Introduction

Auphonic is an advanced web-based audio post-production service designed to automatically improve the quality of speech and music. It leverages sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence to handle complex audio tasks, making professional-sounding audio accessible to podcasters, broadcasters, videographers, and anyone producing audio content. By automating processes like loudness normalization, noise reduction, and leveling, Auphonic eliminates the need for extensive manual editing, saving users significant time and effort while ensuring a consistent, high-quality output across various platforms.

Key Features

• Intelligent Leveler: Automatically balances loudness differences between speakers, music, and sound effects, and corrects levels within a single speaker’s recording.
• Loudness Normalization: Complies with global broadcast loudness standards such as EBU R128, ATSC A/85, and various podcasting targets, ensuring your audio is delivered at the correct, consistent volume.
• Adaptive Noise Reduction: Intelligently identifies and removes background noise, hum, and hiss without degrading the speech quality.
• Automatic Ducking: Automatically lowers the volume of background music or sound effects when speech is present, making voices clearer and more prominent.
• Crossgate: A unique feature for multi-track productions that reduces “spill” (audio bleeding from one microphone to another) and enhances clarity by intelligently processing individual tracks.
• Multi-track Algorithms: Processes multiple input tracks (e.g., individual speaker microphones) while maintaining their phase and timing relationships, resulting in a cohesive mix.
• Speech Recognition & Transcription: Offers optional automatic speech recognition to generate transcripts, which can be useful for accessibility, show notes, or content analysis.
• Extensive Export Options: Supports a wide range of output formats (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, etc.) and allows for the embedding of metadata, chapter markers, and cover art.
• Cloud Integrations: Seamlessly connects with popular services like Dropbox, Google Drive, YouTube, SoundCloud, and various podcast hosting platforms for easy upload and distribution.

Pros

• Significant Time Savings: Automates hours of manual audio editing, allowing creators to focus on content.
• Professional Quality Audio: Delivers consistently high-quality, broadcast-ready audio even from less-than-perfect source recordings.
• Ease of Use: User-friendly interface makes complex audio processing accessible to non-experts. Just upload, configure, and download.
• Loudness Standard Compliance: Automatically meets industry-standard loudness levels, crucial for professional distribution.
• Cost-Effective: Often more affordable than hiring a professional audio engineer for every project, especially with its free tier.
• Cloud-Based Convenience: Process audio from anywhere with an internet connection, no powerful local software required.
• Excellent for Voice Content: Particularly shines with spoken word, making podcasts, audiobooks, and voiceovers crisp and clear.

Cons

• Not a DAW Replacement: Lacks the granular control and creative freedom of a digital audio workstation (DAW) for highly specific manual edits or intricate sound design.
• Algorithm Reliance: While generally excellent, results are dependent on its algorithms; very specific or unusual audio issues might require human intervention.
• Internet Dependency: Requires a stable internet connection for uploading files, processing, and downloading results.
• Limited Creative Control: Designed for optimization, not for artistic mixing choices or advanced effects.
• Potential for Over-processing: In rare cases with extremely poor source audio, the automation might lead to an unnatural sound if not properly configured.

Pricing

Auphonic operates on a freemium model with various paid tiers based on processing hours per month. This flexible structure caters to a wide range of users, from hobbyists to professional content creators.

• Free Account: Users typically receive a limited number of free processing hours per month (e.g., 2 hours), perfect for testing the service or for very infrequent use.
• Paid Plans: These are structured in tiers (e.g., Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc.), offering increasing numbers of processing hours per month. For instance, plans might range from 9 hours/month to 100+ hours/month.
• On-Demand Credits: It’s also possible to purchase additional processing hours as one-time credits, which don’t expire, useful for sporadic high-volume needs.
• Subscription vs. Credits: Users can choose between monthly subscriptions for regular usage or purchasing credit packages for more flexible, pay-as-you-go processing.
• Pricing Varies: Exact pricing depends on the number of hours and whether you opt for monthly or annual billing (annual subscriptions often come with a discount). Users should check the official Auphonic website for the most current pricing details.