What does loud music do to your hearing?
Festivals, concerts and summer garden parties with portable speakers can be hard on your ears. But when does sound become harmful, how can you tell if your hearing is overloaded, and can earplugs protect your hearing without ruining the music experience? We asked Tobias Neher, Professor of Audiology at the University of Southern Denmark.
When thousands of people gather in front of the Plaza stage at Tinderbox or the Bøgescenen stage at Smukfest, sound levels can exceed 100 decibels. This is far above the level at which hearing damage can occur. Yet many people only think about their hearing when they experience buzzing, ringing in the ears or a blocked-ear sensation after a concert.
Hearing is one of the body’s most sensitive senses, and hearing damage often occurs gradually. This can make it difficult to notice when the limit has been exceeded. Many people associate hearing damage with working environments or old age, but loud music at concerts and festivals, and through headphones, is also a major reason why hearing can become strained.
This does not mean that you should avoid live music or festival experiences. But it is a good idea to know what happens to your hearing when sound levels become very high, and how you can protect your ears. Here, Tobias Neher explains five things you should know about hearing and loud music.
1. What actually happens to my ears at a concert?
When you are exposed to very loud sound, the tiny sensory cells in the inner ear, known as hair cells, become overloaded. This can cause the familiar sensation of blocked ears or ringing in the ears after a concert.
At first, the effects are often temporary. However, if the hair cells are exposed to loud sound again and again, they do not have time to recover. Over time, they can become permanently damaged or die, and hearing loss caused by this damage cannot be reversed.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing damage due to loud music and other leisure activities.
Facts about the subject
Advice for festival-goers
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Use earplugs. Music earplugs reduce sound levels without ruining the music experience.
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Take breaks from loud sound, ideally for 10–15 minutes every hour.
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Consider whether you need to stand at the front all the time. A few extra metres of distance from the speakers can make a big difference.
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Buzzing or ringing in the ears after a concert is a sign that your hearing has been overloaded. Seek medical advice if the symptoms persist for several days.
2. Can a single festival be enough to damage your hearing?
Yes, it can.
Prolonged exposure to sound levels of around 85 decibels can already damage hearing. At festivals, sound levels near the stage are often around 100–105 decibels, and even a few hours of exposure without hearing protection can affect hearing.
The risk depends on both the loudness of the sound and the duration of exposure. This means that a single festival weekend with many concerts and few breaks can be enough to place significant strain on your hearing.
That does not mean everyone will suffer permanent damage after one festival, but the risk increases substantially when loud sound is combined with many hours of exposure.
3. How do I know if the sound is too loud?
There is a simple rule of thumb.
If you have to raise your voice to hold a conversation with the person next to you, the sound level is probably high enough to damage your hearing.
Another important sign is buzzing or ringing in the ears after a concert. Many people see this as a normal part of the concert experience, but it is actually a sign that your hearing has been overloaded.
If the symptoms persist for several days or do not disappear, you should contact your doctor.
Why a few metres can make a big difference
Sound is measured in decibels (dB), and the decibel scale is logarithmic. This means that even small changes in decibel levels can make a big difference to how much sound your ears are exposed to.
As a rule of thumb, the sound level decreases by approximately 6 decibels every time the distance from the sound source doubles.
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In front of the stage (0–10 metres): 100–105 dB
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Middle of the crowd (20–40 metres): 90–100 dB
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Further back (more than 50 metres): Below 90–95 dB
This means that even a few extra metres of distance from the speakers can reduce the strain placed on your ears.
For comparison, a normal conversation is around 65 dB, while heavy traffic is typically around 80–85 dB.
In short: You do not need to stand at the very back of a concert to protect your hearing. Simply moving a few metres farther away from the speakers can make a real difference.
4. Can I still enjoy the music while wearing earplugs?
Yes.
Many people associate earplugs with traditional foam plugs, which can make music sound muffled and unclear. However, music earplugs work differently. They contain a special filter that reduces sound evenly across all frequencies.
This means the volume is lowered while the clarity and balance of the music are preserved.
There are both standard models, available at low cost from pharmacies, music shops and electronics retailers, and custom-made models that can be fitted by hearing clinics and audiologists.
5. What is the best way to protect my hearing at festivals and concerts?
The good news is that small changes can make a big difference.
Earplugs provide the most effective protection. It also helps to keep your distance from the speakers and take regular breaks from loud sound throughout the day.
There is no single safe distance from the stage because sound levels depend on the speaker system, wind conditions and the surrounding environment. However, sound intensity decreases significantly with distance. As a rule of thumb, the sound level drops by approximately 6 decibels every time the distance from the sound source doubles.
This means that even moving a few metres farther away can make a noticeable difference to the strain placed on your hearing.
Meet the researcher
Tobias Neher is Professor of Audiology at the University of Southern Denmark.
His research focuses on hearing, hearing loss, hearing aids and how people perceive sound in complex acoustic environments.
