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How to Use Descript to Remove Background Noise from Audio or Video Recordings

Introduction

In the digital age, creating content has never been easier—or more competitive. Whether you’re launching a podcast, creating YouTube videos, hosting webinars, or teaching online courses, one thing remains constant: your audience expects clear, high-quality audio. Unfortunately, recording clean sound isn’t always straightforward. Background noise such as a humming fan, passing traffic, keyboard taps, or even room echoes can degrade your audio quality and distract your audience.

Poor audio can make your content seem unprofessional, and worse, it can cause listeners or viewers to lose interest or even miss important parts of your message. This is especially true for podcasters, where the voice is the main content, and for online educators, where clarity is key to effective teaching.

Enter Descript — an all-in-one audio and video editing platform built for creators of all skill levels. Descript not only transcribes your recordings for easy text-based editing, but it also offers powerful AI-driven tools that enhance audio quality, including removing unwanted background noise quickly and with impressive results.

This blog post will walk you through everything you need to know about using Descript to clean your audio or video recordings by removing background noise — step by step. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced editor, you’ll find practical advice and insights to improve your sound quality effortlessly.

What Is Descript?

If you haven’t used Descript before, it’s helpful to understand what this software offers and why it’s become so popular.

At its core, Descript is a multifunctional audio and video editor that uses text as a way to edit your content. Imagine being able to edit your podcast or video as easily as editing a Word document — that’s the power of Descript’s transcript-driven interface. Here are some of its standout features:

Key Features of Descript

  • Automatic Transcription: Descript generates accurate transcripts of your audio and video files, allowing you to edit your media by simply editing the text. Delete a word or sentence in the transcript, and the corresponding audio is automatically removed.
  • Multitrack Editing: For creators working with multiple audio sources, such as interviews or layered podcasts, Descript lets you edit multiple tracks in a single project, making complex editing simple.
  • Screen and Webcam Recording: Descript includes built-in screen recording tools, perfect for creating tutorials, product demos, or presentations.
  • AI-Powered Audio Enhancements: Features like Studio Sound apply advanced AI to clean and improve your voice recordings, reducing background noise, hum, and even improving clarity.
  • Overdub: An innovative feature allowing users to create ultra-realistic voice clones for quick fixes or additions without re-recording.
  • Collaboration: Multiple team members can collaborate on projects remotely, making it a great choice for content teams.

Platform Compatibility

Descript runs smoothly on Mac and Windows desktops and also offers a web-based version, giving you flexibility to work from virtually anywhere. This accessibility, combined with a user-friendly interface, allows both beginners and pros to create polished content efficiently.

Why Clean Audio Matters

Audio quality is one of the most overlooked aspects of content creation, yet it’s one of the most critical.

Common Sources of Background Noise

Before we dive into how to fix audio problems, it’s important to recognize the common noise culprits that spoil your recordings:

  • Environmental Sounds: Sounds like fans, air conditioners, refrigerators, or street noise can seep into your recordings, creating a constant low-level hum or intermittent sounds like car horns or sirens.
  • Room Acoustics: Hard surfaces like tile or glass reflect sound and cause echoes or reverberations, making your voice sound less clear.
  • Equipment Noise: Low-quality microphones or cables can introduce hiss, static, or buzzing.
  • Keyboard Clicks and Mouse Sounds: Especially for content creators who record while typing or using the computer, these clicks can distract listeners.
  • Movement Sounds: Handling a microphone or shifting in your chair might produce unwanted noise.

How Poor Audio Affects Your Audience

Think about the last time you tried to listen to a podcast or watch a video with distracting background noise or unclear speech. You probably found yourself zoning out or rewinding multiple times, right? That’s the impact of poor audio: it breaks the connection with your audience.

For podcasters, unclear audio means lost listeners. For video creators, viewers may skip your videos in favor of others with better sound. Educators might find students disengaged because they struggle to hear or understand.

In all cases, good audio signals professionalism, builds trust, and enhances the overall experience. Clear, noise-free audio helps your message come through cleanly and keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.

Preparing Your File in Descript

Before you can improve your audio, you need to get your files into Descript and set up your project properly. This preparation ensures the editing process is smooth and efficient.

Step 1: Open Descript and Create a New Project

Launch Descript on your computer or via the web app. Click on “New Project,” and give it a descriptive name. Naming your projects clearly helps keep things organized, especially if you work on multiple files regularly.

Step 2: Upload Your Audio or Video File

Drag and drop your recording into the project window or use the upload button to browse your computer. Descript supports most common formats such as:

  • Audio: MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A
  • Video: MP4, MOV, AVI

Uploading can take a few moments depending on the file size and your internet speed if using the web app.

Step 3: Wait for the Transcription (Optional but Recommended)

After uploading, Descript will automatically generate a transcript of your recording. This process usually takes a few minutes and can save you a lot of editing time by allowing you to edit audio as easily as editing text.

While transcription is optional for noise removal, having the transcript is helpful because:

  • It helps you quickly locate problem areas by searching the text.
  • You can spot filler words or mistakes to remove during cleanup.
  • You can edit audio non-linearly by deleting or moving text.

Once transcription completes, your file is ready for editing.

Removing Background Noise

Descript offers two powerful approaches to reduce background noise: the Studio Sound AI tool and manual audio effects. Each has its place depending on your needs and experience level.

Option 1: Studio Sound

Studio Sound is Descript’s AI-driven feature designed to automatically improve voice clarity and reduce background noise with one click.

  • How to Enable Studio Sound:

    Select your audio or video clip in the timeline. On the right-hand sidebar, look for the “Studio Sound” toggle and switch it on.

  • What It Does:

    Studio Sound uses advanced machine learning models trained on thousands of hours of speech recordings. It isolates the human voice, suppressing hum, hiss, fan noise, and echoes. Unlike basic noise reduction, it maintains natural voice quality, so your audio doesn’t sound robotic or hollow.

  • When to Use Studio Sound:

    Studio Sound is ideal for spoken-word recordings—podcasts, interviews, webinars, voiceovers, or narration. It works best when the speaker’s voice is the main audio element and can drastically improve recordings made in less-than-ideal environments.

  • Limitations:

    Studio Sound may struggle with music-heavy recordings or clips with multiple overlapping voices. For such cases, manual audio effects or a combination of tools might work better.

Option 2: Manual Audio Effects

For more control, Descript allows you to apply and adjust audio effects directly.

  • Accessing Audio Effects:

    Click on your audio clip, then open the “Effects” tab or panel in the sidebar.

  • Common Effects for Noise Removal:

    • Noise Reduction: This tool targets steady background noise like fan hum or static. Increase intensity carefully to avoid distorting the voice.
    • High-Pass Filter: Removes low-frequency sounds like AC rumble, traffic, or footsteps by filtering out frequencies below a certain threshold (usually around 80-100 Hz).
    • Equalizer (EQ): Adjust frequency bands to reduce hiss (high frequencies) or muddiness (low frequencies), helping to clean up the sound further.
    • De-Esser: Reduces harsh “s” sounds which can sometimes be exaggerated after noise reduction.

  • Adjusting Effects:

    Use sliders to fine-tune each effect. Listen carefully as you adjust. Too much processing can make audio sound unnatural, so aim for balance.

  • Combining Effects:

    You can layer effects—use noise reduction first, then a high-pass filter, then EQ. Experiment with small changes and preview often.

Studio Sound vs. Manual Effects

  • Studio Sound is your “one-click fix” and usually enough for most creators. It’s fast, automated, and requires no technical knowledge.
  • Manual effects offer more customization and are useful for difficult audio or if you want precise control.
  • Often, a combination works best: start with Studio Sound, then apply subtle manual tweaks.

Preview and Fine-Tuning

After applying noise reduction, it’s essential to review your work critically.

Compare Before and After

Descript lets you toggle Studio Sound or effects on and off easily. Listen to your audio with noise removal active, then switch it off and compare. This helps you understand how much noise was removed and if the voice still sounds natural.

Adjust Settings for Natural Sound

If your voice sounds too muffled, tinny, or robotic, try reducing the intensity of Studio Sound or manual effects. Sometimes less processing produces better results.

Use Waveform View for Precision

The waveform displays the amplitude of sound visually. Look for spikes or consistent noise patterns, then zoom in to isolate those sections.

  • You can apply effects selectively to problem areas instead of the entire track.
  • This prevents over-processing quiet sections that don’t need noise removal.

Remove Additional Noises Manually

If certain sounds persist (like coughs, chair squeaks, or keyboard taps), you can cut those portions out or lower their volume in the timeline.

Exporting Your Clean Audio/Video

Once your audio is cleaned and polished, you’re ready to share your work.

How to Export

  • Click the Export button in the top right corner of Descript.
  • Choose the export type based on your needs:
    • Audio Only: MP3 for general use or WAV for highest quality.
    • Video: MP4 with your cleaned audio track.

Export Settings Tips

  • Export at the highest quality your platform allows to preserve clarity.
  • If exporting audio for professional use, WAV at 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rate and 16 or 24-bit depth is recommended.
  • For online streaming or podcasts, MP3 at 128-192 kbps offers a good balance of quality and file size.
  • Avoid re-encoding files multiple times to prevent quality loss.

Naming and Organizing Files

Use clear, descriptive filenames with version numbers or dates (e.g., “Episode5_Final_CleanAudio_2025-07-27.wav”) to keep track of your edits.

Bonus Tips for Better Results

Even the best noise removal can’t fix poorly recorded audio. Here are some tips to improve sound quality from the start:

1. Record in a Quiet Environment

  • Choose a quiet room with minimal background noise.
  • Close windows and doors to block outside sounds.
  • Turn off noisy electronics like fans or air conditioners during recording.
  • Use soft furnishings, carpets, or blankets to reduce echo and reflections.

2. Use a Quality Microphone

  • Even a modest USB microphone can vastly improve sound over built-in laptop mics.
  • Consider microphones with built-in noise rejection or directional pickup patterns (cardioid mics).
  • Position the mic close to your mouth but avoid popping sounds by using a pop filter or foam windscreen.

3. Monitor While Recording

  • Use headphones to listen live as you record.
  • Catch background noises early and pause or redo if needed.
  • Speak clearly and maintain a consistent distance from the mic.

4. Utilize Descript’s Transcription Feature

  • The transcript can help identify filler words (“um,” “like”), stumbles, or noisy moments.
  • Clean up your audio by deleting unwanted parts directly in the transcript.
  • This keeps your content polished and professional.

5. Consider Acoustic Treatments

  • Adding foam panels, bass traps, or diffusers to your recording space can reduce unwanted reverberations.
  • Even DIY solutions like hanging blankets or cushions on walls help improve sound quality.

Conclusion

Removing background noise no longer needs to be a technical headache or a costly professional job. Descript combines user-friendly tools with advanced AI to make cleaning your audio and video recordings straightforward and accessible to all creators.

From quick fixes with Studio Sound to detailed manual adjustments, Descript provides flexible options to remove distractions, enhance your voice, and improve the overall listener experience. When paired with good recording practices, you can consistently deliver professional-sounding content that captivates your audience.

Give Descript a try for your next podcast, video, or presentation project. With just a few clicks, you’ll hear the difference that clean, clear audio makes. Your audience—and your message—will thank you.