Musicians and hearing: when to check, and where custom earplugs come in

Earplugs for musicians: custom earplugs for players, DJs and sound engineers, with a filter that lowers the loudness, are explained on the page Earplugs for musicians, DJs and events.

Why should musicians think about hearing?

Rehearsals, gigs, DJ nights and events, week after week. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), after a loud concert you may feel muffled hearing or ringing in the ears, and it usually improves. But regular exposure to loud or prolonged sound can cause permanent damage to hearing. The loudness, the length of exposure and how often it is repeated all affect the risk.

Hearing also has a professional meaning: a musician needs to hear the ensemble, their own instrument and the audience. So we recommend not waiting until something feels wrong.

Signs worth noticing

• Ringing or buzzing in the ears after a gig. According to WHO, this kind of ringing is usually temporary, but ringing that persists can indicate damage to hearing, and it also has other causes. If it does not go away, it is worth seeking medical advice.
• A feeling that the sound is "muffled" the day after.
• Difficulty hearing speech on breaks, at the bar or in the rehearsal room.
• A difference between the ears, for example on the side closer to the monitor or the drums.

If hearing dropped suddenly, or there is ear pain or discharge, see a doctor the same day.

What can the self-check show a musician?

• A difference between the ears. The tones are played to each ear separately, and the summary says whether in one of them there were tones you heard only when they were played louder.
• Difficulty in noise. The digits-in-noise step tests understanding when there is background noise.
• The effect on everyday life. The NIDCD questionnaire asks about situations such as a restaurant, family and colleagues.

It is worth taking the check on a quiet day, not after a rehearsal or a gig. According to NIDCD, the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, exposure to loud noise sometimes causes a temporary hearing loss that disappears after 16 to 48 hours. Apple too, in the instructions for its hearing test, notes that being in a loud place, such as a concert, in the 24 hours before the test may affect the result.

What the online test does not do

• It does not measure hearing thresholds and does not give an audiogram, certainly not one that can be compared with a previous test.
• It does not determine whether there is hearing loss or whether it is related to music.
• It does not test hearing at the pitches that matter for a particular instrument. It tests only a few individual tones.
• It does not choose an earplug or a filter.
• It is not suitable for an urgent situation: sudden hearing loss, ear pain or discharge from the ear are reasons to see a doctor the same day.

Custom earplugs for musicians

WHO recommends using earplugs in loud places and keeping away from the speakers. At G-Sound we make custom earplugs for musicians, DJs and people who go to many concerts and parties. These earplugs are built with an acoustic filter. The process:

1. A conversation about the use: playing, DJing, sound work or going to concerts, and how much time you spend near music.
2. We come to you by appointment, also between rehearsals and gigs, and take an impression of the ear.
3. The earplug is made of flexible material according to the impression, and sent to you.

We do not give technical values for the filter and do not promise how music will sound with the earplug. It is important to know: an earplug is not an in-ear monitor and not an earphone. For musicians who order a custom in-ear monitor, we can take an impression of the ear.

Full details: Earplugs for musicians, DJs and events.

And what about hearing aids and music?

If you already use a hearing aid and want to hear music better, that is a different topic: Hearing aids and music (in Hebrew).

More on this topic

• To the self-check (in Hebrew)
• Earplugs for musicians, DJs and events
• Custom earplugs
• Custom noise earplugs
• Hearing aids and music (in Hebrew)
• A sound level meter on your phone: what it does not know
• Home hearing test

The self-check, and after it the full test. On a quiet day, not after a gig: to the self-check (in Hebrew). For a full test with an audiogram, also at home: call 055-3333338 or WhatsApp.

Sources

• WHO, "Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening" (Q&A) · checked 03.11.2026
• NIDCD, "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss" · checked 03.11.2026
• Apple Support, "Take a Hearing Test with AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3" · checked 03.11.2026
• WHO, hearWHO · checked 03.11.2026
• NIDCD, "Do You Need A Hearing Test?" (bookmark, March 2016) · checked 03.11.2026

English version: 4 November 2026 · Written by the G-Sound editorial team. Original version updated 03.11.2026. The information is general and does not replace a check-up or medical advice.

More in English

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