---
title: "Huberman Binaural Beats: 40 Hz, Focus and Studies"
description: "Andrew Huberman uses 40 Hz binaural beats for about 5 minutes before a work bout. Here is what he said, and what the studies behind it really show."
url: https://shimmr.app/learn/huberman-binaural-beats/
---

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# Huberman on binaural beats: 40 Hz, focus and the studies

Andrew Huberman uses 40 Hz binaural beats for about 5 minutes before a work bout. Here is what he said, and what the studies behind it really show.

The Shimmr team

Published Oct 31, 2026

4 min read

- **What he said:** in his 2022 Focus Toolkit episode, Andrew Huberman said 40 Hz binaural beats have been shown in peer-reviewed studies to increase focus and concentration.
- **How he uses them:** he listens for about five minutes before a bout of work and then turns them off, and keeps them on for the whole bout only when he feels very distractible.
- **The evidence:** a 2017 study found 40 Hz binaural beats narrowed attention in healthy adults, and a 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found a medium overall effect on attention, memory and anxiety.
- **Dopamine:** Huberman links the effect partly to dopamine and acetylcholine, but no study cited here measured dopamine directly after binaural beats.
- **Noise:** he says white and pink noise help people move into a focused state rather than improve concentration itself, and that he does not tend to use them while he works.

Hear it

Andrew Huberman talks about binaural beats in his podcast episode on focus, and “huberman binaural beats” is now a common search. His advice is short: listen to 40 Hz binaural beats for about five minutes before you start a bout of work. Here is exactly what he said, how he uses them, and what the studies show when you read them.

## What did Huberman say about binaural beats?

Huberman said 40 Hz binaural beats “have been shown in a number of peer-reviewed studies to increase focus and concentration”. He said it in “Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration”, released on 5 September 2022 on the Huberman Lab podcast. The episode has a chapter called “Tool: Binaural Beats to Improve Concentration”.

A binaural beat is what you hear when each ear gets a slightly different tone. Play 200 Hz in the left ear and 240 Hz in the right, and your brain hears a soft pulse at the difference: 40 Hz. That is in the Gamma range, above 30 Hz, which is linked with alert, focused thinking. Our guide to [40 Hz gamma waves](https://shimmr.app/learn/40-hz-gamma-waves/) explains the band in more detail.

He named no study in the episode, and the show notes list none on binaural beats. Shimmr is not affiliated with Andrew Huberman or the Huberman Lab. This page only reports what he said in public and checks it against published research.

## How does Huberman use 40 Hz binaural beats?

He listens for about five minutes before a work bout, then turns them off and does the work. In his words, “I would not use 40 hertz binaural beats every time I’m doing a bout of work.” On days when he feels very distractible, he keeps the beats on “the entire time” he is working.

| When | What he does |
| --- | --- |
| A normal work bout | About 5 minutes of 40 Hz beats first, then off |
| Feeling very distractible | Beats on for the whole bout |
| Every session | No, he says he does not use them every time |

The idea of listening before the task has some support. A [2018 meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1066-8) of 22 studies found that exposure before the task, or before and during it, worked better than exposure only during the task.

## Do the studies back up 40 Hz binaural beats for focus?

Partly. The research is real but small, and the effects are modest.

- In a [2017 study](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-015-0727-0), healthy adults listened to 40 Hz binaural beats or a plain 340 Hz tone for 3 minutes before and during an attention task. After the 40 Hz beats, their attention was more narrowly focused. Their ability to ignore distracting information did not change.
- The 2018 meta-analysis pooled 35 effect sizes from 22 studies on memory, attention, anxiety and pain. It found a medium overall effect, and it found that the effect depended on the frequency used and how long people listened.

So the honest summary is this: 40 Hz binaural beats have shifted attention in lab tasks, in a handful of studies. That is not the same as proof that they make you work better for hours. For a wider view, see our guide to [binaural beats for focus](https://shimmr.app/learn/binaural-beats-for-focus/).

## Do 40 Hz binaural beats increase dopamine?

No study cited here measured dopamine after binaural beats, so the honest answer is that nobody knows. Huberman said the effect may come “in part” from dopamine and acetylcholine, two brain chemicals tied to motivation and attention.

The nearest evidence is indirect. A [2015 study](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00082) found that high-frequency binaural beats removed the “attentional blink”, a short gap where people miss a second target, but only in people with a low natural blink rate. Blink rate is used as a rough sign of dopamine levels in the striatum, a deep part of the brain. That suggests the effect may depend on a person’s dopamine, but it does not show the beats raise it.

## What did Huberman say about white, pink and brown noise?

He said white and pink noise “have been shown to not improve concentration per se, but to improve people’s ability to transition into concentrated states”. The episode chapter is called “Tool: White, Brown & Pink Noise, Transition to Focused State”. He added that he does not tend to use white or pink noise while he works, though he knows people who do. In an earlier episode, “Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily Tools” from July 2021, a deep work segment covers low-level white noise.

There is some research on noise and learning. In a [2014 study](https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00537), white noise played while people looked at pictures slightly improved how well they recognised them later, and a brain scan showed more activity in the midbrain areas that make dopamine. A sine tone did not have this effect. If you are choosing between noises, our comparison of [brown noise and white noise](https://shimmr.app/learn/brown-noise-vs-white-noise/) covers how they differ.

## How can you try 40 Hz binaural beats the way he describes?

Put on headphones, play a 40 Hz binaural session at low volume for about five minutes, then switch it off and start your task. Binaural beats only work with headphones, because each ear needs its own tone. Never listen while driving, and talk to a doctor first if you have epilepsy.

In Shimmr, the Deep Focus session plays a 40 Hz Gamma binaural beat. If you would rather ease in, the Scattered → Focused Shift glides from Theta to Beta over 10 to 30 minutes. You can also layer white, pink or brown noise under any session in the mixer. Try it on a few work days and notice how you feel, because the studies are too small to promise a result.

In the app

Deep Focus · Gamma 40 Hz

A 40 Hz binaural session for headphones, for a few minutes before you start work or for the whole block.

## Common questions

**What did Huberman say about binaural beats?**

In his Focus Toolkit episode (September 2022) he said 40 Hz binaural beats have been shown in a number of peer-reviewed studies to increase focus and concentration. He did not name a specific study in the episode.

**How long does Huberman listen to 40 Hz binaural beats?**

He says he listens for about five minutes before a bout of work, then turns them off and works. When he feels very distractible, he keeps them on for the whole bout, and he does not use them every time he works.

**Do 40 Hz binaural beats increase dopamine?**

Nobody has shown that directly. One 2015 study found high-frequency binaural beats helped attention only in people whose blink rate suggested lower dopamine, which hints at a link but does not measure dopamine.

**Does Huberman use white noise or brown noise for focus?**

In the Focus Toolkit episode he said white and pink noise can help people move into a focused state, but that he does not tend to use them while he works. In a 2021 episode on daily tools, his deep work segment covers low-level white noise.

**Do you need headphones for 40 Hz binaural beats?**

Yes. A binaural beat needs a slightly different tone in each ear, so the brain hears the difference as a beat. On speakers both tones mix in the air, so use headphones or try isochronic tones instead.

Keep reading

- [Focus 40 Hz binaural beats and gamma waves: what the research says](https://shimmr.app/learn/40-hz-gamma-waves/)

- [Focus Binaural beats for focus: which frequency helps you concentrate](https://shimmr.app/learn/binaural-beats-for-focus/)

- [Focus Huberman morning routine: light, caffeine and focus, and what the evidence says](https://shimmr.app/learn/huberman-morning-routine/)

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Binaural beats are not a treatment for insomnia or any other condition.