Musicians and Tinnitus: Why Hearing Protection Matters
- Jack Stow
- Jul 28
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 29
The first sign is often small enough to ignore. A faint ringing after rehearsal. A high whistle in bed after a gig. A sense that silence has a noise of its own.
For many musicians, that sound becomes part of daily life. Tinnitus can affect anyone, but musicians live closer to the risk than most people. Rehearsal rooms, orchestral pits, amplified stages, drum kits, brass sections, monitor wedges, nightclubs and packed venues all have one thing in common: they can be loud enough to damage hearing over time.
This post explores what tinnitus is, what causes it, why musicians are vulnerable, and how they can protect themselves.
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What tinnitus is and what it can feel like
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there is no external source causing it. The sound is real to the person hearing it, but it does exist in the outside world.
People often describe tinnitus as:
Ringing
Buzzing
Hissing
Whistling
Clicking
Roaring
A high-pitched tone
A low hum
A combination of all/some of the above
It may affect one ear, both ears, or feel as if it sits inside the head. It can be constant or come and go. Some people barely notice it during a busy day but hear it clearly at night. Others find it affects focus, sleep, mood and enjoyment of music. It can become worse when tired, stressed or dehydrated.
Tinnitus is not a disease in itself. It is a symptom linked to activity somewhere in the hearing system or the brain’s processing of sound. One common trigger is noise exposure, especially repeated exposure to loud sound without enough recovery time. Tinnitus can also be triggered by a single extremely loud event.
That is why musicians need to take it seriously. Our ears do not always warn us in the moment. A loud gig can feel exciting, immersive and high-energy. The harm may only show up later, when the room is quiet and the ringing starts.
Why musicians are at higher risk
Musicians spend large parts of their lives in sound. That sounds obvious, but the risk is not only about the occasional huge concert. It is about repeated exposure.
Also, a single extremely loud event can sometimes trigger the beginning of tinnitus or cause it to go to the next level. A single loud gig can leave the ears ringing. Years of rehearsals, soundchecks, recording sessions, weddings, festivals, club nights and orchestral work can add up.
Rock, pop and amplified music
Rock and pop musicians often face obvious risks. Electric guitars, bass amps, drum kits, PA systems and stage monitors can produce high sound levels at close range.
Drummers may sit in the loudest position in the room. Guitarists may stand directly in front of their own amp. Singers may ask for louder monitors so they can pitch over the band. Bass players can feel low frequencies through the body and assume the sound is less harmful because it is not piercing.
Small rooms can be very troublesome. A basement venue with hard walls and a loud drummer can create a harsh, compressed sound field. There may be nowhere safe to stand. Everyone turns up to hear themselves, and the whole band climbs in volume.
Classical musicians
Classical players are not automatically safer. Orchestras can produce intense sound, especially in enclosed spaces such as pits, rehearsal rooms and smaller halls.
A violinist may sit near brass. A flautist may sit in front of percussion. A French horn player’s bell may point towards someone else’s ear. The risk can be uneven across the ensemble, depending on seating and repertoire.
Classical musicians also face a cultural challenge. Many train for years to hear fine detail, blend with others and control tone. Earplugs can feel like a threat to nuance if they are cheap, muffled or poorly fitted. That concern is understandable, but modern options are far better than the old foam plugs many people first tried.
Teachers, producers and crew
The risk does not stop with performers. Music teachers may spend all day around instruments. Producers and engineers may monitor at high levels for long sessions. Front-of-house engineers, stage crew, photographers and venue staff may work near loud music several nights a week.
Concert-goers also need to pay attention. Standing near speakers, attending frequent gigs, or spending hours at festivals can put hearing under strain.
Studio habits
It's not just live environments that can be a problem. Loud playback and high headphone volumes in a studio can cause problems over time as well.
Why tinnitus can be so disruptive for musicians
Musicians rely on hearing in detailed ways. Pitch, timing, balance, tone, room sound and feedback from other players all pass through the ears. Tinnitus can interfere with that relationship.
It may make quiet passages feel less clear. It may affect confidence when tuning. It can be distracting during mixing or arranging. It can make post-gig recovery harder because sleep becomes more difficult.
There is also an emotional side. Music is not just work or a hobby for many players. It is identity, community and release. When tinnitus appears, it can feel like the thing you love has harmed you.
That feeling can lead to denial. Some musicians avoid hearing tests because they fear bad news. Some keep playing unprotected because they think the damage is already done. Others worry earplugs will make them less connected to the music. However, hearing protection does not need to remove enjoyment. Used well, it can make music more sustainable.
Lack of treatment options
There is no know medical cure for tinnitus. It is still a bit of a medical mystery.
While a cure does not yet exist, numerous treatments and management strategies can help lessen its impact and make it less troublesome. Treatments focus on managing symptoms through sound therapy, psychological support, and addressing any possible underlying causes. Alternative medical therapies are used by some.
Extreme cases of tinnitus can be life changing and sometimes have devastating consequences. If you are looking for help and guidance, the main support organisation in the UK is Tinnitus UK. Their online list of possible treatments is a sorry sight really; it's mostly warnings about quack remedies to avoid.
My personal experience with tinnitus
I wish I could say I took hearing protection seriously from the start. I did not.
For years, I played in loud bands with no real precautions. Gigs were often cramped and loud. Too loud. The drummer hit hard, the volume of amps crept up, as did the crowd. If my ears rang afterwards, I seemed like an acceptable price to pay.
At gigs, I often sat close to cymbals, guitar amps and monitors. I rarely wore earplugs. When I did, they were basic foam ones that made everything sound dull and distant, so I pulled them out halfway through the set. I told myself I needed the full sound to play properly.
Looking back I think there was also a trigger event. In a small rehearsal room, I was sitting next to a guitar amp that had been left on 11, it burst into life and screeched uncontrollably the moment it was turned on.
The ringing started as something occasional. After a show, I would get home, lie down, and hear a thin tone at the edge of silence. By the next day, it usually faded. That made it easy to dismiss.
After enough years, it did not fully fade. The tone became more persistent. Some days it was quiet enough to ignore. Other days, especially after loud rooms or poor sleep, it moved to the foreground. I could still play, listen and enjoy music, but silence had changed. I have been referred to a tinnitus clinic and, after some tests, the advice was basically “Concentrate on something else and try not to think about it”. Very British.
The frustrating part is that much of the damage may have been avoidable. Not by giving up music. Not by becoming fearful of sound. Just by treating hearing as part of the instrument. A guitarist changes strings. A singer warms up. A drummer looks after wrists and shoulders. Hearing deserves the same care.
It's not just music and gigs. Be aware of everyday sounds. Even the crash of glass into a recycling bin can cause a short tinnitus peak, so step away or cover your ears if you can. I stupidly forgot my earplugs when attending a (ridiculously) loud gig recently and had weeks of louder than normal tinnitus afterwards.
I now carry earplugs with me all the time, attached to my keychain.
Pete Townshend's Tinnitus
Pete Townshend, the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, has suffered from severe noise-induced hearing loss, partial deafness, and persistent tinnitus for decades. His long-term struggle stems from a lifetime of high-volume live performances, studio headphone use, and an infamous 1967 television explosion incident.
Townshend noted that working closely with high-volume studio monitors and headphones while recording also severely degraded his upper-frequency hearing range.
Townshend has publicly discussed managing and alleviating his symptoms with alternative and homeopathic treatment. I've been told by people who know him that he used acupuncture, but I can't find any mention of this in his interviews, so that remains unconfirmed.
He became a prominent voice on the subject, supporting non-profit groups like H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers) to warn younger musicians about the dangers of unsafe stage volumes. Unfortunately, HEAR does not seem to have a live website anymore.
Hearing protection is part of being a prepared musician
Good hearing protection lowers sound to a safer level while aiming to preserve enough clarity to play, sing, mix or listen well.
The goal is not total silence. Musicians need information. They need to hear pitch, tone, dynamics and timing. The best protection reduces volume without turning music into mud.
Start with realistic habits
A few simple habits can make a real difference:
Wear protection before the volume becomes uncomfortable.
Keep earplugs in during soundcheck, support acts and changeovers.
Take short quiet breaks where possible.
Avoid standing directly in front of speakers or cymbals.
Turn down stage monitors when a better mix would solve the problem.
Give ears recovery time after loud events.
Get a hearing check if ringing becomes frequent or persistent.
These habits matter because hearing damage tends to build quietly. Waiting until sound hurts is not enough. Pain is a late warning, not an early one.
Concert-goers need protection too
Hearing protection is not only for the people on stage. Anyone who goes to gigs, clubs or festivals should carry earplugs.
There is still a strange stigma around wearing them, as if protecting your ears means you are not fully committed to the experience. That idea needs to disappear. Earplugs do not make someone less of a fan. They make it more likely they will still enjoy live music years from now.
At many gigs, the people with earplugs are the ones who know sound best: engineers, touring musicians, venue staff and regular gig-goers who learned the hard way.
Affordable hearing protection options that work
Hearing protection has improved a lot. There are options for different budgets, instruments and listening needs.
Foam earplugs
Foam plugs are cheap, widely available and useful in an emergency. They can reduce volume a lot when inserted correctly.
The downside is sound quality. Foam often reduces high frequencies more than low ones, which can make music seem muffled. They are still far better than no protection, especially at very loud events, but many musicians find them hard to use while performing.
Reusable filtered earplugs
Filtered earplugs are a strong everyday choice for musicians and concert-goers. Many are affordable, reusable and small enough to keep on a keyring or in a gig bag.
Unlike basic foam plugs, filtered designs aim to reduce volume more evenly. Music still sounds like music, just quieter. They are not perfect, but they are often the easiest step for anyone who has avoided earplugs because they dislike the muffled feeling.
Custom moulded earplugs
Custom moulded plugs are made to fit the ear. An audiologist usually takes impressions, and the finished plugs can use filters with different levels of reduction.
They cost more than off-the-shelf plugs, but many working musicians see them as essential kit. The fit is more secure, comfort is better for long sessions, and the sound tends to be clearer. For frequent performers, they can be one of the best investments in long-term hearing health.
In-ear monitors
In-ear monitors can help performers hear themselves clearly without blasting wedge monitors across the stage. They can reduce overall stage volume when used properly.
They also need care. Turning in-ear monitors up too high can still cause harm because the sound goes directly into the ear. A good mix, sensible levels and proper fitting matter.
Over-ear defenders
Over-ear defenders are useful for children at concerts, drummers during practice, venue workers, and anyone who needs quick protection. They are easy to put on and take off, which makes them practical in some settings.
For performers who need detail, they may not be the right tool. For loud environments where communication and tone are less critical, they can be very effective.
How to make protection feel normal
The best hearing protection is the kind you actually use. That means it must be easy, comfortable and part of your routine. Keep earplugs in your gig bag or on your keyring.
Try them during rehearsal before using them at an important gig. The first few minutes can feel strange, especially if you are used to raw stage volume. Give your brain time to adjust.
If you sing, practise with protection in. Bone conduction means your own voice may sound different inside your head. That can feel odd at first, but many singers adapt with practice and the right filters.
If you play in a band or ensemble, talk about volume openly. The problem is often collective. One loud instrument forces another louder, then everyone suffers. A calmer stage or rehearsal mix often improves the performance as well as protecting ears.
For parents taking children to concerts, bring defenders even if the venue does not mention them. Children may not recognise when sound is too loud, and they may not explain discomfort clearly in the moment.
Protecting hearing protects the music
Tinnitus can be mild, severe, temporary or long-lasting. It can be manageable, but it is not something musicians should shrug off. The earlier hearing protection becomes normal, the better.
The message is simple: do not wait for ringing to become permanent before taking action.
Wear earplugs at rehearsal. Keep spares in your case. Turn down where you can. Step away from loudspeakers. Rest your ears after heavy exposure. Book a hearing check if symptoms worry you. Encourage bandmates and friends to do the same.
Music should be loud when it needs to be, moving when it can be, and safe enough to stay in your life. Protecting your hearing is not a barrier to that. It is one of the ways to make sure the music lasts.
Once you get in to the habit of using hearing protection you may wonder why you didn't start earlier. Nowadays, I always carry my Alpine earplugs in their little case attached to my keyring, so I should never get caught in one of those "Ah, I wish I had my earplugs with me" situations again.
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