OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Silence Generator
Download a Silent WAV File of Any Length
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Silence Generator works
This silence generator makes a silent audio file of exactly the length you ask for, from a hundredth of a second up to ten minutes. Choose the sample rate and mono or stereo, check the sample count and file size in the panel, and press Export to download the WAV. It is built in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
A file of pure digital silence has every sample set to zero. It sounds like nothing, but it is surprisingly useful.
What a silence generator is for
Gaps and spacing. Drop a second or two of silence between tracks in an editor that has no "insert silence" command, or at the start of a file so a player that clips the first moment does not cut off the audio.
Placeholders. Video editors, game engines and e-learning tools often need an audio file in a slot before the real one is ready. A silent file of the right length keeps the timing in place.
Keeping devices awake. Some Bluetooth speakers and USB audio interfaces switch off after a few minutes without a signal. Looping a silent file keeps them connected. Genuine digital silence can occasionally trip "no signal" detection; if it does, a very quiet noise file from the noise generator is the usual workaround.
Matching formats. Pick the sample rate and channel count of the project you are dropping the file into — 44.1 kHz for music, 48 kHz for video — and it will not need converting.
Exact length. The file holds duration × sample rate samples, rounded to the nearest whole sample. At 44.1 kHz one second is 44,100 samples; the panel shows the exact figure. A 16-bit WAV stores two bytes per sample per channel, plus a 44-byte header, so ten seconds of stereo at 44.1 kHz is 1,764,044 bytes.
FAQ
Can I get silence as an MP3?
This page writes WAV, which every editor and player opens. If you need MP3, import the WAV into any converter; silence compresses to almost nothing.
Why is my silent file so large?
WAV is uncompressed, so size depends only on the duration, sample rate and channel count, not on the content. Ten minutes of stereo at 48 kHz is about 110 MB. Choose mono or a lower rate for a smaller file.
How do I add silence to an existing recording?
Use the audio padder, which adds silence to the start or end of a file you drop in, rather than joining two files by hand.
See also: all Audio tools, Images, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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