Guided attention audio or a sound mixer: where should you start?

Do you want someone to guide your listening, or would you rather choose your own sounds and pacing? That is the most useful difference between AttentionTraining’s guided recordings and its self-guided mixer. Neither format is presented here as a better treatment or a proven way to improve symptoms.

The quick choice

• Start with guided audio if you want a prepared sound setting and spoken directions without arranging a mix.
• Start with the mixer if you want to pick the sounds, change their positions or decide when to switch your attention.
• If you are unsure, preview a recording first. A sample lets you hear the voice and sound setting before creating an account. Then try the mixer’s starter setup to compare how much control you prefer.

These are preferences about using the product, not measures of ability. You can use both formats; there is no required progression from one to the other.

What you control in each format

Guided audio: a prepared recording

Each current guided session is 12 minutes long, including an orientation introduction. The narration and sound arrangement are part of the recording. You control playback, but you do not rearrange individual sources or replace the narrator from inside the player.

This is the simpler starting point when you would rather press play than manage a sound stage. It is less flexible if you dislike one particular sound within a recording: preview a different setting rather than expecting to remove that source.

The mixer: a setup you can change

The mixer lets you choose individual sounds, place them around the stage and adjust their volumes. There is no narrator. You decide what to listen to, when to move your attention and when to finish. Adding sounds does not start them automatically; use their playback controls or Play All when ready.

You do not need to design a mix from scratch. On an empty stage, the recommended starter brings together birds, rain, piano and a metronome. Our beginner’s sound-practice guide walks through that setup. Choose this route when control matters more to you than spoken guidance.

Samples, free sessions and paid access

There are three different ways to try the app. A sample is not the same as a free full session:

• No account: use the free mixer, or hear a 45-second sample of each of the 8 recordings on the guided sessions page.
• Free account: verify your email and sign in to play Woodland Hideaway and Reading Room in full. The free plan also allows 2 saved mixer setups.
• Paid collection: the current Guided Collection unlocks all 8 full recordings for a one-time $29 USD payment. Future collections are not automatically included. Check the plans page for the current offer and access details before buying.

A short preview is useful for judging whether you like a voice or a sound setting. It does not demonstrate a health benefit, and you do not need to buy the collection to try a complete free session.

Choose a sound setting

The two free recordings offer different starting points:

• Woodland Hideaway: stream, rustling leaves, crickets, wooden creaks. Try its sample to hear whether you enjoy this combination.
• Reading Room: rain against window, ticking clock, pencil writing, turning pages. Try its sample to hear whether you enjoy this combination.

Choose based on the sounds you are willing to listen to, not a claim that one setting is better for a particular condition. If spoken directions feel distracting, try the mixer. If changing the mixer controls interrupts your practice, try a recording. Those are practical reasons to switch, not signs that you are doing it wrong.

A simple way to try both

1. Open guided sessions and play one free sample at a comfortable, low volume.
2. If you like that format, create a free account, verify your email and try one of the two included full sessions.
3. Separately, open the mixer and try its starter on an empty stage. Change one volume or sound position to see whether you value the extra control.
4. Keep the format you prefer, or alternate. There is no need to pay merely to decide which approach suits your use of the app.

Listen somewhere safe, not while driving or doing anything that needs your attention. Stereo headphones can help distinguish intended directional cues, but front/back perception varies. Stop if listening causes discomfort.

AttentionTraining is an independent practice app, not official clinical Attention Training Technique (ATT) material or a substitute for metacognitive therapy. For the clinical distinction and source references, read the beginner guide’s ATT explanation. If a therapist has prescribed a particular protocol, use the materials they recommend.