Updated October 2026 · Cleaning speech recordings
Clothing rustle is the crackling or swishing caused by fabric rubbing against a microphone, especially a clip-on. Prevent it by choosing still, smooth clothing, placing the microphone where fabric cannot touch it, and securing it firmly. What remains can be reduced with careful editing, but prevention is far more effective.
Clothing rustle is one of the most frustrating problems for a clip-on microphone. A shirt, a jacket, a scarf or a coat can brush the capsule every time the speaker moves, and the result is a crackle that drowns out the voice. The sound is sharp and irregular, which makes it hard to remove afterwards. Most of the problem can be prevented with a few simple choices about where the microphone sits and what the speaker wears.
This post explains why rustle happens, how to prevent it, how to reduce what remains and when re-recording is the better choice.
A microphone is sensitive, and it picks up any movement of the material that touches it. Fabric that slides across the capsule creates friction, which the microphone turns into noise. Rough, loose or synthetic fabrics are the worst, because they catch and release. The closer the microphone is to the fabric, the louder the rustle will be.
Movement is the trigger. A still speaker may produce no rustle at all, while someone who gestures, turns or leans will produce a lot.
The best position is where fabric cannot reach the microphone. For a clip-on, that means clipping it to a part of the clothing that does not move, such as a firm collar edge or a lapel, and keeping it clear of the jacket front and the scarf. Some people place the microphone higher, near the collar, where the fabric is more stable. Test a few positions while the speaker moves naturally.
Smooth, close-fitting clothing rustles less than loose, textured or crinkly fabric. A shirt with a firm collar, or a top with a stable neckline, gives the microphone a clean place to sit. Avoid scarves, lanyards and necklaces near the microphone, because they swing and catch. Ask guests to wear something similar, if you are recording a group.
A loose cable pulls on the microphone, and the movement transmits to the capsule. Tape or clip the cable so it has slack but cannot tug. Make sure the microphone clip is firm, so the microphone does not slide. A foam windscreen can also reduce contact noise, because it adds a buffer between the fabric and the capsule.
Record a short test while the speaker moves naturally: turns the head, leans forward, gestures and sits back. Listen on headphones for rustle, and adjust the position or the clothing until the test is clean. A test takes a few minutes, and it prevents a session full of crackle.
If a little rustle remains, reduce it with careful editing. Zoom in on each crackle, cut it or smooth it with a very short fade, and check that the voice around it still sounds natural. Broad noise reduction will not remove rustle well, because the sound is irregular and sharp. Heavy processing also damages the voice.
If the rustle is constant or covers important words, re-recording the section is usually better than repair. A short retake in the right position will sound more natural than a long passage with many repairs.
Most rustle comes from movements the speaker does not notice. Before a long recording, ask the speaker to talk through a short passage while doing the things they normally do: reaching for water, turning to a colleague, leaning on the chair. Listen to the rehearsal and identify the movements that cause trouble. Then agree a simple habit, such as keeping the arms still or resting them on the table, that the speaker can keep during the real take.
Explain the reason behind the habit. A speaker who understands why a movement matters will be more likely to remember it, and less likely to feel criticised.
Finally, check the rustle on the first minute of playback, since that is where a listener forms their impression. A clean start makes the rest of the recording easier to trust, even when small problems remain later on.
Some rustle is very hard to avoid with a clip-on, especially for speakers who move a lot. In those cases, a boom or desk microphone may be the better choice. Prevention works best, and repair should be the last step, not the first.
A clean signal starts with the right placement. The clip-on microphone post in this series covers placement in more detail. The Noise-Free Voice Recorder can clean background noise from a recording you own, and the Tunedzy Go page covers cleaning phone recordings.
Record voice-overs with live noise removal, or clean an existing file. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Fabric is sliding across the capsule. Move the microphone to a stable part of the clothing.
Loose, textured and crinkly fabrics are the worst. Smooth, close-fitting clothing is quieter.
Rarely. Prevention works best, and repairs leave a trace if the rustle is heavy.
For speakers who move a lot, often yes. A boom avoids the fabric contact altogether.
