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Please note that for formatting reasons only, the pre-registered protocol for this study has been uploaded in PDF form rather than using the standard OSF template. This approach allows use of subscript and tables, which are essential to convey the complex content of the protocol clearly. Care has been taken to ensure that the protocol includes all the key elements included in the OSF standard template. The Ear Audit is a large online study investigating how auditory function in young people relates to their noise exposure and demographic characteristics. Over the course of 2024-26, participants aged 18-40 will complete a web survey and two online listening tasks. The survey gathers self-report data on demographic characteristics, hearing, tinnitus, and noise exposure. The listening tasks are two Digits-In-Noise (DIN) tasks and are performed using the listener’s own computer and headphones/earphones. The primary analyses will test for associations between energy of lifetime noise exposure and two auditory measures: performance on a DIN task (involving babble maskers and spatial cues) and presence/absence of prolonged spontaneous tinnitus. Secondary analyses (fully specified in this document) will test for effects of sex, skin tone, and equivalent continuous noise level (as effect modifiers) on the primary outcomes. A number of exploratory analyses will also be conducted, involving alternative predictors, alternative outcome measures, and an analysis of how tinnitus prevalence is affected by choice of tinnitus definition.