Ten of the Best Audio Repair Software & Plug-Ins in 2024

We’re always aiming for the best quality when recording, but occasional accidents and mistakes are bound to happen, not to mention that when mixing or mastering one is almost certain to receive a problematic take (or entire song!) at some point. In addition, in the fraught and deadline-heavy world of audio post-production, problematic audio is almost an expectation of a sound editor or re-recording mixer due to tight time constraints and limited production budgets. Fortunately, there are some insanely capable pieces of software out there able to deal with all sorts of damaged material, some of which were almost unthinkable just a decade ago - we've rounded up the ten most popular audio repair and restoration tools on Gearspace.com - in alphabetical order:

Accentize Speech Restoration Bundle

What it is: AAX/AU/VST3 for Mac with Native Apple-Silicon Support or Windows
What it offers:De-verb, noise reduction and intelligent equalizer
In summary: Straightforward and user-friendly machine learning based audio-plugins aimed at speech and voice treatment with fast tweaking and enhanced workflow. The bundle includes three plug-ins: Deroom Pro for acoustically challenged environments unwanted reverb removal, Spectral Balance for smart equalization and dialogue matching and VoiceGate for noise reduction.

Acon Digital Restoration Suite 2

What it is: AAX/AU/VST/VST3 Plug-Ins for Mac or Windows
What it offers: de-clip, de-click, hum and noise reduction
In summary: Acon Digital Restoration Suite is arguably the best option out there considering its price tag. If you need to do comprehensive audio restoration on a tight budget without compromising the end result.

Antares Auto-Tune SoundSoap

What it is: AAX/AU/VST3 plug-in for Mac or Windows
What it offers: De-ess, De-hum, Voice and Spectral De-noise as a one-click application with track-wide enhancements.
In summary: Now sold & supported under the Antares marque, SoundSoap is an audio repair veteran, highly regarded for its ease of use and efficiency. Available in Auto-Tune Unlimited Subscription Plan

Check out the Auto-Tune SoundSoap at Antares!

Cedar Audio Studio Complete

What it is: AAX/AU/VST2/VST3 plug-ins for Mac or Windows
What it offers: de-buzz, de-click, de-clip, de-crackle, de-hiss, de-noise, de-hum, limiting, spectral editing and tools for vinyl restoration.
In summary: CEDAR Studio set of tools were pioneers in this field, with a reputation for being one of the strongest solutions for repairing and improving audio quality. Available in four different versions, containing from two to eleven processors to accommodate most individual needs and pockets.

iZotope RX 11 Advanced

What it is: AU/AAX/AAX Audiosuite/VST3/AU ARA plug-ins and software editor for Mac or Windows
What it offers: De-click, de-clip, de-crackle, de-hiss, de-hum, dialogue de-noise, spectral de-noise, reverb reduction, mouth artefact removal, pitch shift with intonation control, limiting, EQ, music rebalance, spectral editing and batch processing on the editor.
In summary: The undisputed champion when it comes to dealing with spoiled audio - if it can’t be salvaged by RX then it might just be beyond saving! Now arriving in its seventh iteration, RX offers multi-track operation and a music-oriented tool called 'Music Rebalance' that allows users to "re-mix final mixes". RX comes in three versions (Advanced, Standard and Elements) and is also bundled with other iZotope software in the Post Production Suite 7.

Klevgrand Brusfri

What it is: iOS app and AAX/AU/VST plug-in for Mac or Windows
What it offers: Noise reduction
In summary: Certainly one of the best options if you’re looking for a noise reduction tool that is both effortless to use and very affordable. It's also available as an app for iPhones and iPads so you can now cope with those noisy podcasts.

Magix Sound Forge Audio Cleaning Lab 4

What it is: VST3 plug-in for Windows 10 & 11
What it offers: Vintage media digitization, cleaning, restoration, audio editing, video sound optimization, digital mastering and effects plug-ins.
In summary: A rather complete bundle for a real bargain. The suite exceeds its traditional tools offering users access to renowned Izotope’s RX 10 Elements and Ozone 10 Elements alongside converting, editing and effects plug-ins in an all-in-one pack with ARA 2 support.

Sonnox Restore Bundle

What it is: AAX/AU/VST plug-ins for Mac or Windows
What it offers: De-click/crackle, de-buzz, de-pop and noise reduction
In summary: A set of three highly advanced and intuitive plug-ins made by the experts at Sonnox that are set to take the bad stuff out while preserving the important stuff! Each plug-in is also available individually, but this bundle provides meaningful savings when compared to buying them 'a la carte' - it will provide excellent coverage against many different audio misfortunes.

Waves Restoration Bundle

What it is: AAX/AU/VST plug-ins for Mac or Windows
What it offers: Noise, hum, hiss and crackle reduction
In summary: An affordable package with five powerful plug-ins to tackle the 'meat & potatoes' of audio restoration. Also compatible with Waves SoundGrid dedicated DSP server for real time monitoring with super low latency.

Check out the Waves Restoration Bundle at Waves!

Zynaptiq REPAIR Bundle

What it is: iOS app and AAX/AU/VST plug-in for Mac or Windows
What it offers: Codec artifact removal, reverb reduction and tonal rebalance.
In summary: Comprising three plug-ins (that are straight out of science fiction), this bundle can deal with problems such as excessive reverb, poor equalization, comb-filtering and even attenuate problems stemming from low-resolution codecs. Although the bundle offers a significantly discounted price compared to buying individually, it still remains relatively expensive, but the super advanced nature of these tools means it will be well worth the outlay if you need some top-shelf correction.

That's the list - we sincerely hope that your audio is always safe from harm, but in case a disaster strikes you now know where to look!

For more on audio repair and restoration software visit our Music Computers area, and if you’re working with film/TV/video don’t forget to stop by our Post Production forum.