Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about Sound Orbit, binaural beats, the First Responder Program, and more.
Getting Started
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Sound Orbit is a binaural beats wellness app that helps you focus, sleep, recover, and decompress through scientifically-designed sound frequencies. It includes 51 curated presets across 13 categories, a full custom sound mixer with 58 layers, an AI guide, community sharing, and gamified progress tracking.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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For binaural beats specifically, yes — stereo separation is required for the brain to perceive the frequency difference. For ambient and Solfeggio layers, headphones aren't strictly necessary but they improve the experience. We recommend any decent over-ear or in-ear headphones; you don't need audiophile gear.
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15–30 minutes is the sweet spot for most use cases. Sleep sessions can run longer (45–90 min). Focus sessions can be shorter (10–20 min) if you're using them as a primer. The app lets you set custom durations from 5 minutes to 8 hours.
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Yes — every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime during the trial and you won't be charged.
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Sound Orbit is currently iOS-only. We're focused on building the best possible experience on iPhone first, with Apple Watch support planned for v1.2. An Android version is on the roadmap but not yet scheduled.
Pricing & Plans
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Premium starts at $4.99/month. Annual subscriptions offer additional savings. Verified first responders, healthcare workers, and active military get $1.99/month Premium access.
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The free tier includes a curated selection of presets, basic mixer functionality, and community browsing. Premium unlocks all 51 presets, the full 58-layer mixer, AI Guide, AI-generated artwork, Dream Journal, and unlimited Inner Orbit gameplay.
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Subscriptions are managed through your Apple ID. Open Settings on your iPhone → tap your name → Subscriptions → Sound Orbit → Cancel. The cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period.
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Yes, unless you cancel before the trial ends. You'll receive a notification 24 hours before the trial converts to a paid subscription.
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Refunds are handled by Apple, not Sound Orbit. You can request a refund directly through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
How Binaural Beats Work
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Binaural beats are an auditory illusion. When two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear (for example, 200 Hz in the left and 210 Hz in the right), the brain perceives a third "phantom" frequency at the difference between them (10 Hz). This perceived frequency is associated with brainwave entrainment — the brain tends to align its electrical activity with the beat.
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Research on binaural beats is ongoing and mixed. Some studies show measurable effects on attention, anxiety, and sleep; others show inconclusive results. We treat them as a useful tool, not a guaranteed treatment. Sound Orbit's app description and content are intentionally honest about what the science does and doesn't support.
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Sound Orbit covers all 11 bands from Epsilon (deep delta) through Lambda (high gamma). Generally: Delta (0.5–4 Hz) for deep sleep, Theta (4–8 Hz) for meditation and creativity, Alpha (8–13 Hz) for relaxed focus, Beta (13–30 Hz) for active concentration, Gamma (30+ Hz) for peak cognition.
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Solfeggio frequencies are a set of nine tones (174, 285, 396, 417, 528, 639, 741, 852, 963 Hz) historically associated with meditative and spiritual practice. Modern science is less conclusive about their effects than for binaural beats, but many users find them useful as ambient layers. We're transparent about the evidence — they're available in the app, but we don't oversell them.
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No. Sound Orbit is a wellness tool, not a medical treatment. If you're managing a diagnosed condition, talk to a qualified healthcare provider. The app can complement professional care; it shouldn't replace it.
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For most people, no. Some users with epilepsy, seizure disorders, or who are pregnant should consult a doctor before using brainwave entrainment. Don't use Sound Orbit while driving or operating heavy equipment. If you experience headaches or discomfort, stop and try a different frequency.
Features
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The Mixer lets you build your own sound sessions by layering up to 58 elements: noise colors (white, pink, brown, etc.), pure binaural tones, all 9 Solfeggio frequencies, nature sounds (rain, ocean, thunder, wind, fire), ambient textures, and harmonic layers. Save mixes to your library, share them with the community, and generate AI artwork to match.
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Inner Orbit is a 50-level meditative word puzzle game built into the app. It pairs gentle gameplay with binaural backdrops, letting you wind down or warm up your focus while earning XP and contributing to your streak.
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Orbit AI is a chat-based wellness guide powered by Anthropic's Claude. It can answer questions about brainwave science, recommend sessions based on how you feel, walk you through app features, and give personalized guidance — all within a strict scope (no medical advice, no off-topic conversation).
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The Dream Journal lets you log dreams after waking, track patterns over time, and pair journaling with Dream Lab sessions designed for lucid dreaming and deeper REM work.
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Yes. Sessions continue playing when the app is in the background or your screen is locked. You can control playback from the iOS lock screen, Control Center, and Dynamic Island.
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Not at launch — the Apple Watch companion app is on the v1.2 roadmap (months 4–6 post-launch).
First Responder Program
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Verified police officers (active or retired), firefighters, EMS, 911 dispatchers, healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, paramedics, etc.), active military personnel, and military veterans.
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During onboarding (or later in Settings), submit a photo of your service ID or credentials. Our verification system processes documents in-flight without permanently storing them — only an anonymous identity hash is retained for anti-abuse purposes. Verification typically completes within seconds to a few minutes.
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Yes, verified police officers (active or retired), firefighters, EMS, 911 dispatchers, healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, paramedics, etc.), active military personnel, and military veterans have access to our discounted $1.99/month or $19.99/year plans.
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Sound Orbit was built by a former police officer who used binaural beats to manage life after police work, anxiety, and trauma exposure. The First Responder Program isn't a marketing tactic — it's the reason the app exists. People who carry this kind of weight shouldn't have to pay a lot for tools that help them carry it.
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It's processed in-flight and never permanently stored. We retain only a perceptual hash and an identity hash for fraud prevention. Read the full data handling details in our Privacy Policy.
Account & Privacy
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You can browse and use core sessions without an account. An account is required for community features (In Orbit), saving custom mixes to the cloud, syncing across devices, and the First Responder Program.
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Email and name for your account, your saved mixes and dream journal entries, anonymous usage analytics for product improvement, and (for FR users) anonymous verification hashes. We never sell your data, never run ads, and never share content you've created. Full disclosures are in our Privacy Policy.
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Securely in Firebase (Google's encrypted cloud database). Only you can access your journal — entries are never shared, analyzed by humans, or used for ads.
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Yes. Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account. This permanently removes your account, all saved mixes, dream journal entries, and personal data within 30 days.
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Most features work offline once the app is installed — preset playback, the mixer, and Inner Orbit. AI Guide, community features, and AI artwork generation require internet.
Troubleshooting
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First, try restarting the app. If the issue persists, check your headphone connection and try a different pair. Bluetooth headphones can occasionally introduce latency that affects binaural perception — wired headphones are more reliable for stereo separation.
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Open the app → Settings → Restore Purchases. This re-syncs your subscription with Apple. If that doesn't work, contact support@soundorbitapp.com with your Apple ID email and we'll investigate.
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Make sure your ID photo is well-lit, in focus, and shows your name + the issuing organization clearly. If you've tried multiple times and it's still failing, email support@soundorbitapp.com and we'll verify manually.
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Email support@soundorbitapp.com with: a description of what happened, what you expected to happen, your iOS version, your iPhone model, and a screenshot if applicable. We respond within 24 hours.
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Email support@soundorbitapp.com or use the contact form at soundorbitapp.com/contact. We respond within 24 hours.