Remove Background Noise from Audio - Free
Clean up a noisy recording by removing constant background sounds like fan hum, air conditioning, hiss, and room tone. The tool uses RNNoise, a neural network noise suppressor, compiled to WebAssembly. It runs entirely in your browser - your audio is never uploaded.
Clean up a noisy recording by removing constant background sounds like fan hum, air conditioning, hiss, and room tone. The tool uses RNNoise, a neural network noise suppressor, compiled to WebAssembly. It runs entirely in your browser - your audio is never uploaded.
Problems This Tool Solves
My voice sounds metallic or robotic after noise removal
Intensity is too high. Reduce it and try again. Two light passes cause fewer artifacts than one aggressive pass.
Background fan noise is still audible after cleaning
Some residual noise is normal. Run a second light pass. Accept that extremely noisy recordings cannot be fully cleaned without damaging speech.
I applied noise removal but it made things worse
Undo and start with a much lower intensity setting. The goal is "clean enough," not "perfectly silent." Aggressive removal damages voice quality.
I applied noise removal to fix echo or reverb in my recording
Noise removal targets constant background sounds like hiss and hum. Echo and room reverb are reflections of your own voice - a completely different problem that requires a de-reverb tool, not noise reduction.
Common Use Cases
Clean a home podcast recording
Fan noise, AC hum, and computer fan are the most common problems in home studios. One pass at moderate intensity usually handles it.
Fix a Zoom or meeting recording
Call recordings often have background hiss and room noise from participants. Noise removal makes the speech easier to understand.
Rescue a phone interview
Mobile recordings pick up ambient noise from the room and street. Cleaning the noise makes the interview usable.
Improve a YouTube voiceover
Viewers notice background hiss immediately. A light cleanup makes narration sound professional.
How to Remove Noise from Audio Online
- Upload your audio file to the editor.
- Open Noise Removal in the Effects section. Set the intensity - start at a low or medium setting.
- Preview the result. Listen for noise reduction and check that your voice still sounds natural.
- If the voice sounds metallic or hollow, reduce intensity. Click Apply when satisfied, then export.
Noise Removal vs Equalizer - Different Problems
Noise Removal
AI-based suppression that separates speech from constant background noise. Works across the full frequency range.
Best for: fan noise, hiss, AC hum, room tone, general background noiseEqualizer
Adjusts volume at specific frequency ranges. Can reduce a narrow problem like a hum at a fixed frequency.
Best for: electrical hum (60/50 Hz), specific frequency problems, tonal shapingWhat This Tool Fixes (and What It Does Not)
| Noise type | Effectiveness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fan / computer noise | High | Constant, broadband - ideal for RNNoise. |
| Air conditioning hum | High | Steady-state noise is handled well. |
| Room hiss / static | High | The most common case. Works reliably. |
| Electrical hum (60/50 Hz) | Medium | Works partly. A notch filter via EQ may be more precise. |
| Traffic / street noise | Low–Medium | Varies. Works better on constant traffic than sudden honks. |
| Other voices / music | Low | The tool cannot separate overlapping speech or remove background music. |
| Room echo / reverb | Low | Echo is not noise - it requires a de-reverb tool, not noise reduction. |
Recommended Processing Order
- Remove Noise - Always clean noise first, before any other processing
- Equalize - Shape tone now that noise is gone
- Compress - Even out volume differences between loud and quiet parts
- Normalize - Bring the final result to a professional level
Quick Tips
- Less is more. Two light passes cause fewer artifacts than one aggressive pass.
- Always preview before applying. If speech sounds metallic, hollow, or "underwater," the intensity is too high.
- Run noise removal before boosting volume or normalizing. Amplifying a noisy file makes the noise much harder to remove.
- For very noisy recordings, accept that some noise will remain. Removing 100% of the noise almost always damages the voice.
- Record 10 seconds of silence before speaking. Even if this tool does not need a noise profile, it gives you a reference for how noisy the room is.
- Two light passes beat one heavy pass. Running noise removal twice at a low setting produces cleaner results with fewer artifacts than one aggressive run.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: Noise removal can completely eliminate all background noise
Reality: Rarely without side effects. Pushing for total silence damages speech quality. Aim for noise that is not distracting, not noise that is absent.
Myth: You should boost volume before removing noise
Reality: The opposite. Remove noise first, then boost. Amplifying a noisy file bakes the noise deeper into the signal, making it much harder to clean.
Common Problems and Fixes
Voice sounds metallic or robotic after cleaning
Intensity is too high. The tool is removing parts of the voice that overlap with noise frequencies. Reduce the intensity and try again. Gentle removal preserves voice quality much better.
Noise is reduced but not gone
Some noise may remain, especially if it is non-stationary (traffic, other voices). You can run a second light pass, but accept that extremely noisy recordings cannot be fully cleaned without damaging the speech.
Hissing artifacts or "musical noise" after removal
This happens at high intensity. Lower the setting. If artifacts persist, try applying the tool twice at a lower setting instead of once at a high setting.
The tool did not change anything
Check that the audio actually contains noise. Very clean recordings will not show a difference. Also verify you clicked Apply after previewing - previewing alone does not change the file.
Why Use This Remove Background Noise from Audio
- RNNoise neural network denoiser running in WebAssembly
- Adjustable intensity to balance noise removal and voice quality
- Effective on fan noise, hiss, hum, AC noise, and room tone
- Runs entirely in your browser - your audio stays on your device
- Combine with EQ and Compressor for a full cleanup chain
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of noise can this remove?
Constant background sounds: fan hum, AC noise, room hiss, computer noise, and similar steady-state noise. It is less effective on changing sounds like traffic, music, other voices, or room echo.
Will it damage my voice quality?
At low to moderate intensity, speech stays natural. High intensity can make voices sound metallic or hollow because the tool starts removing voice frequencies that overlap with noise. Always preview first.
Should I remove noise before or after other edits?
Remove noise first. Boosting volume, compressing, or EQ-ing a noisy file amplifies and bakes in the noise, making it much harder to clean later.
Can I completely remove all background noise?
Rarely, without side effects. Most recordings can be cleaned to the point where noise is not distracting, but pushing for total silence usually damages the voice. Aim for "clean enough," not "perfectly silent."
How is this different from a noise gate?
A noise gate mutes audio when it drops below a volume threshold (like between sentences). Noise removal suppresses noise during speech too. They solve different problems and can be used together.
What order should I process my audio in?
For best results: noise removal first, then EQ to shape tone, then compression to even out volume, then normalization to hit your target level. Removing noise first prevents other tools from baking the noise into the signal.
How can I improve my recordings so I need less noise removal?
Record in a quiet room with soft furnishings. Turn off fans and AC. Get close to the mic (6–12 inches). Record 10–30 seconds of silence at the start for a noise reference. Use headphones to avoid feedback. A closet full of clothes makes a surprisingly good vocal booth.
Why does my voice have a lisp or missing S sounds after noise removal?
Sibilant sounds (S, T, F, SH) share frequencies with hiss and high-frequency noise. At high intensity, the noise suppressor misidentifies them as noise and removes them. Reduce intensity, or apply EQ after removal to gently boost 5–8 kHz and restore some of that lost detail.
What if the background noise changes throughout my recording?
Variable noise (like a fan that speeds up and slows down) is harder to clean than constant noise. Process the recording in sections where the noise is relatively consistent. If one section has louder noise, it may need a separate pass at higher intensity.