Audio artifacts, also called “sonic artifacts,” are unwanted sounds in an audio recording or playback. These sounds can manifest as distortions, noise, or interruptions that detract from the quality of the audio. They are often the byproduct of technical limitations, processing errors, or environmental factors during recording. Understanding these artifacts and knowing how to remove them from audio can ensure professional-quality content.
Common Audio Artifacts
Audio artifacts can take various forms depending on their source. Here are some of the most common:
Hiss
A high-frequency noise often caused by analog equipment or poor-quality microphones. Hiss is prevalent in older audio recordings or tapes.
Clicks and Pops
Short, sharp sounds caused by digital errors, clipping, or physical issues with recording equipment. These may be found in older audio files, such as vinyl records.
Compression Artifacts
These distortions are introduced when compressing audio into smaller file sizes. Early MP3 files and low-bitrate streaming services are notorious for compression artifacts.
Echo and Reverb
Often heard in recordings made in large spaces without proper sound treatment. This is especially noticeable in older live recordings or amateur productions.
Digital Glitches
Robotic, stuttering sounds resulting from corrupted files or errors during digital processing. These glitches are more common in early digital recordings or low-quality streams.
Dropouts
Brief silences or interruptions caused by issues like network instability during live broadcasts. These are common in older live recordings or poorly digitized media.
How Audio Artifacts Happen During a Recording
Audio artifacts typically arise during the recording or production process due to several factors, including:
Environmental Noise
Background noise like wind or traffic can seep into recordings, creating noise that’s difficult to remove. Even with high-quality equipment, environmental noise can result in artifacts.
Improper Microphone Use
Issues like microphone clipping, poor placement, or mismatched gain levels can introduce unwanted sounds.
Compression and Encoding
When audio is compressed, particularly using lossy formats (e.g., MP3 or AAC), the process can create compression artifacts like muffled sounds or metallic tones.
Technical Errors
Malfunctions in audio equipment, such as faulty cables, can introduce clicks, pops, or buzzing sounds.
Recording in Poor Acoustics
Spaces with too much echo can create audio problems. These issues are hard to fix without a good echo remover in post-production.
Why Audio Artifacts Can Happen on Facebook or YouTube
Audio artifacts can also appear when videos are uploaded to platforms like Facebook or YouTube. This can occur when the encoding process exceeds the platforms’ technical limits. These platforms use specific compression algorithms to optimize content for streaming. When the encoder preset settings exceed its requirements, it can introduce sound distortions.
To minimize audio artifacts during uploads, adjust your encoder bitrate presets to meet platform specifications. For Facebook and YouTube, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Encoder Presets in your video editing or streaming software.
- Select the bitrate preset you want to edit.
- Click the edit icon to adjust settings.
- In Advanced Settings, ensure the following:
Video Channels are set to 1 and do not exceed 4 Mbps.
Audio Channels do not exceed 64 kbps per channel, regardless of the number of channels.
How Resi Minimizes Audio Artifacts
Resi utilizes Resilient Streaming Protocol (RSP) to help ensure your streams are protected from audio quality loss. This technology guarantees top quality audio and video delivery regardless of network disruptions.For live streaming, Resi’s technologies allow simulcasting on Facebook and YouTube without any additional bandwidth. This offers a high-quality visual and listening experience, resulting in cleaner presentation, and without having to worry about any network disruption.