Adobe Podcast AI Audio Enhancer Adding Artifacts: What to Do
Adobe Podcast includes an AI-powered audio enhancer that cleans up recordings by reducing background noise and improving voice clarity. While it works remarkably well in most cases, some users find that the enhancer introduces audio artifacts — strange echoes, metallic tones, warbling, or a hollow quality LISBOA77 that was not in the original recording.
Here is why this happens and how to minimize the problem.
Why the Enhancer Creates Artifacts
Aggressive noise reduction is the primary cause. When the AI tries to remove significant background noise, it can accidentally strip away portions of the voice’s natural harmonics, leaving a processed, metallic sound.
Source audio with extreme conditions pushes the AI beyond its optimal range. Recordings made in highly reverberant rooms, with very loud background noise, or with severely clipped audio present challenges that the enhancer may not handle gracefully.
Low bitrate or heavily compressed source files give the AI less audio data to work with, increasing the chance of introducing artifacts during processing.
The AI may struggle with non-speech audio in the recording. Music, sound effects, or multiple overlapping voices can confuse the enhancement algorithm and produce unexpected results.
Steps to Reduce Artifacts
Start with the best source audio possible. Record in a quiet environment using a decent microphone, and minimize background noise at the source rather than relying entirely on post-processing.
If the enhanced audio has noticeable artifacts, try reducing the enhancement strength if that option is available. A lighter touch may produce a more natural result with fewer artifacts.
Process only the portions of the audio that genuinely need enhancement. If the background noise is only present in certain sections, enhance those segments selectively rather than processing the entire file.
Export your source audio at the highest quality setting before uploading for enhancement. Uncompressed WAV or high-bitrate MP3 files give the AI more data to work with.
More Advanced Approaches
Try enhancing the audio in stages. First, apply gentle noise reduction, then run the output through clarity enhancement. This stepwise approach can produce cleaner results than applying all enhancements at once.
Use the original recording alongside the enhanced version. In your audio editor, blend the two tracks at different ratios to find a balance between noise reduction and natural sound.
Test alternative AI audio enhancers to compare results. Tools like Descript’s Studio Sound, Auphonic, or dedicated noise reduction plugins may handle your specific type of audio better.
If the artifacts are mild, apply a gentle EQ adjustment to reduce the frequencies where artifacts are most noticeable, typically in the upper mid-range around 2kHz to 6kHz.
Preserving Audio Quality
Always keep the original, unenhanced recording. Once AI enhancement is applied and the file is saved, the changes cannot be reversed.
Listen to enhanced audio on multiple devices — headphones, speakers, and phone — before publishing. Artifacts that are subtle on one device may be very noticeable on another.
Conclusion
Adobe Podcast AI audio enhancer adding artifacts is usually a result of aggressive processing on challenging source audio. Starting with cleaner recordings, using lighter enhancement settings, and blending original with enhanced audio will produce the most natural-sounding results.