Audacity: Remove background noise with Noise Reduction

Audacity Try it →Watch full video →Dewi Jenkins · Apr 2026

Demo summary

The narrator demonstrates the multi-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying noise reduction to eliminate background sounds like a door slam.

Step-by-step

Right-click the track and select Split Clip to isolate the noisy section.
Double-click the noisy portion to highlight it.
Go to Effect, select Noise Removal and Repair, and click Noise Reduction.
Click Get Noise Profile to analyze the background sound.
Highlight the entire track (or use Ctrl+G to rejoin split clips).
Return to the Noise Reduction menu and click OK to apply the filter.
Repeat the process of getting a profile and applying the effect if the noise persists.

Options

Adjust Noise Reduction (dB), Sensitivity, and Frequency Smoothing sliders manually.
Highlight a specific noise spike manually instead of using Split Clip.

Watch out for

Increasing the reduction settings or repeating the process too many times will sacrifice the overall quality of the main audio track.
Noises occurring in close proximity to the microphone (e.g., same room) may be impossible to fully remove without destroying the audio.

Tips

Keep the default settings rather than bumping up the numbers to preserve audio quality.
It is better to run the noise reduction process multiple times at lower settings than to use aggressive settings once.
Balance the number of reduction passes to find the 'double-edged sword' point where noise is minimized but the voice still sounds natural.

Highlights

“It's quite simple to do”

All demos from “Audacity 3.7.7: Beginner Tutorial | EVERYTHING You Need to Know!”

4:311:04Record audio in AudacityA walkthrough of recording a first track, including checking preferences, using the red record button, and managing multiple tracks with the pause and stop functions.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
10:064:58Remove background noise with Noise ReductionCurrentThe narrator demonstrates the multi-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying noise reduction to eliminate background sounds like a door slam.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
15:042:19Eliminate breathing sounds with Noise GateA demonstration of using the Noise Gate effect in Audacity to automatically silence inhale sounds between spoken words.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
17:272:36Apply Compressor effectThe user shows how to use the Compressor effect to even out volume and add punch to a vocal track.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
20:032:17Use the Limiter effectA demonstration of applying the Limiter effect to smooth out loud spikes and increase the overall vibrancy of the audio.Audacity· AI Mastering
22:202:41Normalize vs Amplify comparisonThe narrator compares the Amplify and Normalize effects side-by-side on the same track to show the difference in peak handling.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
25:013:43Boost low volume audio workflowA step-by-step demonstration of a four-part workflow (Noise Reduction, Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter) to fix quiet recordings.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
28:470:46Import audio filesShows three ways to bring external audio files onto the Audacity timeline using menus and keyboard shortcuts.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
29:330:32Split audio clipsDemonstrates how to use the right-click menu to create a split point in an audio track.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
30:260:46Zoom in and out of waveformsDemonstrates using Ctrl + Scroll and the magnifying glass tool to navigate the audio timeline.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
Watch “Audacity 3.7.7: Beginner Tutorial | EVERYTHING You Need to Know!” →

AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction

0:280:46Noise reduction in AudacityThe narrator demonstrates how to remove background noise by selecting a noise profile and applying the Noise Reduction effect with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Mike Russell
1:231:10Spectral editing and frequency deletionThe user shows how to switch to Spectrogram view in Audacity to identify and delete specific low-end rumble frequencies using the Spectral Delete tool.Mike Russell
2:340:53Remove background noise with AudacityA step-by-step walkthrough of importing a Suno track into Audacity, selecting a noise profile, and applying the Noise Reduction effect with specific settings.Suno Zone
5:581:03Apply one-click audio macros in AudacityThe user shows how to use the 'Apply Macro' tool in Audacity to instantly improve raw vocal recordings using pre-configured processing chains.Master Editor
8:321:19Reduce background noise in AudacityA two-step demonstration of noise reduction: first capturing a noise profile from a silent section, then applying the effect to the entire track with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Master Editor
9:560:36Apply Filter Curve EQ in AudacityThe narrator demonstrates applying a 'low roll-off for speech' using the Filter Curve EQ to remove unnecessary low-frequency noise from a voice recording.Master Editor
6:152:29Reduce background noise in AudacityA two-step demonstration showing how to capture a noise profile from a silent section and then apply the Noise Reduction effect with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Master Editor
10:064:58Remove background noise with Noise ReductionCurrentThe narrator demonstrates the multi-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying noise reduction to eliminate background sounds like a door slam.Dewi Jenkins
15:042:19Eliminate breathing sounds with Noise GateA demonstration of using the Noise Gate effect in Audacity to automatically silence inhale sounds between spoken words.Dewi Jenkins
25:013:43Boost low volume audio workflowA step-by-step demonstration of a four-part workflow (Noise Reduction, Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter) to fix quiet recordings.Dewi Jenkins
1:563:40Analyze audio for ACX compliance in AudacityThe narrator uses Audacity to check the noise floor and peak levels of a recording using the ACX Check plugin to identify which parameters fail requirements.Mike Teaches Audacity