10 Best Tools For Podcast Silence Removal 2024
Manually removing silence from a podcast can eat up valuable time that you’d probably rather spend focusing on the creative process or moving on to plans for your next episode.
That’s why finding a tool with a good silence remover (preferably one that does all the work for you automatically) can greatly improve the efficiency of the audio editing process.
Also, unsurprisingly, the right software will generally come with an array of features that can increase your post-production efficiency more.
At Cleanvoice, we know just how valuable efficiency can be and the many benefits of using the right silence remover.
In this guide, we’ll explain what a silence remover is in more detail, why these tools matter, and review the best silence remover tools on the market. Let’s begin!
What is a Silence Remover?
To ensure a high-quality podcast that remains engaging and captivating throughout the episode, it’s important to remove unnatural and inevitable pauses.
The purpose of a silence remover is to rid an audio file of silent or low-sounding moments to create a more professional podcast where conversations flow better.
Automatic/AI-powered silence removers are designed to detect and delete sections in a file that meet certain criteria for silence.
These tools can massively simplify the editing process as it means you can effectively outsource a ton of tedious and time-consuming work to an AI. However, not all audio tools feature automatic or fully automated silence removal.
While it’s important that you record a podcast professionally, without a good edit, whether in relation to silence removal, background noise removal, or otherwise, no amount of top-notch studio recording equipment can guarantee an attentive audience.
Why Silence Remover Tools are Important?
Silence remover tools offer an array of benefits including:
- Enhanced audio quality with fewer distractions that can take away from the listener’s experience.
- Can save you plenty of time since these tools remove silence automatically.
- With a more-polished listening experience (and a lack of human error in the process), you have better chances of keeping listeners engaged. This can also make listeners more likely to come back for future episodes.
- Silence remover tools contribute to consistent audio quality by maintaining a steady pace throughout the podcast.
- They also reduce the chance of human errors in the editing process. By relying on advanced algorithms and AI, these tools can accurately identify and remove silences without the risk of overlooking segments or introducing unintentional edits.
Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Tool for Podcast Silence Removal
Accuracy of Silence Detection
Evaluate the tool's accuracy in identifying and removing silent segments. A reliable silence remover should effectively distinguish between intentional pauses and unwanted silences, ensuring that the natural cadence of speech is preserved.
User-Friendly Interface
Opt for tools with intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. A straightforward design enhances the ease of use, enabling even those with limited technical expertise to navigate and use the silence remover features effectively.
Additional Editing Features
Explore tools that offer additional editing features beyond silence removal. Features like background noise reduction, EQ adjustments, or audio enhancement can further contribute to overall audio quality and post-production efficiency.
Integration with Workflow
Take into account how seamlessly the silence remover tool integrates with your current workflow. Its compatibility with your preferred recording and editing processes ensures a smooth incorporation of the tool into your podcast production routine.
Batch Processing Capabilities
Consider whether the silence remover tool supports batch processing. This feature allows you to apply silence removal to multiple episodes or segments simultaneously, streamlining the editing process for podcasters with a large volume of content.
Top Silence Remover Tools
Here are the best audio editing tools for Mac:
- Cleanvoice - Perfect for automating the essentials and some more.
- Adobe Audition - Another high-quality editing tool.
- REAPER - Perfect if you want a lifetime license (thus a one-time fee)
- Audacity - Best free silence remover.
- Kapwing: Best for creating and editing videos online.
- Auphonic: Best for automatic audio post-production and podcast publishing.
- Pro Tools: Best for music creation, recording, editing, and mixing audio.
- Podcastle: Best for all-in-one podcast editing
- Veed.io: Best for video silence removal
- TimeBolt: Best for simple silence removal
#1 Cleanvoice
Cleanvoice is an AI-powered tool that can enable podcasts to rid their audio files of silence, filler sounds, mouth sounds, stuttering, and more.
You can also use Cleanvoice to audit podcasts. Other features relate to the development and pre-production stage with the help of additional AI features.
Relevant Features
- Silence Remover
Our dead air remover tool is great for ensuring that your podcast stays as engaging as possible.
Also, this feature can even edit based on context! For example, our AI-powered silence remover can make the pause shorter if the speaker is thinking but longer between topic changes. Yes, the future is here.
- Filler Words Remover
‘Ums’, ‘ahs’, and ‘you knows’ are not only what your teacher told you to avoid during a class presentation but words that often plague initial podcast recordings.
However, our filler words remover feature can automatically remove filler words in multiple languages.
- Background Noise Remover
Another Cleanvoice feature that offers automatic audio enhancement is our background noise remover.
Whether it be traffic sounds, white noise, cafe noise, or otherwise, a background noise remover can further enhance the quality of your podcast.
Pricing
Cleanvoice is available in two payment forms, subscription and pay-as-you-go. We also offer a free trial, allowing you the chance to get an idea of the Cleanvoice experience before committing to a paid package.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- User-friendly and easy to use
- SaaS, meaning no need to download or install anything
- May improve your podcast’s SEO (with show notes, transcriptions, podcast summary etc.)
Cons:
- May lack specific audio editing features you’re after
- Internet connectivity always needed
#2 Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is a popular audio recording and editing software allowing podcasters, musicians, and more to edit, mix, record, and restore audio.
Relevant Features
- Silence remover
Adobe Audition can automatically remove silence. There is a several-step process involved which includes setting your preferred presets.
- Audio mixing and mastering
Use this feature to mix and master each of your audio projects. Among the advantages of this feature is the ability to streamline your audio editing, control audio, and eliminate white noise.
- Record podcasts
Create killer podcasts with Adobe Audition by benefiting from a range of features including levels adjustment and multitrack recording (perhaps for a more creative podcast).
Pricing
Adobe Audition comes in various packages. Most podcasters will be satisfied with the $20.99 per month edition, however, podcast companies will prefer the costlier Business package.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Can offer top-notch studio-quality sound
- Fantastic plugins and automations
- Superb features (e.g., EQ and noise reduction)
Cons:
- Pretty steep learning curve
- May not scrub the timeline to your expectations
Reviews
4.7 stars out of 191 reviews
#3 REAPER
REAPER is a full digital audio production PC application that provides full multitrack audio and MIDI recording as well as editing, mixing, processing, and mastering toolset.
Relevant Features
- Remove silence
REAPER’s silence remover, while effective, involves more manual work on your part (e.g. selecting the right presets) than is the case with the AI features provided by service’s like Collabstr.
- Routing diagram
View your project and edit routing through a high-level graphical patchbay emulation.
- Produce
Drag and drop to import, arrange, and render with ease. You can also benefit from fully automated recording, playback, and editing support.
Pricing
REAPER, while in a similar category to Adobe Audition, it’s cheaper and thus will prove far more appealing to low-budget/no-budget independent podcasters. To clarify these are lifetime licenses!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy to set up and use
- Great option for those on a budget
- Greater workflow and interface
Cons:
- Default color scheme may not be for you
- May still involve a bit of a learning curve
Reviews
4.7 stars out of 50 reviews
#4 Audacity
Audacity is the perfect cross-platform audio software for low-budget and no-budget podcasters since it's totally free.
Relevant Features
- Silence remover
It’s possible to automatically remove all silence between joined audio tracks using Audacity. To do this, highlight the track and use the ‘truncate silence’ effect to automatically rid your podcast of silence!
- Recording
You can also use Audacity to record your podcasts in the first place.
- Editing
It’s super easy to edit through cut, copy, paste, and delete to adjust your various tracks in order to perfect your podcast!
Pricing
As mentioned, you can download Audacity for free!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Totally free
- User-friendly interface
- Covers all the basics
Cons:
- Still has plenty of limits that may not be enough for some podcasters
- Not the best for noise separation
- Could have better-standardized support avenues
Reviews
4.5 stars out of 361 reviews
#5 Kapwing
Kapwing provides an AI-powered audio silence remover that automatically detects and trims silences from MP3 and WAV audio files. It is available online and requires no downloads. You can access Kapwing directly from your web browser on your phone, computer, or tablet without the need to install any audio editing software.
Relevant Features
- Smart Cut
Edit video content faster by automatically removing silences from your video.
- AI Audio Enhancer
Enhance audio quality for voice recordings, background music, and more using AI technology.
-Silence Sensitivity Sliding Bar
This feature allows you to adjust the silence threshold, multi-select each gap, and delete them.
Pricing
Kapwing offers a range of pricing plans, including a Free plan with basic features, a Pro plan ($16/user/month) with advanced capabilities, and an Enterprise plan for larger teams with additional controls and support.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Multi-language support with AI-generated subtitles
- Free service with high-quality
- User-friendly controls and templates for content creators
Cons:
- Terrible customer service
- Publishing failures occur frequently
- Negative on-site experience and customer support
Reviews
4.4 stars out of 199 reviews
#6 Auphonic
Auphonic is an all-in-one audio post-production web tool that helps achieve professional-quality audio. It offers a range of features such as intelligent leveler, noise reduction, filtering, multitrack algorithms, and more, making it a popular choice among podcasters, video creators, educators, and audiobook producers.
Relevant Features
- Silence Cutting
Automatically cuts out silence segments, such as speech breaks or breathing pauses, in your singletrack or multitrack productions.
- Noise & Reverb Reduction
Removes noise and reverb from your audio recordings with state-of-the-art algorithms.
- Filtering & AutoEQ
Eliminates unwanted frequencies and sibilance (De-Esser) to create a clear, warm, and pleasant sound.
- Loudness Specifications
Allows you to define a target loudness, true peak limit, MaxLRA, and more for consistency across files and compliance with audio specifications.
Pricing
Auphonic offers various pricing plans for audio processing. The free plan allows for two hours of processed audio per month. Additional options include recurring credits for monthly usage or one-time credits for occasional needs beyond the monthly limit.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Quick and easy to use
- High-quality audio output
- Affordable pricing options
- Supports both video and audio files
- Direct publishing to preferred platforms
Cons:
- Difficulties with complex audio tracks
- Limited effectiveness with low-quality audio files
- No dedicated desktop app
Reviews
4.5 stars out of 6 reviews
#7 Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a comprehensive music production software that offers a complete set of tools for creating, recording, editing, and mixing audio. Pro Tools helps create a more professional podcast where conversations flow better by removing silent or low-sounding moments. This enhances the audio quality with fewer distractions.
Relevant Features
- The Strip Silence
This feature analyzes audio selections across multiple clips or tracks and automatically identifies audio events above a specified threshold level
- Massive collection of plugins, instruments, and sounds
It offers a vast library of plugins, instruments, and sounds to add depth to podcast sound design.
-Seamless end-to-end audio production
It covers every stage of the creative process, from idea to final mix, with non-linear Sketches, world-class editing, and mixing tools on the timeline.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Highly customizable application and UI.
- Wide audio format compatibility.
- Broad hardware compatibility.
- Control over individual audio clips.
Cons:
- Clunky virtual instrument interfaces.
- Steep learning curve.
- Inconsistent cloud project functionality.
- Limited tools for creative ideation.
- Video tool can be buggy and crash-prone.
Reviews
4.0 out of 36 reviews
#8 Podcastle
Podcastle is a podcast editing platform powered by AI. It provides tools specifically designed for creating and editing podcasts.
It includes a feature called AI silence removal, which automatically takes out extended, awkward pauses from your audio recordings.
This platform is great for editing podcasts recorded in noisy places like coffee shops, busy streets, and shared workspaces.
Relevant Features
- AI Silence Removal
Automatically cut out any silent moments and enhance the flow of your audio recordings by smoothing out extended, awkward pauses.
- Clean Audio with One Click
Removes ambient and background noise, like traffic and HVAC disturbances, to make sure the audio is crisp and clear.
- Filler Word Detection
Works to eliminate filler words and phrases, like “um,” “ah,” and “like,” from your audio recordings for a more polished sound.
- Background Noise Removal
Gets rid of any interference, like static and chatter sounds, for a clearer audio experience.
Pricing
Podcastle has a free plan that gives you unlimited access to its basic features, including audio recording and editing, as well as podcast hosting and publishing.
Their paid plans include the Individual plan at $14.99/month with extra features like AI noise removal and unlimited transcription.
The Team plan, priced at $29.99/month, offers collaborative editing and custom branding.
For the Business plan, contact Podcastle directly for a custom quote.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Ease of use
- Low-cost pricing
- Responsive customer support
Cons:
- Limited storage
- Occasional bugs
- Lack of workspace sorting and automation features
Reviews
4.3 out of 161 reviews
#9 VEED.io
VEED.io is a powerful editing tool designed for video and audio content creators. It's a great choice for anyone looking to edit videos faster while still maintaining professional-looking results.
As part of VEED’s editing suite, you get access to features like AI background noise removal, transcription, silence removal, and more.
Relevant Features
- AI-Powered Silence Removal
Remove long sections of audio with one click using VEED's AI-powered silence removal feature.
It’s perfect for trimming out distractions and background noise, ensuring your videos are as clean and professional as possible.
- Background Noise Remover
Cut out annoying background noise with the push of a button.
VEED’s AI-powered background noise removal feature can detect and remove any unwanted sound from your audio recordings, keeping only the important parts.
Pricing
Veed offers a free plan with essential editing features and a 1 GB upload limit. Their paid plans include Basic, Pro, and Business.
The Basic plan includes advanced video editing features without watermarks and allows full-HD exports.
The Pro plan, priced at $30/month, includes added features like subtitles, background noise removal, and video format conversion.
The Business plan, at $70/user/month, provides extra support for additional users.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive suite of audio and video editing tools
- Affordable pricing plans with support for multiple users
- Cloud-based platform
Cons:
- Watermarks on the free plan
- Limited export capacity
- Inaccurate outputs using AI Silence Removal
Reviews
4.6 out of 223 reviews
#10 TimeBolt
Timebolt is an AI-powered video editing tool primarily designed to automatically remove silence and awkward pauses from videos and podcasts.
It offers rapid video editing capabilities, allowing users to significantly reduce the time spent on editing.
Relevant Features
- Automatic Silence Removal
Timebolt automatically detects and eliminates silences from podcasts and videos, ensuring a more polished, natural-sounding podcast.
- Customizable Silence Detection
Users can adjust settings like sound level, duration of silence, and padding to tailor the silence detection to their needs.
- Sculpt Feature
Allows manual editing to split, remove, or add back clips, providing additional control over the final output.
Pricing
Timebolt offers three pricing plans—Basic, Paid, and Enterprise. The Basic plan is free, supporting only video editing but without saving or XML export, and videos processed through it are watermarked.
The Paid plan is priced at $17 per month and offers support for both video and audio editing. It also includes features like saving, XML export, and plugin export.
Additionally, the Paid plan provides access to Umcheck, a pay-per-use service that helps remove mistakes from videos.
The cost for Umcheck is $0.50 for every ten minutes of video processed.
The Enterprise plan is specially designed for businesses with more demanding needs. It offers custom quotes, multiple key management, and the flexibility to add or remove members.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Light and plain UI
- Available for both Windows and MacOS
- Cost-effective pricing
Cons:
- No mobile app version available
- There are instances of over-processing resulting in inaccurate silence removal
- Limited exporting options
Reviews
5 out of 26 reviews
Conclusion
Based on your podcast topics and audience, compare these best tools to remove silence from your podcast, and ensure a natural and better flow in your speech.
Sign up for Cleanvoice today and begin automating tasks such as silence removal to speed up the editing process. That way you can free up time for the more creative and engaging parts of the process!
