A soundscape is a collection of sounds that characterizes or evokes a specific environment. It can include both sounds of nature (e.g., rain, wind, waves, animal cries) and sounds made by humans and their various activities (e.g., talking, church bells, machinery).
Composers have long incorporated soundscapes created with various musical instruments into their compositions. For example, woodwinds and violins have been used to imitate bird calls and percussion has been used to imitate thunder. They have also used complex harmonies and textures to evoke the tranquility of the countryside, the gradually brightening of the early morning sky, and the movement and vastness of the sea.
In addition to conventional acoustic instruments, a variety of specialized acoustic instruments are also used to recreate the sounds of nature. Among them are the rain stick, originally made from dried cactus and filled with small pebbles, which produces a rain-like sound when moved. Another, the ocean drum, emulates the sound of waves by using sand, beans and iron grains inside of a double-sided drum. The guira imitates the croaking sound of a frog when a stick is run over its ridges. Wind machines are used to create the sound of wind. Also, Inca whistling water jars use the flow of water to mimics bird calls and other animal sounds.
From the early twentieth century, accompanying the development of audio recording technology, recorded sounds also began to be used in soundscapes. Subsequently, the development of a variety of digital audio tools and techniques, such as digital audio workstations and binaural recording, have enabled the creation of more complex and immersive soundscapes that seamlessly blend both natural and synthetic sounds.
These advances have facilitated an expansion in the range of applications of soundscapes beyond musical performances to additional uses, including environmental protection, urban design, and personal well-being. For example, the broadcasting of soundscapes in disturbed ecosystems can help restore such environments by attracting certain animals and thus promote biodiversity. Likewise, soundscapes, and especially those with gentle natural sounds such as rain or ocean waves, have been increasingly employed to act as white noise, to promote relaxation, to enhance focus and to improve sleep.