My Audio Has Clicks Every Few Seconds: Causes and Fixes

The short version

Clicks at a regular interval often come from a power, USB or clock issue.
Test by recording silence and moving or unplugging things one at a time.
Single clicks are easy to mend in the file; regular ones point to a fault.
Fix the fault, then mend the remaining clicks.

Find the pattern

Note how often the clicks come. A click every few seconds or at a steady rhythm suggests an electrical or clock fault. Random clicks are more often a cable or a mouse or keyboard nearby.

Test the chain

Record silence, then change one thing at a time: unplug a USB device, move the cable, switch the power adapter, close other apps. When the clicks stop, you have found the cause.

Common causes

A USB hub or port sharing power with other devices.
A sample-rate mismatch between the mic and the computer.
A loose XLR or USB connection.
Background apps that use the audio device.

Mend what remains

Once the fault is fixed, a few stray clicks in a file can be mended with a click repair. Use the lowest setting that removes them. The crackle guide has the steps.