How to remove dead air from podcast recordings — free, no upload
- Step 1Drop your recording — Drop your podcast recording.
- Step 2Set silence threshold and duration — Set the silence threshold (default -40 dB, 0.5 s minimum).
- Step 3Download tightened audio — Download the tightened episode — dead air removed automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What threshold and duration settings should I use for podcasts?+
A good starting point is −40 dB threshold with 0.5 second minimum silence duration. This removes dead air pauses while preserving natural short pauses mid-sentence. For highly noisy recordings (background hum), raise the threshold to −35 dB. For more aggressive tightening, reduce minimum duration to 0.3 seconds.
Will it accidentally cut breaths or short pauses?+
With the default 0.5 second minimum duration, very short natural pauses and breath gaps (typically under 0.3 seconds) are preserved. If you find natural speech rhythm is being interrupted, increase the minimum silence duration to 0.7 or 1.0 seconds.
Can I use silence stripping on music or non-voice audio?+
Yes, but results vary. For music with soft passages (classical, acoustic), the silence stripper may cut intentional quiet sections. It is most effective on speech recordings where the intended content is consistently above the threshold. For music editing, use the audio trimmer for manual control.
Privacy first
All audio processing runs locally in your browser using FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. No file is ever uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.