Audio
Noise reduction: definition and examples
What is Noise reduction?
Noise reduction is the process of identifying and removing unwanted background sounds from an audio recording, such as hum, hiss, wind, or room echo. It can be applied passively during recording, by controlling the environment, or actively in post-production using software that targets and suppresses the unwanted frequencies.
When you'd use it
- 1When footage was recorded outdoors and wind or traffic noise is audible under dialogue.
- 2When a room hum or HVAC hiss runs through an otherwise usable voiceover take.
- 3When a creator recorded audio on a phone or consumer mic in an untreated space.
- 4When the audio track is otherwise strong but a consistent background frequency makes it feel amateur.
- 5When a client-approved take has minor background noise that would distract viewers.
Example
A creator records a tutorial in a home office with consistent air conditioning noise. Applying noise reduction in post, by sampling two seconds of the hum as a noise profile, reduces the hum by around 70 percent with no perceptible artifact on the vocal.
Use cases
- 1Cleaning HVAC hiss out of an office interview so dialogue sounds broadcast-ready.
- 2Removing street noise from a founder walkthrough filmed near a busy road.
- 3Stripping consistent hum from a voiceover recorded on a laptop microphone.
FAQ
Will noise reduction make my audio sound professional?
It will make it cleaner, which is not the same thing. Noise reduction removes unwanted sound but does not add presence, warmth, or clarity to the original recording. Starting with a better recording environment or a closer microphone will do more for audio quality than noise reduction can fix after the fact.
Make on-brand short-form video from the footage you already have.