Our Guide on How to Remove Background Noise in Audacity [+ an Alternative]

Helpful Summary

• Overview: This guide details how to remove background noise in Audacity, a free audio editing tool.
• Why You Can Trust Us: At Cleanvoice, we help over 15,000 podcasters enhance their audio quality. Our expertise and advanced AI-driven tools guarantee professional-grade noise removal.
• Why it Matters: Removing background noise improves audio clarity, enhances listener experience, and lends a professional touch to your podcast.
• Action Points: Download and install Audacity, import your audio file, select a noise sample, get the noise profile, apply noise reduction, review, fine-tune, and export your edited audio.
• Further Research: Visit the Cleanvoice blog for more in-depth articles on audio editing and noise removal.

Want to Learn How to Remove Background Noise in Audacity?

Sick of having your audio plagued by unwanted background noise? It can be frustrating to listen back and hear things like the hum of a fan or street noise detracting from your content's quality.

Audacity does a good job of removing such background noises. By using it, you can elevate the quality of your podcasts to a professional level.

Fortunately, using Audacity is not that hard! Keep reading, because this guide outlines the step-by-step instructions to help you achieve this.

Why Listen To Us?

At Cleanvoice, we are dedicated to helping podcasters and content creators achieve the highest audio quality.

With over 15,000 podcasters placing their faith in our platform, we have a deep understanding of the challenges of producing professional-grade audio.

We continuously refine our tools and techniques to provide you with the best solutions for noise removal and audio enhancement. You can trust us to deliver expert advice and reliable tools to elevate your podcasting game.

What is Audacity?

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editing software that has long been a favorite among podcasters, musicians, and content creators.

Launched in 2000, it’s a free tool that makes editing audio accessible to everyone, regardless of experience level.

With Audacity, you can record live audio, edit sound files, cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together. It supports various file formats, including WAV, AIFF, MP3, and more.

One of its standout features is its ability to remove background noise, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to enhance their audio recordings.

Whether you're new to audio editing or a seasoned pro, Audacity provides the tools you need to create high-quality audio content.

In the next sections, we'll explore the benefits of using Audacity for background noise removal and provide a detailed step-by-step guide on how to do it effectively.

Benefits of Using Audacity for Background Noise Removal

Still wondering why you should use Audacity? Here are some benefits of the tool.

Cost-Effective

Audacity is completely free to use, unlike other audio editing software that may require expensive subscriptions or one-time purchases. It’s a very accessible option if you’re on a budget.

Versatile Editing Tools

Beyond just noise removal, Audacity offers a wide range of editing capabilities. You can cut, copy, paste, and delete audio sections, apply various effects, and adjust the audio's pitch and tempo. This versatility allows you to polish your recordings comprehensively.

High-Quality Output

Audacity's noise removal feature is robust, ensuring that the final output is clean and professional. You can significantly reduce or completely eliminate background noise, making your recordings clearer and more enjoyable for your audience.

Community Support and Resources

As an open-source software, Audacity benefits from a large community of users who contribute to its development and provide support.

There are numerous forums, tutorials, and guides available to help you troubleshoot issues and maximize Audacity's potential.

How to Use Audacity for Background Noise Removal

Removing background noise in Audacity only requires a few steps, but you need to follow them closely to get the best results.

Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Download and Install Audacity

Visit the Audacity website and download the latest version of the software for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions to set up the software tool on your computer.

Step 2: Import Your Audio File

Open Audacity. Click on "File" in the top menu, then select "Import" and choose "Audio." Locate and select the audio file you want to edit.

Step 3: Select a Noise Sample

To effectively remove background noise, you need to select a section of the audio that contains only the background noise you want to eliminate.

Play your audio and find a part where there's no speaking or important sounds—just the background noise.

Click and drag to highlight this section.

Step 4: Get Noise Profile

With the noise sample highlighted, go to the "Effect" menu. Select "Noise Reduction," then click on "Get Noise Profile." This tells Audacity what the unwanted noise sounds like.

Step 5: Apply Noise Reduction

Select the entire audio track by clicking on the track header or pressing Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac).

Go back to the "Effect" menu and choose "Noise Reduction" again.

The default settings are usually a good starting point, but you can adjust them too:

• Noise Reduction (dB): Determines the amount of noise reduction applied. Start with 12 dB.
• Sensitivity: Controls the “noise”. A setting of 6 is typically good enough.
• Frequency Smoothing (bands): Reduces the impact on the frequencies you want to keep. Try a setting of 3.

Click "OK" to apply the noise reduction.

Step 6: Review and Fine-Tune

Play back your audio to see if the noise reduction has improved the quality.

If necessary, you can undo the changes (Ctrl + Z or Cmd + Z) and repeat the noise reduction process with adjusted settings until you achieve the desired result.

Step 7: Export Your Edited Audio

Once you are satisfied with the noise reduction, you can export your edited audio. Click on "File" and select "Export Audio." Choose your preferred format (e.g., MP3, WAV) and save the file to your computer.

By following these steps, you can effectively remove background noise in Audacity and significantly enhance the quality of your recordings.

Potential Limitations of Audacity

While Audacity is a robust and versatile tool for audio editing, it does have some limitations.

Here are some potential challenges you might encounter:

Learning Curve

Mastering Audacity’s noise reduction features can take time. Beginners might find it challenging to achieve the desired results without extensive experimentation and practice.

Impact on Audio Quality

If you go too far one way, Audacity can often reduce the overall quality of your audio even though you were just trying to remove background noise.

Finding the right balance between noise reduction and audio clarity on Audacity can be tricky. You might notice a “tinny” or “underwater” effect if the settings are not perfectly tuned.

Manual Process

The noise reduction process in Audacity requires manual intervention. You need to manually select a noise profile and apply the reduction, which can be time-consuming, especially for longer recordings or multiple files.

Limited Automation

Audacity lacks advanced automation features that some other paid software offers. For example, it doesn’t automatically detect and remove noise across multiple tracks or sessions, requiring manual adjustments for each project.

Background Noise Complexity

Audacity might struggle with complex or variable background noises. For instance, removing consistent white noise is relatively straightforward, but eliminating intermittent sounds like traffic or crowd noise can be more challenging.

Given these limitations, you might consider exploring alternative solutions that offer more advanced features and automation. One such solution is Cleanvoice, which provides a streamlined and effective approach to noise removal.

Why Cleanvoice is a Reliable Alternative

While Audacity is a great tool for many audio editing tasks, Cleanvoice offers several advantages, especially when it comes to removing background noise.

Our tool is designed specifically for podcasters and content creators who need an efficient and automated solution for improving audio quality.

Here's what makes us stand out:

Automated Noise Removal

Cleanvoice uses advanced algorithms to automatically detect and remove background noise. This means you don’t have to manually select noise profiles or tweak settings.

Consistent Quality

With Cleanvoice, you can achieve consistent audio quality across all your recordings.

The automated process ensures that the same high standard of noise reduction is applied to each file, eliminating the variability that can occur with manual editing.

Ease of Use

Cleanvoice is incredibly user-friendly. You don’t need to be an audio expert to get great results.

Our tool's intuitive interface makes it easy to upload your files and get clean audio with just a few clicks.

Batch processing

Cleanvoice allows you to process multiple files at once. This batch processing feature is ideal for podcasters who need to edit several episodes or segments quickly and efficiently. It’s much faster than a free tool like Audacity.

How to Use Cleanvoice for Background Noise Removal

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Cleanvoice for removing background noise from your recordings:

Step 1: Sign Up and Log In

Click here to create a free Cleanvoice account. If you already have an account, simply log in.

Step 2: Upload Your Audio Files

Once logged in, go to the dashboard and click on the "Upload" button. Select the audio files you want to clean from your computer.

You can upload multiple files at once, thanks to our batch processing feature.

Step 3: Choose Noise Removal Settings

Cleanvoice provides a few customizable settings to tailor the editing process to your needs. Choose the "Clean Audio" option and click on the “Start” button.

Our AI will analyze your audio files and apply the noise reduction algorithms.

This process is automated and typically takes just a few minutes, depending on the length and number of files.

Step 4: Download Your Cleaned Audio

Once the cleaning process is complete, you will receive a notification.

Proceed to download your cleaned audio files.

By using Cleanvoice, you can achieve high-quality audio with minimal effort, making it an excellent alternative to manual noise reduction methods in Audacity.

Start Producing Noise-Free Podcasts Today

Achieving clear, professional-quality audio is essential for podcasters and content creators. While Audacity is a powerful, free solution to remove background noise, it does come with some limitations.

If you want to edit audio at scale, with faster results, Cleanvoice is a high-quality alternative.

Ready to enhance your audio recordings?

Try our tool for free today and experience the difference it can make in your podcast or content creation process. Click here to get started!