How to Remove Background Noise from Dialogue in iZotope RX (Step-by-Step Guide)

Background noise can ruin an otherwise great dialogue recording. Whether you're editing podcasts, interviews, voiceovers, or YouTube videos, iZotope RX provides powerful tools to clean up unwanted noise professionally.

This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to remove background noise the right way.

Method 1: Remove Noise Using Voice De-noise (Recommended for Dialogue)

Voice De-noise is the easiest and safest way to clean dialogue recordings.

Step 1: Open Your Audio File

Launch iZotope RX and import your dialogue recording into the Audio Editor.

Step 2: Open Voice De-noise

Go to Modules → Voice De-noise.

Step 3: Choose Processing Mode

You have two options:

• Adaptive Mode – Automatically adjusts to changing noise (great for beginners).

• Learn Mode – Capture a noise profile from a silent section of your recording.

Step 4: Adjust the Settings

Start with these recommended values:

• Reduction: 3–6 dB

• Threshold: Adjust until noise lowers but voice remains natural

• Artifact Control: Increase slightly if you hear robotic or metallic sounds

Click Preview, fine-tune the settings, then click Render.

Method 2: Use Spectral De-noise for Advanced Control

Spectral De-noise provides more precise control for complex noise problems.

Step 1: Select a Noise-Only Section

Highlight a portion of the audio where only background noise is present.

Step 2: Capture the Noise Profile

Open Spectral De-noise and click Learn.

Step 3: Adjust Reduction Settings

Use moderate values to avoid artifacts:

• Reduction: 4–8 dB

• Smoothing: Medium setting

• Quality: Best (for final export)

Preview the result, then click Render.

Pro Tips for Cleaner Dialogue

• Avoid heavy reduction (over 10 dB may cause distortion).

• Use headphones to detect subtle artifacts.

• Apply noise reduction in multiple light passes instead of one aggressive pass.

• Combine with:

  • De-hum for electrical hum

  • De-click for mouth noise

  • Dialogue Isolate (Advanced version only)

Suggested Professional Workflow

1. Remove hum (if present)

2. Apply Voice De-noise

3. Remove mouth clicks

4. Add light EQ (High-pass filter at 80–100 Hz)

5. Apply gentle compression

Using these techniques in iZotope RX will help you achieve clean, professional-sounding dialogue while preserving natural voice quality.