An AI audio editor speeds up the slow parts of editing: removing filler words and noise, levelling volume, editing speech through a transcript and mastering music. Some are full editors, some clean a file automatically and some are plugins. Choose by whether you edit speech or music, and how hands-on you want to be. Ten options follow, in no particular order.
Editing an hour of audio by hand can take three or four hours. AI editors now handle the repetitive work, like cutting every um and long pause or evening out two speakers, so you can spend your time on the parts that need judgement.
The ten editors below cover podcast tools, transcript-based editors, automatic post-production and AI plugins. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you also need a transcript for show notes, my comparison of transcription tools for meetings and podcasts covers those.
AI audio editors at a glance
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Podcast | AI audio recording and editing on the web | Recording and editing spoken audio online | Trial only |
| Alitu | Podcast editing app | Editing an episode with no audio skills | Trial only |
| Audacity | Free open source audio editor | Free editing with optional AI plugins | Yes |
| Auphonic | Audio post-production tool | Automatic levelling and loudness for episodes | Yes |
| Cleanvoice | AI podcast clean-up tool | Cutting filler words and long pauses | Not stated |
| Descript | Text-based audio and video editor | Editing audio by editing the transcript | Not stated |
| LANDR | Music platform with AI mastering | Release-ready masters for music tracks | Not stated |
| Resound | AI podcast editor | Removing mistakes from interview episodes | Not stated |
| Riverside | Recording studio with an AI editor | Recording guests and editing in one tool | Yes |
| sonible | AI-assisted audio plugins | Smart EQ and compression in a DAW | Not stated |
Ten AI audio editors to try
Adobe Podcast
Best for: Podcasters who want AI audio recording and editing in a browser, with Enhance Speech built in for cleaner voices.
Alitu
Best for: New podcasters who want a simple tool that cleans, edits and assembles each episode in about twenty minutes.
Audacity
Best for: Anyone who wants a free, open source editor, with OpenVINO AI plugins for noise suppression, transcription and music separation.
Auphonic
Best for: Radio producers and podcasters who want finished episodes levelled and cleaned automatically, with free hours each month.
Cleanvoice
Best for: Solo hosts who want filler words, long pauses, mouth sounds and background noise removed from a recording automatically.
Descript
Best for: Creators who want to edit audio and video by editing a written transcript, the way you'd edit a document.
LANDR
Best for: Musicians who want AI mastering, plugins and distribution from one platform built for releasing music.
Resound
Best for: Interview podcasters who want an AI editor that finds filler words and mistakes so they can cut them in one pass.
Riverside
Best for: Video podcasters who want to record remote guests in high quality and then edit with an AI, text-based editor.
sonible
Best for: Producers who want smart plugins for EQ, compression, reverb and limiting that suggest settings for each track.
Match the editor to the job
- Editing speech like a document: Descript or Riverside.
- Cutting filler words automatically: Cleanvoice or Resound.
- A first podcast with no audio skills: Alitu.
- Levelling and loudness for finished files: Auphonic.
- Free editing with AI plugins: Audacity.
- Mixing and mastering music: LANDR or sonible.
The loudness target most edits miss
Apple Podcasts for Creators recommends keeping a podcast's overall loudness around -16 dB LKFS, within 1 dB either way, with a true peak no higher than -1 dB FS.
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This matters because an AI editor can make a voice sound clean and still leave the episode too quiet next to the shows a listener heard before yours. Many tools can level to a loudness target. Set it once, export, and check the final file rather than trusting the preview.
A simple AI editing workflow
- Record each speaker on a separate track if you can.
- Run noise and echo clean-up first, before you've cut anything.
- Remove filler words and long pauses, then listen at normal speed.
- Level the episode to your loudness target.
- Listen to the first and last two minutes before you publish.
Where AI editing still needs you
AI is good at finding patterns, like every um, every long silence and every jump in volume. It isn't good at taste, and that's where you come in. It can't tell a meaningful pause from a dead one, or a funny tangent from a boring one.
Treat the AI pass as a rough cut. Then listen through and put back anything that made the conversation feel human. If you host alone, my guide to hosting a podcast as a solo host covers pacing tips that make editing easier.
Signs the AI edit went too far
- The conversation feels rushed. Put some pauses back.
- Words are clipped at the edges. Loosen the cuts.
- One speaker is louder. Level each track.
- Jokes lose their timing. Restore the beat before the punchline.
Do you make an AI audio editor? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on AI audio editing
Pick the editor that matches how you think. If you like working with text, choose a transcript-based editor. If you want to press one button and get a finished file, choose an automatic post-production tool. If you make music, choose a mastering tool or plugins.
Then edit the same episode in two of them and time yourself. The faster one that still sounds like you is the keeper.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI audio editor?
It's an editor that uses AI to cut filler words, remove noise, level volume, edit speech through a transcript or master music.
Can AI edit a podcast for me?
It can do a fast rough cut, removing filler words, pauses and noise, but you should still listen through before publishing.
What loudness should a podcast be?
Apple Podcasts for Creators recommends around -16 dB LKFS, within 1 dB, with a true peak no higher than -1 dB FS.
Is there a free AI audio editor?
Yes. One tool on this list is a free, open source editor with OpenVINO AI plugins, and some others name a free plan.
Can I edit audio by editing the transcript?
Yes. Transcript-based editors let you delete words in the text and the audio is cut to match.
Does AI mastering work for music?
It's a quick way to get a release-ready master, but compare it with a reference track you like before you publish.
