The best earplugs for a concert or festival are ones that turn the volume down evenly, so the music still sounds like music, and that fit well enough to wear all night. Filtered earplugs do this by lowering sound by about the same amount across every pitch. A custom pair made from impressions of your ears adds a steady seal and comfort that lasts from the opening act to the encore.

Here’s how loud shows really get, what to look for in concert earplugs, and how we build a pair for live music at Big Ear.

How loud is a concert, really?

Louder than most of us guess. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) places concerts, sporting events and headphones at full volume in the 94–110 dBA range. For comparison, normal conversation sits at 60–70 dBA.

The NIDCD explains that sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to cause hearing loss, even after long exposure. Long or repeated exposure at 85 dBA and above can. A three-hour set near the stage is a long exposure, and a weekend festival repeats it.

Decibels don’t add up the way everyday numbers do, so a few extra dB is a bigger step than it looks. Our friendly guide to decibels walks through how it works if you’re curious.

Is ringing after a show normal?

It’s common, and it’s a signal worth listening to. The NIDCD notes that loud noise can bring on tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing or roaring in the ears. It also says loud exposure can cause a temporary hearing loss that fades 16 to 48 hours later, and that there may still be some lasting damage underneath.

That muffled, cotton-wool feeling on the drive home is your ears asking for a break. If ringing is new, sticks around, or keeps getting worse, please see a doctor or audiologist. The World Health Organization’s safe listening guidance gives the same advice for persistent ringing.

What kind of earplugs are best for live music?

For most concertgoers, filtered earplugs. They’re sometimes called musicians’ earplugs or flat-attenuation earplugs.

Regular solid earplugs are built to block as much sound as they can. That’s perfect for sleeping, and less fun when you paid for the tickets and the band sounds like it’s playing two rooms away.

Filtered earplugs take a different approach. NIOSH explains that flat-attenuation protectors reduce noise equally across all frequency bands, which “preserves the fidelity of the sound.” In plain terms, the whole mix gets quieter while keeping its balance. You still hear the guitar tone, the harmonies and your friend shouting the next song title in your ear.

NIOSH also gives a tip that fits live music perfectly: avoid overprotection. Too much reduction can leave you feeling cut off, and people tend to pull out earplugs that make everything sound distant. The goal is a safer level you’ll happily keep in all night.

Foam, filtered or custom: which should you bring?

All three have a place. A pair of foam earplugs in your pocket is far better than nothing, and it’s easy to hand a fresh pair to a friend who forgot theirs. Here’s how the options compare for a night out.

Option	How it sounds	Fit and comfort	Good for
Foam earplugs	Quieter, often more muffled	Depends on rolling and inserting them well each time	A backup in your bag; spontaneous nights out
Ready-made filtered earplugs	More even, music keeps its balance	One shape for many ears, so the seal can vary	Occasional shows
Custom filtered earplugs (The One)	Even reduction, with a filter level you choose	Made from impressions of your ears, so the seal is the same every time	Regular concertgoers, festival weekends, people who play or work at shows

Why does custom fit matter at a concert?

A filter can only do its job if the earplug seals. If sound sneaks around the edges, the protection drops and the sound gets thin and leaky.

Research from NIOSH on measuring how well earplugs work shows that the protection people actually get varies from person to person. It depends on the earplug and on the size and shape of each ear canal. A custom earplug starts from an impression of your own ear, so it’s shaped to you from day one.

Comfort counts too. NIOSH puts it simply: “Comfort is the key to consistent use.” At a festival you might wear earplugs for six or eight hours a day. A soft, well-fitted pair that you forget is there is the one that stays in during the headliner.

How does Big Ear handle concert hearing protection?

For live music, we build The One, our custom filtered earplug. Each pair is hand-built in the USA in platinum-cure silicone (Shore A 35), which is hypoallergenic and antibacterial.

The One uses interchangeable flat filters of 9, 15, 20, 25 or 30 dB. They’re color-coded (purple, green, blue, orange and black), and they swap in seconds with no new mold needed. The One carries an NRR of 25 dB with one filter installed, and because the filters are interchangeable, you choose how much of the room comes through.

Which filter for a concert? Shows vary a lot. A quiet acoustic set in a small room and a stadium show with a wall of subwoofers are very different nights. Our general guidance:

• 9, 15 or 20 dB for quieter settings, where you want to hear more of what’s around you.
• 25 or 30 dB is what we suggest for the loudest places we fit for, like marching band, motorcycles and firearms.

Want to know where your favorite venue lands? NIOSH offers a free Sound Level Meter app for iPhone, tested in a NIOSH lab to within ±2 dBA. Take a reading from your usual spot, then give us a call and we’ll talk it through. Our post on which earplug filter you need goes deeper.

Three kits, same custom earplug:

• Standard, $224.95: one filter set. Our best seller, and a great fit if you mostly go to one kind of show.
• Select, $299.95: two filter sets, so one pair covers two noise levels. Our best value if your weekends range from small clubs to big outdoor stages.
• Premium, $574.95: all five filters, plus solid plugs, a tactical piece, a hole plug and a case. Handy if you also play, sleep in a festival tent or shoot on the weekend.

If you play in a band or work the stage, our musician earplugs page has more on protecting your ears while you perform.

What else helps at a show?

Earplugs do the heavy lifting, and a few easy habits help them along. The WHO suggests these for noisy places:

• Stay back from the loudspeakers. Sound gets less intense as you move away from the source.
• Wear your earplugs regularly and properly, from the first song.
• Rest your ears in a quiet spot for about 10 minutes every hour.

Venues are thinking about this as well. In 2022 the WHO released a global standard for safe listening venues and events. Its recommendations include a maximum average sound level of 100 decibels, live sound monitoring, quiet zones, and hearing protection made available to audiences. If you spot a quiet zone at a festival, it’s a nice place to take that hourly break.

Concert earplug FAQ

Will I still hear the music clearly with earplugs in?

With filtered earplugs, yes. Flat-attenuation filters lower all pitches by about the same amount, so the music sounds quieter rather than muffled.

Can I change filters between a small club and a big festival?

Yes. The One’s filters are interchangeable and swap in seconds. The Select kit includes two filter sets for exactly this, and extra filters are available later.

How long does it take to get custom concert earplugs?

Your order includes a free Home Impression Kit, which ships in 2–3 business days. Making the impressions takes about 10–15 minutes at home with a helper and a guided video, and return postage is paid. We build your pair in 40 business days from the day your impressions reach our lab, so plan ahead for festival season.

What if they don’t fit right?

Every pair comes with our 30-Day Fit Warranty: tell us within 30 days of delivery and we’ll make it right. There’s also a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects (loss isn’t covered). Because each pair is made for your ears, custom products can’t be returned.

Do kids need earplugs at concerts too?

Young ears benefit from protection at loud events just like grown-up ears do. Our Full Stop Super-Soft earplugs are made for adults and children, with an NRR of 32 dB. If a child has ear tubes, ear pain or recent ear surgery, check with their doctor first.

Ready for your next show?

The easiest way to start is the free Home Impression Kit. Order your pair, make your impressions at home, and we’ll take it from there. Shipping on your order is $10.

Not sure which kit or filter suits your concert calendar? Try Find my pair, or call us at (719) 271-4528. We love talking about live music and helping you enjoy it for many years to come.

Sources

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (last updated 16 April 2025).
• NIOSH / CDC, Provide Hearing Protection (reviewed 31 January 2024).
• NIOSH / CDC, Measuring How Well Earplugs Work (DHHS NIOSH Publication 2015-181).
• NIOSH / CDC, Sound Level Meter App.
• World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening (6 March 2026).
• World Health Organization, WHO releases new standard to tackle rising threat of hearing loss (2 March 2022).