AI Noise Reduction for Browser Audio
Background hiss, fan noise, keyboard clicks — gone. Hearably's adaptive noise gate with RMS envelope detection cleans up browser audio in real time. No cloud processing.
Real-time enhancement via extension · Or upload a file for free in Studio
Background noise is the silent killer of online communication and media consumption. You join a Zoom call and the presenter's laptop fan is louder than their voice. You watch a webinar recorded in a home office with air conditioning humming in the background. A podcast guest calls in from a coffee shop and every espresso machine hiss bleeds through. These noise issues are everywhere in browser audio, and until now, your only option was to suffer through it or install an expensive system-wide noise cancellation app.
Hearably introduces an adaptive noise gate that runs directly in your browser, processing audio from any tab in real time. Unlike simple noise gates that use a fixed threshold (which either cuts too aggressively during quiet speech or lets noise through during pauses), Hearably's noise gate uses RMS envelope detection to dynamically track the noise floor. The gate measures the rolling average energy of the audio signal, distinguishes between speech energy and steady-state noise, and applies smooth gain reduction only to segments where noise dominates.
The technical approach is deliberately practical. Full neural-network noise cancellation (like Krisp or NVIDIA RTX Voice) requires significant CPU/GPU resources and a trained model for each noise type. Hearably's adaptive noise gate takes a different approach: it uses signal-level analysis rather than machine learning, which means it runs with minimal CPU overhead, works on any audio content (not just voice), and requires no model downloads. The gate is particularly effective against steady-state noise — the constant hiss of air conditioning, the hum of electrical equipment, the whir of computer fans, and the broadband noise of cheap microphones.
The noise gate integrates seamlessly with Hearably's full DSP chain. Audio flows through the noise gate first, removing background noise energy, then through the 10-band EQ for tonal shaping, the multiband compressor for dynamics control, and the volume boost stage. This ordering is critical: removing noise before amplification prevents the boost from making quiet noise louder along with the desired signal. A 300% volume boost on clean audio sounds dramatically better than a 300% boost on noisy audio.
For browser-based video calls (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams), the noise gate is transformative. Most video conferencing platforms apply their own noise suppression to the outgoing microphone signal, but do nothing to clean up incoming audio from remote participants. If your colleague has a noisy environment, their noise comes through to you unfiltered. Hearably's noise gate processes the incoming audio from the tab, cleaning up whatever the remote participant's setup failed to handle. Combined with Voice Boost to enhance speech clarity, this makes every call sound cleaner and more professional.
How the Adaptive Noise Gate Works
Hearably's noise gate operates on the principle of RMS (Root Mean Square) envelope detection with an adaptive threshold. The audio signal is analyzed in short overlapping windows (typically 10-20ms). For each window, the RMS energy is computed — a measure of the signal's average power that corresponds closely to perceived loudness.
The gate maintains two running averages: a fast envelope (short time constant, ~5ms) that tracks transients like speech syllables, and a slow envelope (long time constant, ~500ms) that estimates the background noise floor. When the fast envelope exceeds the slow envelope by a configurable margin (the gate threshold), the gate opens and audio passes through. When the fast envelope drops below the threshold, the gate closes with a smooth release curve (50-100ms) to avoid audible chopping.
The adaptive aspect is key: the slow envelope continuously re-estimates the noise floor, so the gate automatically adjusts to changing noise conditions — a fan turning on, traffic noise increasing, or a participant moving closer to their microphone. This eliminates the need for manual threshold calibration that makes traditional noise gates frustrating to use. The gate's hysteresis (different open and close thresholds) prevents rapid cycling when speech amplitude hovers near the threshold, which would create a chattering artifact. The entire computation runs in the Web Audio API processing thread with zero allocations, adding under 1ms of latency to the signal path.
How to get the best audio on AI Noise Reduction for Browser Audio
Enable noise gate before boosting volume
Always enable the noise gate before applying volume boost. Boosting noisy audio amplifies the noise along with the signal. The gate removes noise first, then the boost amplifies only the clean signal — resulting in dramatically better audio quality at high volume levels.
Use on video calls for cleaner incoming audio
Video platforms clean up your outgoing audio but do nothing for incoming audio from noisy participants. Enable Hearably on your Zoom, Meet, or Teams tab to apply noise gating to what you hear. Background noise from remote participants drops away while their voice stays clear.
Combine with Voice Boost for maximum clarity
The noise gate removes background energy, then Voice Boost enhances speech frequencies at 1-4 kHz. This combination is especially effective for calls with participants on laptop microphones in noisy environments — the two features complement each other perfectly.
Effective against steady-state noise
The adaptive noise gate excels at removing constant background noise: air conditioning hum, computer fan whir, electrical hiss, and ambient room noise. It is less effective against impulsive noises (door slams, dog barks) that overlap with speech energy in both time and frequency.
Works on any audio content, not just voice
Unlike neural noise cancellation that is trained specifically on voice, Hearably's signal-level noise gate works on any audio: music streams with tape hiss, podcast recordings with room noise, and even old recordings with analog hum. The gate does not need to distinguish between voice and music.
Adjust sensitivity for your environment
If the noise gate is cutting off quiet speech, reduce the sensitivity. If background noise is still audible during pauses, increase it. The adaptive threshold handles most situations automatically, but manual adjustment gives you fine control for edge cases.
Zero CPU overhead during silence
When the gate is closed (no speech detected), the output is silence — no audio processing needed downstream. This means the EQ, compressor, and limiter do minimal work during pauses, reducing overall CPU usage during calls with intermittent speech.
Built for this exact use case
Adaptive Noise Gate
RMS envelope detection with adaptive threshold automatically tracks the noise floor and removes steady-state background noise. No manual calibration required — the gate adjusts in real time as noise conditions change.
Voice-Optimized Processing
Combine noise gating with Voice Boost (1-4 kHz enhancement) and volume amplification for crystal-clear speech. The noise gate removes energy below the speech band before the boost amplifies it.
Lightweight Signal Processing
No neural network, no model download, no GPU required. The noise gate runs on basic signal math (RMS computation, envelope following) with under 1ms latency and minimal CPU usage.
Private In-Browser Processing
All noise reduction runs locally in Chrome's Web Audio API. No audio is sent to any server. Works on confidential calls, medical consultations, and any scenario requiring audio privacy.
Choose your method
Different situations call for different tools. Hearably gives you both.
Chrome Extension
Enhance audio live while you stream. The extension intercepts your tab's audio and processes it in real-time — volume boost, EQ, presets — without downloading anything.
- Streaming on AI Noise Reduction for Browser Audio, Netflix, Spotify
- Video calls on Zoom, Meet, Teams
- Any website with audio
- When you want instant, always-on enhancement
Free Online Studio
Upload an audio or video file, apply volume boost + 10-band EQ, preview in real-time, then download the enhanced WAV. Your file never leaves your browser.
- Downloaded videos or music files
- Podcast episodes you want to boost before sharing
- Voice recordings, lectures, interviews
- When you need a permanently enhanced file
Pro tip: Use a YouTube-to-MP3 tool to download the audio, then enhance it in Hearably Studio with EQ + volume boost. Perfect for offline listening, DJ sets, or sharing on social media.
Three clicks to better audio
Install
Add Hearably from the Chrome Web Store. Under 300KB, installs in seconds.
Enhance
Click the Hearably icon and tap "Enhance." Boost kicks in instantly.
Enjoy
Adjust volume, EQ, and presets. Works on any website with audio.
Frequently asked questions
Does the noise gate use AI or machine learning?
No. Hearably's noise gate uses classical signal processing — RMS envelope detection with an adaptive threshold. This approach is lightweight (no model downloads, no GPU required), runs with under 1ms latency, and works on any audio content, not just voice.
How is this different from Krisp or RTX Voice?
Krisp and RTX Voice use deep neural networks trained specifically on voice and noise patterns. They are more effective at removing complex noises (dog barks, construction) but require significant CPU/GPU and only work on voice. Hearably's noise gate is lighter, works on any audio type, and runs in the browser with no installation.
Does it work on incoming audio from video calls?
Yes. Hearably processes the audio output of the browser tab, which includes incoming audio from remote participants in Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and other web-based video calls. It cleans up noise from their end that their own setup failed to suppress.
Will the noise gate cut off quiet speech?
The adaptive threshold is designed to track the noise floor and open for speech at any reasonable level. However, if speech is extremely quiet (close to the noise floor), the gate may cut some syllables. In this case, reduce the gate sensitivity or combine with volume boost to increase the signal-to-noise ratio.
Can I use noise reduction and volume boost together?
Yes, and this is the recommended approach. The noise gate runs first in the signal chain, removing background noise. Then the volume boost amplifies the clean signal. This produces much better results than boosting noisy audio.
What types of noise does it remove?
The adaptive noise gate is most effective against steady-state (continuous) noise: air conditioning, fan hum, electrical hiss, tape noise, and ambient room noise. It is less effective against transient noises that overlap with speech in both time and frequency, such as nearby conversations or sudden impacts.
Does it add latency to the audio?
Under 1ms for the noise gate itself. Combined with Hearably's full DSP chain (including the 5ms look-ahead limiter), total added latency is under 10ms — imperceptible for video calls and media playback.
Does it work on music or only voice?
It works on any audio. The noise gate does not use voice-specific models — it operates on signal energy levels. This means it can clean up tape hiss on old music recordings, remove background noise from live concert streams, or reduce room noise on podcast audio.