How to remove background noise from audio

1. Upload the file

Choose your recording: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, MP4, MOV or WebM. Video files are fine; the picture is kept as it is and only the sound is replaced. Standard handles files up to 60 minutes and 2 GB. Enhanced handles up to 30 minutes, with audio up to 500 MB and video up to 2 GB.

2. Listen to the free preview

We clean the first 30 seconds with both Standard and Enhanced so you can switch between them and the original. Use headphones and listen to the quiet parts between sentences, where leftover noise is easiest to hear, and to s and t sounds, which go dull if too much is removed.

3. Clean the full file and download

Pick the version that sounds right and clean the full file. Standard runs on your device and is free for files up to 5 minutes; longer files use 1 credit per minute. Enhanced runs on our servers and uses 2 credits per minute of audio. Audio comes back as WAV, video with the same picture.

What the result sounds like

This is a voice recorded over rush-hour traffic, cleaned with both modes. Press play and switch between the versions while it plays.

Noise it removes well, and noise it struggles with

It works best on noise that is different from a voice: air conditioning and fans, electrical hum and hiss, traffic, wind on a phone mic, keyboard clicks and general room noise. One main speaker, recorded reasonably close to the mic, gives the cleanest result.

It struggles when the noise looks like speech or music: another person talking over the speaker, music with vocals, or a TV in the background. Strong room echo and clipped, distorted recordings also can’t be fully repaired, because the original voice is already damaged. If the cleaned voice sounds dull, try Enhanced; it keeps more of the consonants.

Standard or Enhanced?

Standard is the place to start. It runs in your browser, your file is never uploaded, and it handles traffic, room noise and background chatter well. Enhanced uses a larger model on our servers and keeps consonants crisper, especially with hum or wind. Both are in the free preview, so compare them on your own recording before spending credits.

Tips for a cleaner recording

Keep the mic or phone close to the speaker, about a hand’s width away for voice notes. Turn off fans and air conditioning when you can, and record in a room with soft furnishings to cut echo. Outside, shield the phone mic from the wind with your hand or a windscreen. A cleaner source always gives a more natural result.

Common questions

Is my audio uploaded? Not with Standard: it is cleaned inside your browser. The Enhanced preview sends only the first 30 seconds to our servers, and cleaning a full file with Enhanced uploads the whole file. Uploads are deleted automatically 24 hours after upload.

Will it change my voice? It is trained to keep speech and remove everything else, so the voice should sound the same, just without the background. If it sounds dull or watery, try the other mode or a less noisy section of the recording.

Can I remove noise from a video? Yes. Upload the MP4, MOV or WebM file and you get the same video back with the cleaned sound.