Software to enhance sound?

WeAreGhosts

Does anyone have a recommendation for any software that will enhance the sound on a video taken on an iPhone? Preferably free as I only have one video that needs enhancing.

Neil_Jones

What do you mean by "enhance"? What do you want to do with the sound?

You could always import it into a video editing program, export the audio track, edit it in Audacity (or whatever) to do what you want, then replace the existing audio track with the edited one and make a new video that way?

Yugen_Bonsai

I'd recommend NCH software, it's free but basic. I've used it many times for small videos and it works well. You might have to watch a couple tutorials first so you can make the most of the it.

that

you probably are going to separate the sound from the video, manipulate the sound, then add it back again

think you can use avdemux got separate the sound and add it back after too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIsrZK8uzrQ

Not sure exactly how you want to manipulate the sound but audacity comes to mind

A.Penny.Saved

Audacity is about the best but do not expect miracles because it's difficult fixing a poor source. Basic noise reduction or increasing the volume is possible with Audacity.

You will need to combine (remux) the audio into the video afterwards. I am not familiar with the file formats used by the iPhone, what file extension or container they use. It looks like mov or mp4 so you will need something to multiplex the audio back into those containers.

Alternatively you might look at DaVinci Resolve 16 which is free to use, which looks like it offers both audio and video processing.

Unfortunately for me, it only works on windows 8? & 10, Mac & Linux. It's also very large too which turned out a waste of time because it would not work on my computer.
https://www.videohelp.com/software/DaVinci-Resolve
If you need something to extract the audio, Audacity will probably be able to import it straight from the video file with ffmpeg extension therefore also get this if you want to use Audacity. Pazera will extract the audio if you need to do that.
https://www.videohelp.com/software/Pazera-Free-Audio-Extractor
Here are some programs to re-mux the audio back into the video. You should look for mov and mp4 muxers/multiplexers. If you wanted to improve the video then DaVinci might be the best bet, but I suggest that you read the DaVinci site for info on whether it will do what you require. It is a lot more complex a program though so it depends upon what you want to get out of video and how important it is.
https://www.videohelp.com/software/sections/video-de-multiplexers

that

you can also split the sound with vlc, and convert the video to another format or make an audio track.
https://www.guidingtech.com/8848/use-vlc-player-to-convert-videos-from-one-format-to-another/

WeAreGhosts

Thanks all.
I don't need the video, so that's one less hassle. Just need the audio. It's of people talking and there's quite a bit of background hum and the volume could be higher.

that

if that hum is a constant fixed frequency, like 50 hz mains hum, you could invert the hum phases, or shift the phase then add the two signals together in an attempt to cancel, but more likely attenuate them.

if you have two videos from different locations of the same event, then that could be beneficial too

Heedtheadvice

Audacity good (will do all you need to edit the sound) and free and fairly simple to use. -unlike some of the more powerfull progs aimed at pro use that need expertise to get the best out of them!!



From what you describe you could.
1. Alter the frequency response to reduce the bass below 200Hz. That is not part of the speech frequency spectrum so gets rid of some noise.
2. Similarly high frequencies above say 8kHz. This needs a bit of suck it and see. Female voices need more high frequencies included. Reduce too much and intelligibility is hampered.
3. Peaking (increasing) frequencies in the 2 to 6 kHz range helps clarity. Do with care.

4. For constant background noise Audacity allows you to sample a section of just that unwanted noise (i.e. no wanted speech) and use that to reduce that noise from the whole of the file. (In a similar method to that noted by That but automatically)
5. Compression can be used to give an apparent loudness increase.

6. Sections and/or the whole recording can be increased in level.




Audacity has much more too.......as do many other audio editor apps.

WeAreGhosts

Audacity does sound good, but when I import into it I just get static. I must be doing something wrong. It's a MOV file. Is that the issue?

Heedtheadvice

You need an added in library file to do the translation/import of .mov in windows. (Built in in apple systems)
See https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/installing_and_updating_audacity_on_windows.html#winff
to add the ffmpeg import/export library into audacity.