With these headphones, the sound barely escapes to the outside. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds use proprietary OpenAudio technology, which directs sound into the ear canal and minimises sound propagation in other directions. In most environments and at normal volume levels, people nearby won't hear any of your music. Only if you turn the volume up very high in a very quiet environment could others hear that something is playing, but no details unless they are very close to you.