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Pete Tong - Rave for as long as possible

ByHearology® Publishing | Date: Thu Jul 09 2026

A studio portrait of DJ Pete Tong, looking directly forward with a serious expression against a plain, light gray background. He has short, styled dark hair with graying at the temples, blue eyes, and light stubble. He is wearing a dark hooded jacket over a black shirt with a dark plaid or checked outer pattern featuring white and blue lines, and a small silver pendant necklace is visible at his collar.

By Hearology® Publishing. Professionally reviewed by Laurence Coen. Last reviewed on 9.7.26. Next review due on 9.7.27.

Can listening to loud music damage your hearing? Pete Tong shares his hearing loss story

After more than 40 years in the music industry, Pete Tong has opened up about the impact of loud music on his hearing and his experience using hearing aids. The DJ is now encouraging others to take hearing health seriously and see hearing tests as a normal part of looking after themselves.


A lifetime on the decks

BBC Radio 1 DJ and dance music powerhouse Pete Tong has spoken out about his hearing loss. Elemental in the mainstreaming of rave culture, an Ibiza Classics legend, and founder of FFRR Records, Pete Tong has been a household name in the music industry for over 40 years. In an insightful interview with The Guardian, he reveals that this success has not come without a price - and that price is hearing loss.


An occupational hazard

Around a decade ago, the superstar DJ was diagnosed with hearing loss in his right ear. While Tong admits he was not too surprised by the diagnosis, he has reflected on his career and immersion in loud music since the age of 15. He has started wearing earplugs to protect his hearing at work, but found it “totally changes the experience”, commenting that “you don’t really hear the crowd in the same way”. Tong adapted his mindset, knowing he needed to prioritise his hearing health. He told himself that it was healthier for him and worked hard to accept that this was his new working environment. Ever positive, in the knowledge that he’s lost some high-frequency hearing, he now adapts his mixing so as not to overdo the top end of the track.


Breaking the stigma of hearing aids

Today, Tong also uses hearing aids, finding them particularly useful in noisy rooms or meetings where multiple voices and background noise can make speech difficult to distinguish. He is now on a mission to raise awareness about audiological health and dismantle the deep-rooted stigma around hearing devices.


Tong reflects that, at first, he felt self-conscious wearing his hearing aids. The focus on youthfulness in the music industry only heightened the stigma around hearing aids, effectively equating them with old age. However, modern hearing tech looks and functions more like wireless earbuds and Tong wants to encourage his generation of “relapsed ravers” to treat hearing tests as they would a trip to the optician, enabling them to “rave for as long as possible”.


Tong is not wrong

“It is fantastic to see an icon like Pete Tong speaking openly about his hearing loss and challenging the stigma surrounding hearing devices,” said Laurence Coen, Co-founder of Hearology®. “We see many clients who spent their youth in clubs or at gigs, now noticing the cumulative effects of that noise exposure. Tong is spot on: addressing hearing loss should not be associated with ‘getting old’, but rather with staying connected, active, and preserving your quality of life.”


Coen continued, “We strongly advise anyone who is regularly exposed to loud music - whether you are a DJ, a musician, or just a frequent gig-goer - to invest in custom-fit hearing protection to prevent irreversible damage before it starts. Tong’s experience of hearing protection wasn’t great, but we have many clients whose experience with it has been more positive. It’s definitely worth a try, given what’s at stake.”


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