Meditation by Focusing on Sound Instead of Breath—How Does It Differ?

I've been struggling with meditating by focusing on my breath because I tend to overthink it and end up controlling my breathing instead of letting it flow naturally. This makes it hard for me to relax.

Recently, I decided to try something different: playing audio like rain sounds, a waterfall, or brown noise and focusing on those instead of my breath. It feels more natural for me, but I'm curious—how does this approach compare to breath-focused meditation? Is one approach considered better, worse, or just different in terms of effectiveness?