The soothing-sounds app Portal teleports you to another world via immersive 3D soundscapes filled with flowing rivers and chirping birds. It takes nature recordings to the next level.

What we love: Its recordings of peaceful locales around the globe, including Ama Dablam in Nepal, Redwood National Park in California and Lake Kawaguchi in Japan. Close your eyes, put on headphones and see if you aren’t immediately transported.

Quick tip: Portal lets you mix in audio from other apps – so you can listen to a podcast or audiobook with the app’s calming soundscapes playing in the background.

Meet the creator: The idea for Portal came to co-founder Nick Daniels while he was on a camping trip in New Zealand. His brother, Tim Daniels, joined him in co-founding the app. “Growing up we’d always dreamt of running a business together doing something we loved but that would actually help people,” says Tim. “Here was that idea – capturing the natural outdoors to improve people’s daily lives.”