Recording a perfect soundtrack without background noise can be difficult, especially in noisy environments or with poor-quality equipment. So how to remove background noise?
Don’t panic, there are tips to avoid these distractions and above all improve the sound during the post-production phase!
Whether it is a podcast or a voice-over for a video, it is important to choose your recording location, and your equipment and to equip yourself with editing software to remove noise from the background picked up by your microphone.
How to proceed? Which tools to select? And what are some easy ways to get professional-looking sound?
Find out everything you need to know in this article to offer quality audio or video content to your audience.
Top 3 software to remove background noise
We have selected three very different tools, which we present and compare in this article. Free or paid, online or to download: these allow you to remove background noise easily.
Here is a summary table of the features of Audacity, MyEdit, and Camtasia.
Audacity | MyEdit | Camtasia | |
Audio | x | x | x |
Video | x | ||
No time limit of the imported file |
x | x | |
Noise cancellation | x | x | x |
With adjustments | x | Limit | x |
Audio trimming | x | Only the beginning and the end |
x |
Fade effect | x | x |
Remove background noise with Audacity
To remove background noise, there is a free method: Audacity, open source audio recording, and editing software. This was created and maintained by a community of programmers and audio recording experts.
Benefits
- Accepts a wide range of audio files,
- Incorporates an extremely easy-to-use noise-reduction tool,
- Ability to make other audio modifications (volume adjustment, trimming, crossfade),
- Lots of advice to find on the community forum for novices.
Disadvantages
- This software only processes audio, which can make things complicated if you’re working with video,
- The interface is not the most intuitive for people just starting out.
Price
- Free.
Steps to remove background noise with Audacity
- Import your audio file into Audacity,
- Find your baseline soundscape by selecting an area with no (or very little) audio, for example at a time when you are not speaking,
- In the “Effects” menu, choose “Noise Reduction”,
- Click on “Take noise profile” — the menu disappears,
- This time select the entire clip,
- In the “Effects” menu, select “Noise Reduction” again,
- Click “Preview” to test the default noise reduction settings. Depending on your sound environment and the original audio recording, these settings may do the trick,
- If you still hear background noise adjust the intensity sliders and click “Preview” again.
- Click on “Validate” to reduce the noise,
- Then export your audio file and import it into your video editing software.
Note that in the settings, “Noise Reduction” controls the intensity level of noise reduction, while “Sensitivity” controls the range of elements considered as noise to be reduced. The higher the slider is placed, the more the actual soundtrack (e.g. vocals) will be affected.
Our advice: go easy with the sliders. Small variations can have big effects!
Reduce background noise with MyEdit
MyEdit is an online editing platform, handy for learning how to remove background noise from an audio recording without downloading software. It allows you to make simple changes to an audio file, but also to modify an image.
Benefits
- Is accessible online,
- Easy to use,
- Ideal for removing background or wind noise from an audio file in just a few clicks,
- Features some general tools, including an audio trimmer,
- Multiple formats are supported, including MP3 and WAV.
Disadvantages
- Limits on duration (10 min) and size (100 MB) of files,
- Not the most complete tool — everything will depend on what you use it for and how often,
- Does not offer optimal results.
Price
- Free.
Steps to remove background noise with MyEdit
- Go to the MyEdit page in your web browser,
- In the “Audio” tab, choose “Noise Gate”,
- Click the blue button to find your file,
- The noise is reduced automatically,
- You can compare with your base file by clicking on “Original”,
- You can also make some simple adjustments,
- Then, export your file to the desired format by clicking on “Download” at the bottom right.
Remove background noise with Camtasia
Camtasia is a professional screen recording and editing software that is still accessible to people who are new to this field. It’s ideal for creating tutorials, educational content, and corporate videos, and can be used to record voice-over.
Benefits
- Intuitive tool that does not pose any difficulty,
- It is possible to remove background microphone noise in a few clicks thanks to an effect integrated into the software,
- Easy-to-use advanced settings,
- With this software, you don’t need to repeatedly import and export audio from an external program such as Audacity,
- It provides an answer to how to remove background noise from both an audio recording and a video,
- Other possible modifications (cut a passage of the video, add a fade out, etc.),
- Tutorials available and quality technical support.
Disadvantages
- Paid software.
Price
- $299.99 for a user license, which includes one year of maintenance.
Steps to remove background noise from the microphone with Camtasia
- Open Camtasia software and import your video,
- Drag your video onto the timeline,
- Go to the “Audio Effects” tab,
- Click on “Noise Removal” and drag this effect onto your track, The background noise is removed, it’s that simple!
Like Audacity, to remove background noise, Camtasia relies on your base soundscape, but there’s no need to select it in your clip — the software takes care of that for you.
If you want to customize background noise reduction, you can adjust the settings in the properties panel. Note that the “Sensitivity” slider in Camtasia works like in Audacity, while the “Reduction” slider is equivalent to the “Noise Reduction” slider.
We advise you to experiment with the settings several times to find the best balance. Please note that you can always go back by clicking on “Edit” > “Undo”.
Finally, in Camtasia, you can customize the duration of the noise cancellation effect. By clicking on your video clip and the little arrow that appears on it, you can decrease the time of the effect by moving the slider back and forth. This is useful if you want to know how to remove background noise from only part of your audio recording!
How to remove background noise from a video: the basic soundscape
There is a trick that will help you know how to remove background noise in your video and significantly improve your audio from your editing software.
When you get ready to film, remember to always start by recording 10 seconds of basic room sound. This is simply the natural sound produced by the environment in which you are recording (without any sound produced “on purpose”).
Even if you can’t hear anything at all, a sensitive microphone will identify extraneous noises, such as air conditioning or computer fans.
This reference soundscape will serve as a basis for removing background noise from your software, whether Audacity or Camtasia. Making sure to always start your recordings “silently” is therefore a good habit to get into. Especially if you know you’ll need to reduce background noise later!
If you receive a recording already ready, don’t panic, you can generally find a little of this soundscape in the soundtrack (pauses between takes, end of the file) and therefore enough material for the suppression of the background noise.
Our tips for avoiding background noise in your audio and video recordings
Remember, however, that although software efficiency continues to improve, it is important to do everything possible to minimize background noise in the initial recording. This remains the best way to obtain quality sound in your videos.
Choose the recording location carefully
If you don’t have access to a recording studio, follow these tips:
- Choose a quiet place, without distractions,
- Prefer a small to medium-sized room with enough furniture, which will have the effect of absorbing noise,
- Detect any annoying background noise before recording (fan, window open to the street, etc.)
Invest in a quality external microphone and accessories
A little equipment, at a reasonable price, can make all the difference when you’re recording audio or video.
We recommend that you:
- Opt for an external microphone (vlog, in-camera, educational content with voice-over, etc.),
- Prefer a directional or cardioid microphone for audio recording,
- Use a windscreen or pop filter for better sound quality.
Gather the right equipment according to your budget and improve the sound of your videos from the start!
In conclusion
Many software programs can remove background noise from an audio or video recording. For occasional or personal use, you can find an easy-to-use online tool, like MyEdit. Please note that this is not ideal for obtaining the best quality results.
Audacity, the audio editing software, is the perfect free solution for removing background noise from a podcast or music file. But for videos, it takes a lot of time to export your audio tracks, clean them up with Audacity, and then resync them. While it’s not impossible to achieve, it’s not the most efficient way to do this, especially if you’ve already trimmed your clips in the timeline.
TechSmith’s Camtasia, video recording and editing software, has a very simple function to remove background noise picked up by the microphone. In just a few clicks and without any technical knowledge, you can obtain a personalized result and a professional-looking video, ready to be shared with your audience or colleagues.
This tool includes many audio and video features, such as a cutter, transitions, and effects, or even the ability to hide an element in the image for more confidential content, which you can use for all your creations.