Best Sleep Music Apps of 2023 (2023)

Best Sleep Music Apps

Best Sleep Music Apps

• Price: Free; $9.99 monthly, $59.99 yearly, or $249.99 for lifetime access
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Additional features: Breathing exercises, bedtime stories, ASMR tones

A user-friendly design makes it simple to create custom sleep music tracks from a catalog of sounds with impressive variety, even in the app's free version.

BetterSleep offers an auditory experience designed to calm your mind with harmonious sound compilations. The app is visual and easy to use, while the Discover page gives you access to other app features, like bedtime stories and breathing exercises.

Explore sound families visually, tapping on sounds like Slow Wave, Vinyl Record, or Wind and layering them with one of several melodies to create a custom sleep music track. If you can’t decide or want a ready-to-play option, there is a sizable selection of user-submitted and staff-curated sleep music mixes ready to go.

While the free version of BetterSleep provides a great introduction to sleep music, the premium version unlocks a more extensive library of sounds. Consider upgrading if you’re really into creating your own sound profile or if there are particular sounds or features that really appeal to you—like a wider selection of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) tones, isochronic tones (a tone played at regular intervals), or binaural beats (two tones played in alternating ears of headphones).

• Price: Free; $69.99 annually; $399.99 lifetime
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Additional features: Meditation help

Calm incorporates modern music from popular artists and soothing sounds into a library of sleep music that stands out as a more modern and diverse collection.

Calm is one of the most popular sleep music apps, and its impressively diverse library of relaxation and sleep-inducing tracks is largely responsible for that. This app offers a free version, but to really take advantage of what Calm offers, you’ll be better off springing for the paid version, which costs $69.99 for one year or $399.99 for lifetime access.

With Calm’s premium version, you’ll unlock access to audio tracks like a melodic remix of Sam Smith’s “How Do You Sleep?” or a specially mixed sleep song version of “I Am Home” from Keith Urban. While the catalog of tracks you’ll recognize from recent radio hits is somewhat limited, it’s an indicator of the fresh, modern nature of the sleep music you’ll find on the app.

• Price: $69.99 annually or $12.99 monthly
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Additional features: Breathing and meditation exercises

This user-friendly app is designed to make finding sleep music quick and easy. Helpful suggestions point out features like how to set a timer without making the app feel clumsy or cluttered.

Sleep music apps are designed to reduce stress, slow your body and brain, and induce a peaceful state. Headspace is a feature-rich app designed in a simple way that makes it quick and easy to access its library of sleep-specific audio tools.

The Sleep icon at the bottom of the app is easy to identify and leads to a library of options that include Sleep Music, Soundscapes, Sleep Radio, and more. It’s worth noting that nearly everything in Headspace’s Sleep Library requires a premium subscription. Headspace costs $69.99 annually, or you can pay $12.99 monthly.

One thing that stands out is how easy it is to set a timer when choosing sleep music in the Headspace app. After picking a track, the app prompts you to choose a duration of time for the music to play. You can choose as little as 10 minutes or up to 500 minutes, offering some of the most flexible options in terms of playback that we’ve seen in sleep music apps.

• Price: Free; $7.99 monthly, $49.99 annually, or $249.99 lifetime
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Additional features: Soothing stories

If you have short-term sleep goals or are undecided about using a sleep music app, Slumber gives you access to its expanded features with a monthly subscription that you can cancel at any time.

Sleep hygiene refers to practicing good habits that will improve the quality of your rest. Using sleep music to relax your mind and body before bed has worked for many people looking to fall asleep quicker, but if you’re undecided on how it will benefit you, try out a monthly sleep music app.

Slumber offers a monthly subscription for $7.99, along with yearly ($49.99) or lifetime ($249.99) access if you’re serious about your snoozing. If you’re undecided, you can start by using the free version. Sleep music on the Slumber app falls into two categories, depending on what type of auditory experience you are looking for. Soundscapes are a blend of rhythmic and melodic tones that you can customize with various white noise options.

To get started, choose your baseline melody and then add your choices of background effects, like binaural beats, a fan, or crackling flames. A delayed ending option gives you the choice to extend the soothing hum of background noises after the main track ends for anywhere from one minute to 10 hours.

If you’re looking for ready-to-play tracks, a designated Sleep Music section includes specially composed tracks designed to relax the mind and help you drift off to sleep. These melody-driven tracks skip the added white noise for a more pure sleep music experience.

• Price: $7.99 monthly or $49.99 annually
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Additional features: Sleep history tracking

Soothing voices overlay sleep music tracks for a unique audio experience that many users find calming.

Like many other sleep music apps, Pzizz offers sleep music that has been designed to induce a restful state. These dreamscapes use psychoacoustic tools and other composition techniques to create sleep music tracks that you can use at naptime, bedtime, or to enhance focus. You can click on the title of each audio track to learn more about its development and the specific aspects that make it so snooze-worthy.

One thing that sets Pzizz apart is its voice narration option. If you find the presence of a soothing voice to be comforting or benefit from someone helping you to consciously relax your body and mind, then Pzizz has an option for you to enable voice narration over any dreamscape track. Male and female voice options are available, and the voice is low and calm to avoid distraction. For those struggling with isolation, a sleep music app with narration is an option.

Article Sources

1. Institute of Medicine Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research; Colten HR, Altevogt BM, editors.Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep Disorders. In: Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. National Academies Press.

2. Chen C, Tung H, Fang C, et al. Effect of music therapy on improving sleep quality in older adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021;69(7):1925-1932. doi:10.1111/jgs.17149

3. Dickson GT, Schubert E. Musical features that aid sleep.Musicae Scientiae. 2022;26(3):497-515. doi:10.1177/1029864920972161