Is there really noise in all data? Find it out by listening — yes, listening — to your favorite datasets from the OpenDataSoft network. What is this?

What am I looking at?

This page allows you to listen to data, or more specifically to numeric data, stored on the OpenDataSoft platform. You can search for interesting datasets — those with the volume up logo work best — select a numeric fields that you would like to listen to, and if you want, sort the data points according to a different column.

How is sound created out of data?

We operate by creating a pulse-code modulated audio buffer using the individual data point of the dataset as samples of the sound wave amplitude. The Web Audio API then decodes that buffer and transforms it in sound. It is in a way a form of digital audio synthesis using datasets as the source stream of numbers.

More detailed info in this article.

Source code available here.