About lofiatc
lofiatc is a free, browser-based ambient sound app that streams real-time air traffic control (ATC) audio from 24 major airports — JFK, LAX, SFO, Atlanta, Tokyo Haneda, Lisbon, Mexico City, and more — layered over a curated lo-fi music playlist. Independent volume sliders let you mix the two sources to taste.
It exists because some of us study, code, write, and travel better with the rhythm of pilot/controller chatter underneath a soft beat. The site has no signup, no ads, and no upsell. Press play and tune in.
How it works
Live ATC feeds are sourced from LiveATC.net and proxied through this site to keep the player simple. The lo-fi playlist rotates 6 tracks from independent artists used with permission. The audio mixer uses the Web Audio API for independent gain control on each channel and a live frequency analyser to drive the equalizer animation.
Frequency types you'll see
- TOWER — controllers managing aircraft on the runway and in the immediate vicinity.
- GROUND — controllers handling taxi traffic between gates and runways.
- APPROACH / DEPARTURE — controllers handling aircraft inbound to or leaving the airport's airspace.
- CENTER — en-route controllers handling cruising aircraft over a region.
Built by
Juan Espinoza — software engineer. Find me on X or GitHub. Feature requests and bug reports welcome.