5 Best Tools To Isolate Voice from Background Noise - 2024

Great audio isn’t a requirement for a great podcast—but it definitely helps.

And if you record in conditions that are less than ideal, background noise is probably something you’re dealing with. Luckily, there are some great tools out there that can help you isolate your voice from background noise and make your podcast sound more professional.

In this Cleanvoice guide, we introduce you to five of the best noise isolation tools on the market, as well as how to use them for the best results.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Voice Isolation?

Voice isolation is a process that removes background noises and other distractions from an audio recording—leaving you with a clean voice track.

It’s done using a combination of noise-reduction tools and sound isolation techniques.

Voice isolation tools like Cleanvoice automate this process from start to finish.

You can use Cleanvoice to eliminate background noises, dead air, filler sounds, stuttering, and annoying mouth noises, or isolate vocals for fine-tuned mixing. It’s easy to use and makes a huge difference in the quality of your podcast.

Why Isolate Voice from Background Noise?

Improve Audio Quality

When you record a podcast without isolating voice, it’s easy for extraneous background noises to make their way onto the track. This can lead to an inconsistent audio quality overall—and it could be particularly frustrating for listeners.

Reduce Background Noise

Voice isolation acts as a shield that blocks out background noise. That’s why it’s such an important step during the audio editing process.

With voice isolation, you can make sure that only the spoken word is audible and that none of the distracting environmental sounds are heard in your podcast (unless you want it to be).

Expand Accessibility

Clear audio makes your podcast more accessible to people with hearing impairments.

Without voice isolation, background noises can make it difficult for those with hearing loss or auditory processing issues to understand and enjoy the podcast.

Voice isolation helps ensure that everyone can access your content.

Criteria to Consider When Choosing Tools to Isolate Voice from Background Noise

Audio Quality

Quality should be a top priority when picking a voice isolation tool. Poor audio quality can lead to listeners tuning out and low engagement which is detrimental to the success of your podcast.

A great voice isolation tool should be able to achieve a balance between improving the clarity of audio and maintaining its natural sound.

Ease of Use

Many people don’t have the time to spend hours learning a new tool or workflow.

Your voice isolation tool should be easy to use and understand so that anyone can set up a session quickly and start recording content without the need for technical skills or expertise in audio engineering.

AI and ML

Tools that use AI and ML to recognize the speaker’s voice from a mix of noise tend to be much more accurate and reliable than traditional voice isolation tools.

AI-powered solutions can also help you achieve a higher quality recording as they automatically adjust settings to ensure optimal sound levels while still giving you control over the final mix.

Price

Price is important—especially for podcasters on a budget. Fortunately, there are several AI-powered voice isolation tools on the market today that offer very competitive rates.

When choosing a tool, make sure to compare feature sets and pricing plans before committing to one product.

Updates & Support

Regular updates and responsive customer support contribute to a positive user experience.

Choose a tool that is actively maintained, ensuring compatibility with evolving technologies and prompt assistance when needed.

How to Isolate Voice from Background Noise Using Cleanvoice

1. Create an Account

To get started, head over to Cleanvoice and create a free account.

You’ll get 30 minutes of audio processing for free, so you can test out Cleanvoice and all of its features.

2. Configure Your Track

Select either “Single” or “Multitrack” from the options to let Cleanvoice know what kind of audio track you want to process.

3. Configure Tools

Cleanvoice has a lot of features—select the ones you want individually or choose “Clean Everything” for the whole package.

“Remove Background Noise” is the feature you’ll want to select if you just want your vocals isolated from background noise.

4. All Set!

Now, just upload your audio file (in any major format) and watch as Cleanvoice removes the background noise from your audio. You can then save and share your clean recordings, or integrate with your favorite editing tool to add it directly to your episode mix.

5 Tools to Isolate Voice from Background Noise

  1. Cleanvoice
  2. Veed.io
  3. Descript
  4. Podcastle
  5. Media.io

1. Cleanvoice

Cleanvoice is an AI tool that automatically cleans and enhances podcast audio.

There are a ton of tools under the hood—from mouth sound and filler word removal to automatic transcription and AI summarization.

When it comes to isolating vocals, Cleanvoice can automatically detect when background noise is present and isolate it from the main vocal track without affecting other elements of the audio recording.

Relevant Features

  • Background Noise Remover:

Detect and remove distractions from your audio recordings.

  • Mouth Sound Remover:

Targets and eliminates distracting mouth noises like clicks, smacks, and pops.

  • Filler Words Remover:

Identifies and reduces common filler words like “um” and “ah”.

  • AI Transcriptions:

Automatically transcribes audio recordings for accurate and efficient editing.

  • AI Transcript Repurposing:

Instantly transform transcripts into social posts, podcast descriptions, and more.

Pricing

Cleanvoice offers flexible pricing options to meet the diverse needs of its users—whether you’re looking for a subscription-based plan or one-off editing:

Subscriptions:

  • 10 hours for €10/month
  • 30 hours for €25/month
  • 100 hours for €80/month

Pay as You Go:

  • 5 hours for €10
  • 10 hours for €18
  • 30 hours for €40

We offer a free trial that includes 30 minutes of editing, so you can test Cleanvoice's audio editing capabilities before committing to a plan.

2. VEED

VEED is a simple, user-friendly video editing tool that features a range of tools designed to enhance your video and audio.

Relevant here is the background noise remover—this tool automatically detects noises like hums, hisses, and pops in audio files, allowing you to eliminate them from your videos with just a few clicks and generate a crystal-clear speaker audio track.

Relevant Features

  • Remove Background Noise: Automatically detect and eliminate background noise from audio files
  • Audio Normalization: Automatically adjust the volume level and balance of your audio.
  • AI Tools: Use AI to correct eye contact, remove backgrounds, generate images, and more.

Pricing

VEED offers four pricing plans—Free, Basic ($12), Pro ($24), and Business ($59).

Higher tier plans offer higher upload limits and access to advanced features like AI tools and video analytics.

3. Descript

Descript is a video and audio editing suite designed for podcasters.

Descript’s studio-quality sound features allow you to isolate speakers’ voices from background noise by regenerating them clearly rather than applying filters. This leads to less tinny-sounding audio and a more professional final product.

Relevant Features

  • Studio Sound: Regenerate crystal-clear speech from noisy recordings with Descript Studio Sound.
  • Advanced Audio Editing: Make quick adjustments to tweak audio levels, remove background noise, and adjust the balance of your audio.
  • AI Voice Clones: Create voice clones of yourself, using AI to replicate your vocal style for podcasting, lectures, and more.

Pricing

Descript offers four plans—Free, Creator ($12), Pro ($24), and Enterprise (custom).

Each plan features different limits for things like filler word removal, transcription hours, and more.

4. Podcastle

Podcastle is a user-friendly tool that allows you to record, edit, and publish audio content.

It uses AI to detect background noise that’s interfering with speakers and automatically removes it from the mix. There are also tools for transcribing, adding music and effects, and publishing episodes to various platforms.

Relevant Features

  • Background Noise Removal: Eliminate unwanted background noise from your audio.
  • Audio to Text: Convert spoken words into written text to save time.
  • AI Voice Cloning: Replicate and recreate voices using AI technology.

Pricing

Podcastle has a free plan that allows for 3 hours of video recording (lifetime).

Paid plans include Storyteller ($11.99/user/month), Pro ($23.99/user/month), and Business (custom).

5. Media.io

Media.io offers podcasters a suite of AI-powered audio editing tools for optimizing their podcasts.

It features an AI noise reducer for reducing background noise and a dedicated vocal extraction tool for separating vocal tracks from any other sound.

Relevant Features

  • Vocal Remover: Extract or diminish vocal elements from audio tracks.
  • Noise Reducer: Enhance audio clarity by automatically minimizing unwanted background noise.
  • Audio Converter: Convert audio files between various formats.

Pricing

Media.io prices each of its tools separately.

Vocal Remover tool comes in both monthly ($9.99+/month) plan and pay-as-you-go ($19.99+) packages.

Conclusion

Whether it's the hum of machinery or the rustle of leaves, background nose has the potential to distract listeners and compromise the overall quality of a recording.

Tools that reduce noise and separate vocal tracks from the rest of the audio are invaluable for improving audio clarity and producing more professional-sounding recordings.

Cleanvoice is a powerful, time-saving tool for podcasters and podcast editors. Our suite features background noise removal, speech enhancement, automatic transcription, and more—all 100% automated by accurate AI algorithms.

Try Cleanvoice for free today.