Tackling Background Noise in Virtual Presentations

How To Remove Background Noise from Your Youtube Video

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are few things more annoying to viewers on YouTube than background noise. It is distracting and makes it difficult to engage with the content of a video. If there is noticeable background noise in a video, even a small noise like the faint hum of a computer fan, then it will increase the chances of viewers clicking away. The good news is that these kinds of noises are fairly easy to get rid of.

In order to remove background noise from your video clip, you will first need to create an MP3 of your audio. Then you will be able to take out the unwanted noise in a free program called Audacity and reintroduce your corrected audio into your Filmora project. This article will walk you through the audio editing process.

How To Remove Background Noise from Your Youtube Video

Background Noise Removal

Open up Filmora, import your clip, and drag it into the timeline. Then, play your clip and listen for background noise. If you hear a noise that you wish to remove move on to the first step of background noise removal .

1. Creating An MP3

If you do not already have it you will need to download VLC Media Player from videoLAN.org. VLC is a completely free media player that can play almost any type of file, is great for converting files, and can even be used as a screen recorder. If you consume a lot of media online then chances are you already have VLC. You could also use is Free Video to MP3 Converter by DVDVideoSoft.

If you choose to use VLC, open it up and select Convert/Save under Media. Select your video in the Open Media window that pops up. After you click Convert/Save you will be able to choose your format, in this case, MP3, under Save as type.

2. Removing Background Noise in Audacity

You can download Audacity for free at Audacityteam.org.

Once you have Audacity use it to open your MP3. Then, find a section of your audio that is silent aside from your background noise and highlight it by clicking and dragging. The idea is to point out to the program exactly what sound is a problem for you so it knows what to remove. If you have trouble finding a significant stretch of background noise that does not also include dialogue remember to record a pause before or after the content of your video next time you film.

With your section of background noise highlighted, go to Effect and then Noise Reduction. Then, click on Get Noise Profile. After that, you will select your entire audio timeline before going back to Noise Reduction under Effect. This time click on OK (the default settings are the best in most situations so you do not need to worry about changing them).

Audacity will remove everything that sounds like the sound profile, eliminating your background noise. Sometimes this method will also dull your dialogue, which can be fixed by selecting your entire track and then going to Effect and Amplify. Increasing amplification will fix any muffling of your audio.

3. Syncing in Filmora

Export your corrected MP3 from Audacity and import it into Filmora. Then, drag it into your music track. Syncing your audio should not be difficult, but you can always use your original audio to help you line it up properly if you need to. Just look for a significant spike in your audio waves in both your MP3 and the original audio and make sure they are right on top of each other.

Then, since you no longer need your original audio, you can delete it. Right-click on your clip and select Audio Detach. Once your audio is on its own track just select it and click delete.

Covering Background Noise

Sometimes background noise is so minor that you do not want to bother going through the process of removing it. In these situations, it may be easier to cover up your background noise than to remove it. This is as simple as dragging a song into the music track of your timeline and adjusting its volume so it is not loud enough to draw attention away from your dialogue. Chances are you want to add background music anyways and this is not even an extra step.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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