How to Trim Silence From a Recording

The short version

Cut the start and end first; it is always safe.
Shorten long gaps between sentences rather than removing them all.
Keep a little room tone, so the cuts do not sound like a switch.
Listen to each cut at normal volume.

Start and end

Remove the silence before the first word and after the last one. Leave about a quarter of a second of room tone so the start is not abrupt. This is the safest cut in any recording.

Gaps between phrases

A pause tells the listener that a thought has finished. Cut the gaps that are clearly too long, perhaps over a second, down to a shorter pause. Keep the natural ones. A speaker who never pauses sounds breathless and hard to follow.

Keep room tone

When you join two pieces, the room sound can change, and the join becomes audible. A short crossfade or a little room tone at each join keeps the sound steady. The room tone guide explains why it matters.

Check each cut

Play each cut at normal volume and listen for a click, a jump in the room sound or a clipped word. If a cut sounds wrong, undo it and try a different point.

Tunedzy

In Tunedzy you can shorten pauses in the transcript with one action, leaving a short pause in place. The edit-by-words guide shows the steps.

Shorten the pauses, keep the rhythm

Tunedzy shortens long pauses in the transcript and leaves a natural gap, so the speech keeps its rhythm.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should a pause be?

It depends on the speech. Keep the pauses that let a thought land, and shorten the ones that drag.

Will cutting silence make a recording sound fake?

Not if you keep some room tone at each cut and leave natural pauses.

Should I trim before or after cleaning?

Clean first, then trim. Trimming first can leave the noise changing at each cut.

Keep going

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