What are binaural beats?
A binaural beat appears when each ear hears a pure tone at a slightly different frequency. For example: 200 Hz in the left earphone and 210 Hz in the right. Neither tone “contains” a pulse, but when you hear them together, many people perceive a soft 10 Hz beat: the difference between the two.
That beat isn’t in the recording. Your auditory system builds it by comparing what reaches each side. The physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove described it in 1839, and it has been studied in psychoacoustics ever since.
Binaural, monaural and isochronic
| Type | How it’s made | Headphones? |
|---|---|---|
| Binaural | A different tone in each ear; the beat is perceived internally | Yes, essential |
| Monaural | Both tones are mixed before they reach your ears; the beat is physical | No |
| Isochronic | A single tone switching on and off at a regular rate | No |
What are they used for?
In meditation music, the difference between the tones is usually chosen to match the ranges of brainwaves: a 4–8 Hz beat is associated with the theta range, 8–12 Hz with alpha, and so on. The idea, known as entrainment, is that listening invites the mind to follow that rhythm.
Research on their effects is mixed and still ongoing: some studies find changes in perceived relaxation or attention, others find no clear difference. The most honest way to see them is as what they are: a way of listening that many people find pleasant and helpful for creating a moment of calm or focus.
What you’ll find at Frecuencia Viva 432
Our current pieces carry a pure tone (528 Hz, for example) inside the music, and some, like QiGong, include a slow breathing pulse. A binaural collection is in the works: each piece will state the exact difference between the two ears and the range it’s associated with.
Important. Don’t listen to binaural beats while driving or operating machinery. If you have epilepsy, a pacemaker or any other medical condition, check with your healthcare professional first. This is music, not a treatment.