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Short answer: ear plugs for concerts are hearing protectors worn to lower the sound reaching the ear when loud music cannot be avoided. The CDC advises using hearing protection when you cannot avoid loud noise, and the World Health Organization treats making personal hearing protection available as one feature of a safe-listening venue, alongside a limit on average sound levels, level monitoring, quiet zones and staff training. This page is general information, not medical advice; for a hearing concern, see a clinician.
Definition and scope
In this guide, “ear plugs for concerts” means insert-type hearing protectors used at amplified live music events. The CDC describes insert-type earplugs as including those that are pre-molded, formable, or custom-molded, and lists earmuffs and specially made devices styled and sized for an individual ear as other options (CDC, Preventing Hearing Loss, checked 2026-10-30). The general product categories are covered in hearing protection types, and rating numbers in noise reduction rating for earplugs; this page does not repeat them.
How hearing protection is used in practice
The CDC states that the effect of noise on hearing depends on how loud the noise is and how long it lasts, and that it advises avoiding loud places and, when loud noise cannot be avoided, using hearing protection. As a rough loudness cue, the CDC says: “If you need to shout in order to be heard, the sound is too loud and may damage your hearing.” (CDC, checked 2026-10-30.)
At the event level, WHO describes a global standard for safe listening venues and events with six features (WHO feature story on a major arts festival, checked 2026-10-30):
- limiting average sound levels to 100 dB (LAeq, 15 min);
- monitoring sound levels of the venue;
- optimizing venue acoustics and sound systems;
- making personal hearing protection available;
- access to quiet zones;
- provision of training and information to onsite staff.
Two benchmarks that are often confused
Two decibel figures circulate in articles about concerts, and they answer different questions. The following comparison uses only what each source states.
| Benchmark | What the source states | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit | 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour workday; noise is considered hazardous or loud at 85 dBA or higher (CDC NIOSH noise page, checked 2026-10-30) | Occupational noise exposure |
| WHO safe-listening venue standard | Limiting average sound levels to 100 dB (LAeq, 15 min), as one of six venue features (WHO, checked 2026-10-30) | A limit on the venue’s sound system, set by the organizer |
Neither page is a table of “safe minutes at a concert” for an individual attendee, and neither should be read as one. The NIOSH figure is an occupational recommendation; the WHO figure is a venue-side average. Decibels are logarithmic: NIOSH notes that a sound 10 dB louder than another is ten times more intense, so small differences in the number are large differences in sound energy.
Types of protection named by the CDC
- Pre-molded insert earplugs, listed by the CDC among insert-type earplugs.
- Formable insert earplugs, listed in the same group.
- Custom-molded insert earplugs, listed in the same group.
- Earmuffs, which the CDC says come in many models and are designed to fit most people.
- Specially made devices that can be styled and sized for a person’s individual ear.
For how noise ratings are printed on packaging, see the noise reduction rating guide; for protectors designed for other noisy settings, see shooting ear protection.
Where it matters for clinics, event medical teams and supply decisions
Because WHO lists personal hearing protection as a venue feature rather than a replacement for the sound limit, an event’s planning document can treat protectors as one item among several. Teams that stock first-aid and welfare supplies for festivals can see where hearing protection sits next to other items in the music festival medical tent supply checklist. Occupational-health staff who work with workers in loud settings, such as stage crew, can place protectors within the wider framework in PPE types and the OSHA PPE standard guide. WHO also states that over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices, and lists safe listening strategies for recreational settings among its responses (WHO deafness and hearing loss fact sheet, checked 2026-10-30).
Common misunderstandings
- “85 dBA is the safe level at a concert.” It is NIOSH’s occupational recommended exposure limit over an eight-hour workday, not an attendee guideline.
- “A venue limit means protection is optional.” WHO lists personal protection availability as one feature alongside the sound limit, monitoring, quiet zones and staff training; the features work together.
- “Only loudness matters.” The CDC says the effect depends on both how loud the noise is and how long it lasts.
FAQ
What does the CDC say about hearing protection when loud noise cannot be avoided?
The CDC states that when you cannot avoid loud noise, use hearing protection. This is general information, not individual advice.
What types of ear plugs does the CDC describe?
Insert-type earplugs that are pre-molded, formable, or custom-molded, plus earmuffs and specially made devices sized for an individual ear.
What sound level does WHO recommend for live events?
WHO’s global standard for safe listening venues and events includes limiting average sound levels to 100 dB (LAeq, 15 min), one of six features that also include monitoring, acoustics, available hearing protection, quiet zones and staff training.
Is the 85 dBA figure a limit for concerts?
No. 85 dBA averaged over eight hours is the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit for occupational noise.
Sources
- CDC, Preventing Hearing Loss, checked 2026-10-30.
- CDC NIOSH, About Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention, checked 2026-10-30.
- WHO, Deafness and hearing loss fact sheet, checked 2026-10-30.
- WHO, WHO hearing guidelines implemented at a major arts festival, checked 2026-10-30.
