Attention training with sound: a beginner’s guide

You can use several sounds as a simple way to practice choosing where to listen. For example, notice the birds while rain and a piano remain audible, then choose to follow the piano instead. The task is an active listening choice, rather than leaving an ambient track on while doing something else.

This guide shows you how to try that with AttentionTraining. It is an app walkthrough for general practice, not a clinical treatment protocol or a promise of improved symptoms.

What sound-based attention practice means

In this app, attention practice means intentionally listening to a selected sound, moving your attention to another, or noticing several sounds together. You do not need to make the other sounds disappear. They can stay in the background while you decide what to follow.

A useful starting point is to distinguish the sources before trying to move between them. Can you identify the rain separately from the piano? Once you can, choose one, listen to it, then choose another. There is no score to earn or requirement to feel a particular way afterward.

Choose a mixer or a guided session

AttentionTraining offers two ways to practice. For a detailed comparison of control, narration and access, see guided audio or a sound mixer: where should you start?

• The self-guided sound mixer: choose your sounds, position them around the stage, and control playback yourself. The starter mix gives you a prepared setup so you do not have to build one from scratch. There is no narrator.
• Guided audio: listen to a prepared recording with spoken directions. Choose this if you would rather follow a narrator than decide when to change your listening focus.

The mixer is free to use. You can hear short samples of every guided session without signing in. Woodland Hideaway and Reading Room are available in full with a free account. The complete collection and saved-mix allowances are explained on the plans page.

Set up your first practice

1. Choose somewhere you can listen safely. Do not use the practice while driving, cycling, or doing anything that needs your attention.
2. Use stereo headphones for directional cues. Check left and right orientation. Speakers can play the audio, but the intended spatial positions may be less distinct.
3. Start at a comfortable, low volume. Raise it only enough to distinguish the sounds. Making it loud is not part of the exercise. Stop if the sound causes discomfort.
4. Choose one starting route. Open the starter mix if you want control, or preview a guided session to hear its voice and sound setting first.

Directions such as “in front” and “behind” describe the intended spatial placement. How clearly you perceive them varies with headphones and hearing. If they are hard to distinguish, follow the identity of the sound rather than forcing a precise location.

Try the starter mix

Open the sound mixer and choose its recommended starter mix when the stage is empty. It contains:

• Birds on the left.
• Rain on the right.
• Piano in front.
• Metronome behind.

The sounds load paused. Press Play All when you are ready. If one dominates, lower its individual volume rather than raising everything else. You can use the master volume to adjust the overall level.

For a first exploration, try the following sequence at your own pace. This is a product example, not the official Attention Training Technique:

1. Identify each sound. Notice how the birds, rain, piano and metronome differ. Give yourself enough time to recognize them.
2. Choose one source. Follow the rain while allowing the other sounds to remain audible. If you notice you are listening to something else, return to the source you chose.
3. Make a deliberate switch. Move your attention from rain to piano, then from piano to the metronome. You can keep all four sources playing; switching attention does not require muting the others.
4. Notice the whole mix. Try hearing several sources together, then return to a single one. Finish with Pause All whenever you want.

The starter is a convenient first setup, not a test you have to complete. You can change sounds or positions for a later practice. Loading a starter does not replace a mix already on your stage.

Common setup questions

What if a sound is not playing?

Newly added sounds start paused. Check Play All or the sound’s own Play button, its volume and mute state, then your device output. If playback is still loading, wait for it to finish before pressing Play again. For guided audio, check whether you selected a sample or a full session and whether that full session requires an account or purchase.

How long should I practice?

You choose when to stop a self-guided mix. The current guided recordings are 12 minutes long, including their introduction. That is the product’s recording length, not a medically recommended dose. There is no need to finish a session if you feel uncomfortable.

Is this background music or meditation?

The mixer can contain musical and environmental sounds, but this walkthrough asks you to actively choose what you listen to. It does not require a silent mind, a relaxation target or a specific meditation tradition. If you want narration rather than managing the practice yourself, try a guided sample.

How this differs from clinical ATT

The capitalized Attention Training Technique (ATT) refers to a specific procedure developed by Adrian Wells for use in metacognitive therapy. The MCT Institute’s guidance explains its clinical context and cautions that other recordings may not reproduce the original procedure. Wells’ procedure description discusses selective attention, switching and divided attention as parts of that clinical method.

AttentionTraining is an independent app. Its mixer, recordings and this introductory walkthrough are not official ATT materials, are not endorsed by the MCT Institute, and should not be treated as a validated substitute for metacognitive therapy. Research on clinical ATT does not establish that this app treats anxiety, depression, OCD or another condition.

If you are following a therapist’s treatment plan, ask which materials they recommend rather than replacing them with this guide. For general app use, begin with the free mixer or preview the guided recordings and choose the format you prefer.