitar, drums,
Get ready for more debunking, polls, quizzes, and other safe sound content in 2026.
Sources
Mayes, J.L. (Winter 2026). Safe sound science. Hearing Health Magazine: The Safe Listening Issue, Vol 42 (1), 14-15.
Fink, D. & Mayes, J.L. (2021). Unsafe at any sound: Hearing loss and tinnitus in personal audio system users. Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics. 43, 040003; doi: 10.1121/2.0001452
Fink, D. & Mayes, J.L. (2021). Too loud! Non-occupational noise exposure causes hearing loss. Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics. 43, 040002; doi: 10.1121/2.0001436
World Health Organization (2018) Environmental Noise Guidelines
World Health Organization (2009) Night Noise Guidelines
World Health Organization (1999) Guidelines for Community Noise
Environmental Protection Agency (1974). Information on environmental noise levels requisite to protect public health and welfare with an adequate margin of safety.
Check out more tinnitus-hyperacusis and harmful noise content on YouTube at Safe Sound Science with Granny Jan.
For a change of pace, check out my fiction horror tales at Messed Up Storytime with Granny Jan.