The Scoop: SoundPrint is an app that can help individuals find peace and tranquility in a noisy world. The app provides a list of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and other places with noise-level ratings based on user-collected sound samples. Since its launch in 2018, SoundPrint has ranked the quietness of over 100,000 locations in the U.S. and other countries. People who are sensitive to noise can download SoundPrint for free and use it as a local guide to the quietest spots for a study session, a low-key meal, or a date.
A loud date venue can be an instant mood killer. The noise can come between couples and make it harder to focus on the conversation at hand. You can’t whisper sweet nothings. Maybe you can’t even hear yourself think.
Sometimes it can be difficult for daters to cut through the noise and have an honest conversation. Fortunately, an up-and-coming app called SoundPrint is on a mission to highlight quiet spots where couples don’t have to strain to hear one another.
SoundPrint is on a quiet mission to rate public places based on their average sound level.
SoundPrint Founder Gregory Scott became passionate about scouting the noise levels at restaurants, bars, and other public places after struggling with hearing loss in his 40s. He lives in Manhattan — where quiet is in short supply — so he began brainstorming ways to find pockets of tranquility in the bustling city.
In 2017, Gregory Scott began developing SoundPrint, and it was ready to launch about a year later. The app has crowdsourced noise complaints and quiet recommendations for local hot spots. Its users have measured the sound decibel levels in over 100,000 public locations.
SoundPrint is a free app available on Google Play and the App Store. It’s a great resource for anyone wishing they could get away from the crowds and explore more intimate spaces where they feel comfortable and heard.
“Users can easily look for a restaurant, bar or cafe in their area based on sound level,” the SoundPrint team explained. “SoundPrint also curates Quiet Lists for restaurants that have consistently received quiet ratings from users’ sound level submissions on SoundPrint’s decibel meter.”
Measuring Sound Decibels in Public Places
Scrolling through SoundPrint can help people find local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, retailers, parks, and libraries that have proven to be quiet — or at least not painfully noisy.
SoundPrint has attracted a large and active following in a short amount of time. About 75% of its users reside in the U.S., and many of them are serious about finding a quiet hangout and telling others about it. SoundPrint has become particularly popular among people who have hearing loss, sensory disorders, or crowd anxiety.
A sound decibel rating can tell app users a lot about a venue’s atmosphere.
The app is dedicated to promoting SoundChecks at public places throughout the U.S. and the world. Its users are on the ground measuring sound levels and putting quiet places on the map.
What counts as quiet? SoundPrint has created a scale based on sound decibels. A reading of dBA 81 is very loud, dBA 76-80 is loud, dBA 71-75 is moderate, and dBA 70 is quiet. The app asks users to take a 15-second sound reading inside the venue to ascertain where it falls on the scale
SoundPrint’s measurements act as guidelines for noise-sensitive people. The search page can provide a list and map of popular local places where noise levels have been collected at least once. The Quiet List currently features over 100,000 locations.
Measuring the sound decibels isn’t the only way to raise the profile of a favorite quiet place. SoundPrint users can submit their own sound ratings and leave comments based on their experience at any public locale.
By tracking quiet recommendations and noise complaints, SoundPrint can effectively identify the most dateworthy spots that encourage couples to use their inside voices and get to know each other.
Brand Ambassadors & Reviewers Spread the Word
Gregory Scott identified a noise problem in the social and dating scene, and he created SoundPrint to offer meaningful support to people who prefer the quieter things in life. SoundPrint has raised awareness about hearing health and gotten international media attention for its creative solution to a widespread issue.
SoundPrint is a member of the World Health Organization’s World Hearing Forum, which is a global network of stakeholders that promote ear and hearing health care.
The SoundPrint Ambassador program encourages influencers to take up this cause and spread the word about the app’s good work. A lot of SoundPrint users have become highly invested in the search for a quiet environment — because social interaction isn’t worth hearing damage.
“Hearing health is something that has never received enough attention,” said music educator and composer Kyle Gray Young in an Ambassador Spotlight interview. “I think that with the help of this app, people can become more aware of what damages their ears and how to avoid it.”
A Vermont man named John Quinney has frequently traveled miles from his hometown of Charlotte for the sole purpose of recording and tracking sound decibels for SoundPrint. This retiree wears hearing aids and appreciates having a reliable list of quiet places to eat.
Individuals unite through SoundPrint to raise the profile of quiet and loud venues.
SoundPrint’s crowdsourced and publicly accessible database can help couples discover a date environment where they feel most comfortable.
The sound levels of a date spot can make a huge difference in the experience. A quiet date spot can facilitate intimate chats and deep connections, while a noisy date spot forces couples to compete with overlapping conversations and distractions.
“It seems I’m always struggling to hear my wife when we go out to dinner,” said Dan P. in his review of the app. “The room is full of people who seem to be screaming just to be heard. Not anymore! What a great app!”
“This is a very unique and essential app,” said Tamar M. in a Google Play review. “The app is simple and easy to use and helps us to avoid those places where we can’t hear our thoughts!”
Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to chat or a reasonably loud spot to dance, you can do some sound research on the SoundPrint app and make an informed decision.
Listen to SoundPrint & Go Where You Feel Comfortable
Instead of straining your patience and your vocal chords at loud places, you can seek peace and quiet at venues in your neighborhood by using the SoundPrint app. The app’s Quiet List may as well be called The Best Date Spot List because it acts as a guide for couples who want to connect without having to shout or repeat themselves.
SoundPrint has used crowdsourcing to measure the sound levels at over 100,000 locations in the U.S. and abroad. Its ratings offer insight into the atmosphere you’ll find at a local restaurant or coffee shop. People from all walks of life can use SoundPrint to explore the social scene and choose a date venue that measures up to their standards.
Couples have gotten a lot of insight from SoundPrint and used its recommendations whenever they’d like to skip the yelling matches or awkward silences on their dates.
“We feel the most important part of a date is connecting with a partner,” the SoundPrint team said. “When looking for the right place to meet, a quiet environment is certainly important!”
