Audio Artifacts: Types, Causes, and How to Remove Them

Clean, clear audio is essential for any recording, be that music, a podcast, or a video. Even small unwanted noises or glitches can distract listeners and take away from the overall quality. That’s why it’s important to understand the common problems that can sneak into your audio and how to deal with them. Below, the most frequent audio artifacts are explained, along with practical ways to identify and remove them.

What Are Audio Artifacts?

Audio artifacts are sounds that weren’t part of the original performance or recording. They can take many forms, like sharp clicks, steady hissing, digital crackles, or sudden dropouts. Sometimes these noises are subtle, barely noticeable unless you’re listening closely. Other times, they jump out and ruin an otherwise good take. Artifacts can creep in at any stage: during recording, editing, or even when exporting the final file.

Common Types of Audio Artifacts

Artifacts come in many shapes and sizes. Clicks and pops are some of the most recognizable — short, sharp noises that often show up when there’s a digital error or a physical problem like a loose cable. Hiss is another frequent offender, usually heard as a faint, constant noise in the background; especially common with older analog equipment or budget microphones.

Hum and buzz tend to be lower in pitch and are often caused by electrical issues, like a grounding problem or interference from nearby electronics. Clipping distortion happens when the signal is pushed too hard, leading to a harsh, fuzzy sound. Dropouts are another issue: these are brief moments where the audio cuts out entirely, sometimes because of a faulty cable, a problem with the recording device, or data loss in a digital file.

Some artifacts are more subtle or technical. Plosives, those sudden bursts of air from hard consonants like “p” and “b,” can cause a heavy thump in the audio, especially if the microphone is too close. Compression artifacts, which sound a bit “swirly” or metallic, often appear when audio is saved in a low-quality format or processed with aggressive settings. Musical noise, sometimes called “chirping,” can show up when noise reduction tools are pushed too far, leaving behind an artificial, digital residue.

There are also artifacts like wow and flutter, which are pitch variations that come from unstable tape speed or problems with analog playback. Alias distortion is another digital issue, creating strange, unnatural tones when audio is sampled or converted incorrectly. Each of these artifacts has its own character, but all of them can distract from the clarity and impact of the recording.

Where Artifacts Come From

The causes of audio artifacts are as varied as the artifacts themselves. Sometimes, it’s a matter of environment: background noise, electrical hum, or even the faint buzz of a computer fan can find its way into a recording. Equipment plays a big role too. Faulty cables, aging microphones, or poorly shielded gear can introduce their own problems.

Digital processing is another common source. Editing, compressing, or converting files can sometimes add new artifacts, especially if the settings are too aggressive or the original recording isn’t clean. Even something as simple as saving a file in a low-bitrate format can introduce unwanted sounds. In short, any step in the audio chain has the potential to leave its mark.

Dealing with Audio Artifacts

Cleaning up audio artifacts is a regular part of working with sound. For some issues, like clicks or pops, there are specialized tools that can automatically detect and remove them. Hiss and background noise can often be reduced with noise reduction plugins, though it’s important not to overdo it, as aggressive settings can make the audio sound unnatural.

Hum and buzz usually call for a different approach; sometimes a notch filter or a dedicated de-hum tool is needed, and it’s always worth checking the cables and power sources to prevent the problem at its root. Clipping is harder to fix after the fact, but some software can soften the harsh edges if the distortion isn’t too severe.

Compression artifacts and digital glitches are trickier. Sometimes, using a higher quality file format or less aggressive compression settings is the best solution. In other cases, it may be necessary to go back to an earlier version of the recording or even re-record a section if the artifacts are too distracting.

When regular noise reduction tools aren’t enough, especially when a recording has a lot of different problems at once. In these cases, online services like LALAL.AI Voice Cleaner can be a good option. This service is made for cleaning up voice and vocal recordings.

It works by picking out the voice from the rest of the sounds and then removing things like background noise, clicks, hum, and other unwanted noises that can get in the way. Voice Cleaner is also helpful when you need to fix a recording quickly, without spending a lot of time on manual editing.

Keeping Recordings Clean

The best way to deal with artifacts is to prevent them in the first place. Recording in a quiet space, using reliable equipment, and keeping an eye on levels can go a long way. Regularly checking cables and connections helps catch problems before they end up in a take. When processing audio, it’s wise to make changes gradually and always listen for any new issues that might appear. A careful approach at every step pays off in the final sound.

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