Key considerations:
- Best for: Remote recordings, beginners, quick fixes without technical complexity
- Limitations: Recent V2 update has received mixed reviews for producing robotic-sounding audio
- Top alternative: Descript Studio Sound offers similar AI enhancement with text-based editing
The Adobe Podcast suite has matured considerably since its beta launch, with Enhance Speech emerging as one of its most popular features. This AI-powered tool eliminates background noise from raw audio recordings directly in your browser, making professional-sounding audio accessible to podcasters at any skill level.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Adobe Podcast Enhance, including how it works, when to use it, and how it compares to other leading alternatives. Whether you’re cleaning up remote interview recordings or polishing audio for your next episode, you’ll find everything you’ll need to choose the right tool for your podcasting workflow.
- What Is Adobe Podcast Enhance Speech?
- How Does Adobe Podcast Enhance Work?
- How to use Adobe Podcast: Enhance
- What Are the Differences Between Free and Premium Plans?
- When Should You Use Adobe Podcast Enhance?
- Alternatives to Adobe Podcast: Enhance
- How Does Adobe Podcast Enhance Compare to Professional DAW Software?
- What Other AI Tools Does Adobe Podcast Offer?
- The Bottom Line on Adobe Podcast: Enhance
What Is Adobe Podcast Enhance Speech?
Adobe Podcast Enhance Speech is a browser-based AI tool that removes background noise and improves voice clarity in most audio recordings. It functions as a post-production tool, meaning you apply it after recording rather than during live capture. This works by having the AI analyze your audio file, identifying the voice patterns, and automatically removing unwanted sounds like room echo, ambient noise, and electrical hum.
The tool belongs to Adobe’s Podcast suite, which includes two additional features: Mic Check for pre-recording setup optimization and Studio for remote multi-track recording. Unlike traditional digital audio workstations (DAWs) that require technical expertise, Enhance Speech delivers professional results through a simple upload-and-process workflow.
Three characteristics distinguish Enhance Speech from conventional audio editing:
Browser-based operation eliminates software installation and works on any device with internet access. You upload your audio file, wait for processing, and download the enhanced version without touching EQ controls or noise gates.
AI-driven processing means the tool makes intelligent decisions about what constitutes “noise” versus “voice” in your recording. Rather than applying uniform filtering that can degrade audio quality, the algorithm targets specific frequency ranges and sound patterns.
Accessibility-first design makes professional audio enhancement available to creators who lack audio engineering backgrounds. The tool requires no knowledge of compression ratios, noise floors, or frequency analysis.
How Does Adobe Podcast Enhance Work?
Adobe Podcast Enhance uses machine learning algorithms trained on thousands of audio samples to distinguish between human speech and background noise.
When you upload a file, the AI performs a few operations:
- maps the frequency spectrum of your recording
- identifies patterns consistent with voice
- applies targeted processing to reduce everything else.
The processing pipeline works in a set of stages. First, the algorithm identifies the basic frequencies of each speaker’s voice. Next, it analyzes the noise profile. This is the consistent background sound(s) present throughout the entire recording. Finally, it applies spectral subtraction and other techniques to reduce noise while preserving vocal characteristics.
Processing typically completes within 10 minutes, depending on file size and server load. The tool outputs enhanced audio as a .wav file, which you can convert to your preferred format for podcast production and distribution.
How to Use Adobe Podcast Enhance
Getting started with Adobe Podcast Enhance requires only a free Adobe account. Here’s the complete workflow:
- Navigate to podcast.adobe.com/enhance (and if you don’t have an Adobe account, make one now).
- Upload an audio file into the selection box (this could be .wav, .mp3, .aac, .flac, .ogg, .oga, or .m4a).
- Ensure your audio file is less than 500 MB and under 30 minutes long.
- Click ‘enhance’ (some files take up to 10 minutes to process).
- Listen to your enhanced audio recording (or switch between the enhanced and unenhanced versions to compare quality).
- If you’re happy with the quality, click ‘download’ to obtain the enhanced file (as a .wav)
- Repeat the process for additional files, keeping in mind the free tier’s daily limit of one hour of total processing time.
An Adobe Podcast premium plan comes with a few additional features, such as an AI adjustment bar for changing the level of ‘enhancement’ provided to your audio. This can be very helpful as not all audio requires the same amount of treatment and adjusting the level of enhancement can prevent over processing which can leave the audio sounding too unnatural.
What Are the Differences Between Free and Premium Plans?
Adobe offers both free and paid tiers for Enhance Speech, with differences in capabilities and limitations between them.
Free tier limitations: The free version processes up to one hour of audio per day, with individual files capped at 30 minutes duration and 500MB size. You can’t batch-process multiple files, adjust enhancement intensity, or work with video files.
Despite these restrictions, the free tier provides full access to the core AI enhancement technology.
Premium capabilities ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Express Premium removes most free tier restrictions, meaning you can process up to four hours daily with files up to two hours long and 1GB in size. Premium also unlocks batch uploading, allowing you to queue multiple files and download them when processing completes. Video file support covers .m4v, .mov, and .mp4 formats, making the tool useful for video podcast producers.
The most significant Premium feature is the enhancement strength slider. This control lets you dial in the balance between maximum noise reduction and natural-sounding audio. Aggressive enhancement removes more noise but can introduce artifacts; lighter processing preserves natural room tone while addressing the most distracting sounds.
Which plan fits your needs? If your episodes run under 30 minutes and you publish weekly or less frequently, the free tier likely meets your needs. Regular publishers, video podcasters, and anyone working with longer recordings will benefit from Premium’s expanded limits and batch processing capabilities.
When Should You Use Adobe Podcast Enhance?
Adobe Podcast Enhance solves a few specific problems well, while falling short in other scenarios. Understanding where it works best will help you decide when to reach for it versus other alternatives.
Ideal use cases:
Remote interview recordings can from inconsistent audio quality when guests record in untreated rooms or use consumer-grade microphones. Enhance Speech can salvage otherwise unusable audio by reducing room echo and background noise.
Podcasters without DAW experience benefit from the tool’s simplicity. If learning Audacity or Adobe Audition feels overwhelming, Enhance Speech delivers professional results without technical knowledge.
Budget-conscious creators get access to AI enhancement technology comparable to tools costing significantly more. The free tier provides genuine value for occasional use.
Quick turnaround situations benefit from browser-based processing. You can enhance audio from any device without installing software, useful when editing away from your primary workstation.
Less suitable scenarios:
Recordings from a high-quality source may not benefit from AI enhancement. If you’re already capturing clean audio with professional equipment in a treated space, Enhance Speech might introduce unwanted processing artifacts without meaningful improvement.
Podcasters already invested in DAW workflows have access to more flexible noise reduction tools. If you’re comfortable with Adobe Audition, Descript, or similar platforms, their built-in enhancement features offer greater control.
Creative Cloud subscribers might find Adobe Audition a better value. At $22.99/month, Audition includes comprehensive audio editing capabilities that far exceed Enhance Speech’s single-purpose functionality.
What Are Known Issues with Adobe Podcast Enhance?
Adobe’s recent V2 update to Enhance Speech has received mixed feedback from users. Understanding these issues helps set realistic expectations and identify when alternative tools may serve you better until they are addressed in future updates.
Common complaints about the V2 update include:
- Voices sounding robotic or artificial compared to the original V1 algorithm.
- Some users report muffled audio, particularly at the beginning and end of recordings.
- Others have noticed strange (and unwanted) artifacts appearing during silent sections.
The core issue appears to be aggressive processing that prioritizes noise removal over natural sound preservation. While V1 struck a balance that satisfied most users, V2 seems to over-process in many scenarios.
Workarounds for V2 issues:
Premium users can reduce the enhancement slider to apply lighter processing. This often eliminates robotic artifacts while still improving audio quality.
Free tier users without slider access can try processing the same file multiple times, comparing results. The AI processing isn’t perfectly deterministic, and subsequent attempts sometimes produces better results.
Consider using V2 enhancement on a new copy while keeping the original available—we do this at TPC whenever we use any tools that can sometimes produce inconsistent results. By doing this, you can then evaluate results without risk and decide whether the enhancement improves your audio.
Adobe has acknowledged user feedback and is reportedly working on improvements. In the meantime, alternative tools may deliver more consistent results for users experiencing these issues.
Alternatives to Adobe Podcast: Enhance
If Adobe Enhance Speech isn’t a good fit for your podcast, one of these popular editing tools may be a better fit.
Hindenburg PRO
Unlike many other types of audio editing tools, Hindenburg PRO was designed for the spoken word. This podcast editing software serves three different audiences: students, businesses, and independent professionals.
With Hindenburg PRO, you can edit, normalize, or enhance your podcast with a suite of in-software sounds. You can also transcribe audio directly inside a word processor to increase accessibility to your podcast.
Just keep in mind you can’t control Hindenburg PRO to the same degree you can with other DAWs. This is an excellent beginner-friendly platform, but it may not be a favorite for experienced podcasters. If you want a low-effort workflow for creating quality audio, Hindenburg may be your best bet.
Check out all the details in our guide to Hindenburg PRO.
GarageBand Podcast Software
There’s a good chance you recognize the name ‘GarageBand’ — this legacy macOS tool debuted as early as 2004. Since then, GarageBand has developed into a globally-recognized solution for musicians and pocasters around the world.
GarageBand offers all the basics you need to get started, like audio effect plug-ins, visual EQ, and compression tools. It’s also 100% free like Adobe Podcast: Enhance so you don’t need to spend extra on a DAW.
Just keep in mind you must be a macOS owner to use GarageBand. If you don’t own an Apple computer, tablet, or phone, you may need to look for a podcast editing alternative.
You can learn more about GarageBand in our complete breakdown.
Spreaker Studio
Spreaker Studio is a no-frills podcast editor with both a desktop and mobile app. It’s simple to connect with other podcast audio interfaces and compatible with call-in software like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet.
The biggest drawback of Spreaker Studio is its limited interface — it may be difficult to get granular or tweak everything exactly the way you want. If you’re not a professional audio editor and mostly unfamiliar with DAWs, this could be a no-fuss way to get quality audio for your podcast.
Descript Podcast Software
Descript is an audio and video editor for podcasts, interviews, and transcription tasks. You can also use this software for storing meetings and reports so everyone on your team can stay in the loop.
Studio Sound is Descript’s closest alternative to Adobe Podcast: Enhance — it removes background noise and echo so you don’t need to manually clean up your audio. However, with Descript’s Free plan users can only apply Studio Sound on files up to 10 minutes in length. While paid users can apply Studio Sound on files up to 60 minutes in length.
Get all the other details in our guide to Descript.
Adobe Podcast: AI tools
The Adobe Podcast suite offers several podcast editing tools beyond Enhance Speech. This includes two AI solutions: Mic Check, and the Adobe Podcast Studio.
With Mic Check, you can evaluate your microphone setup and avoid echo, background noise, and quiet audio. With Adobe Podcast Studio, you can transcribe your audio, capture 16-bit 48k tracks, and add royalty-free music to complete your podcast.
Just keep in mind these are in-browser editing tools, so they may not offer the same power or granularity as dedicated DAWs. The Adobe Podcast Studio may also be tricky to connect with your podcast mixer, which can slow down your workflow or get in the way of production timelines.
We wrote a more detailed guide to Adobe Podcast AI tools here.
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is a professional audio workstation for editing, mixing, and exporting podcast audio. It’s also included with the Adobe Creative Cloud, which means you can use it alongside Premiere Pro and Photoshop.
But you should know Adobe Audition doesn’t come with a free version, and you won’t be able to try it out unless you’ve paid for a plan. It’s also more expensive than Adobe’s Express Premium plan — prices start at $22.99 monthly.
For more information, check out our guide to Adobe Audition.
Audacity
Audacity is a free and open-source tool for basic audio editing on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix-like operating systems. Unlike Adobe Audition, it doesn’t cost anything to use. It can also perform more complex edits than Adobe Podcast: Enhance.
You can use Audacity to remove background noise, then add free effects and samples to finalize your podcast. There’s also plugin support for experienced editors who want to use tools like Nyquist (for sound synthesis) or Muse FX (for chorus, reverb, and more).
How Does Adobe Podcast Enhance Compare to Professional DAW Software?
The fundamental difference between Adobe Podcast Enhance and professional DAWs lies in control versus convenience. This tradeoff will help you choose the right tool for your situation.
Adobe Podcast Enhance advantages:
Zero learning curve means you can process audio within minutes of discovering the tool. DAWs like Adobe Audition or Pro Tools require hours of learning before achieving results to be proud of.
Browser-based operation eliminates installation, updates, and system compatibility concerns. Any device with internet access becomes a capable audio processing workstation.
AI decision-making removes the guesswork about the best settings for any particular session. The algorithm determines optimal processing parameters based on your specific audio rather than requiring manual configuration.
Professional DAW advantages:
Granular control over every processing parameter allows experienced editors to achieve better results than automated tools. You can target specific frequency ranges, adjust attack and release times, and layer multiple processing stages.
Non-destructive workflows preserve your original audio while building complex processing chains. You can experiment freely and compare different approaches without committing to any single treatment.
Comprehensive feature sets address the full podcast production workflow. Beyond noise reduction, DAWs handle multitrack recording, editing, mixing, mastering, and export to various formats.
Practical guidance:
Start with Adobe Podcast Enhance if you’re new to podcasting or audio editing. Its results are genuinely professional, and you can always graduate to more complex tools as your skills develop.
Consider DAWs when you’re producing multiple episodes weekly, working with complex audio scenarios, or finding Enhance Speech’s automated decisions unsatisfying. The learning investment pays off through superior control and efficiency.
Many podcasters use both approaches: quick cleanup with Enhance Speech for time-sensitive situations, thorough DAW editing when quality demands maximum attention.
What Other AI Tools Does Adobe Podcast Offer?
Adobe Podcast includes two additional tools beyond Enhance Speech that address different aspects of podcast production.
Mic Check evaluates your recording setup before you begin. The tool analyzes your microphone signal and provides specific feedback about potential issues: background noise levels, echo characteristics, and voice clarity. Use Mic Check during initial setup and whenever you change recording environments or equipment.
Unlike Enhance Speech, Mic Check is completely free with no usage limits. It functions as a diagnostic tool rather than audio processor, helping you identify and fix problems at the source rather than in post-production.
Adobe Podcast Studio provides remote recording capabilities similar to Riverside or Zencastr. Multiple participants can join a recording session through their browsers, with each person’s audio captured on separate tracks for independent processing.
Studio records 16-bit 48kHz audio and includes automatic transcription for text-based editing. The platform also provides royalty-free music for intros, outros, and transitions.
Limitations to consider:
These browser-based tools lack the integration depth of dedicated DAWs. Adobe Podcast Studio may not connect smoothly with your existing podcast mixer or audio interface, potentially complicating established workflows.
The tools work best as a self-contained ecosystem. Mixing Adobe Podcast with other software introduces export/import steps that add friction to your production process.
Related Articles:
- Cloud Recording 101
- Are Adobe’s AI-Powered Audio Tools THIS Good?
- Ultimate Guide to Video Podcasts: Equipment, Software, and Recording
- Recording In Batches
- Handling Room Reflections and Reverb in Your Podcast Recordings
- How The Podcast Consultant Ensures The Highest Editing Quality
- How to Pick the Perfect Theme Song for Your Podcast
- The Ultimate Guide to Podcast Editing Software
- Is Reaper the Best Podcast DAW of 2025?
- REAPER DAW: The Best DAW for Audio Production in 2025
The Bottom Line on Adobe Podcast: Enhance
Adobe Podcast: Enhance is a simple way to sweeten podcast audio before publishing it online. It may not offer the complexity of a fully-featured DAW, but it’s still a cost-effective way to create professional-sounding audio.
Just keep in mind the Adobe Podcast suite isn’t a one-stop-shop for all podcast editing tasks. If you’re looking for a more streamlined way to produce a business podcast, you can rely on The Podcast Consultant to handle your new podcast launch, publishing, promotion, and more.
Ready to enhance the quality of your show? Make the most out of your podcasting efforts by visiting our in-depth guide on podcast performance or learn more about our services by scheduling a Discovery Call.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adobe Enhance Speech
Yes, Adobe Podcast Enhance offers a free tier allowing 1 hour of daily audio processing for files under 30 minutes and 500MB. Express Premium ($9.99/month or $99.99/year) removes limits and adds batch processing, video support, and enhancement level controls. The free version suits occasional use or short episodes.
Adobe Podcast Enhance accepts .wav, .mp3, .aac, .flac, .ogg, .oga, and .m4a audio files. Premium users can process video formats including .m4v, .mov, and .mp4. Free users are limited to 30-minute files under 500MB, while Premium allows files up to 2 hours long and 1GB in size.
According to user reviews, the V2 update produces robotic-sounding voices, muffled audio at clip beginnings and endings, and artifacts during silent sections. Premium users can reduce enhancement intensity via the slider to achieve more natural results.
Adobe Enhance offers simpler one-click processing ideal for quick fixes, while Descript Studio Sound integrates with text-based editing and regenerates voice rather than filtering. Descript’s Creator plan costs $24/month with AI credits, compared to Adobe’s $9.99/month Premium. Choose Adobe for simplicity, Descript for comprehensive editing.
Audacity with Intel OpenVINO AI plugins provides free local AI noise suppression without subscriptions. GarageBand offers built-in enhancement tools for Mac and iOS users. Both require more technical knowledge than Adobe’s browser-based approach but avoid usage limits and recurring costs.
Adobe Podcast Enhance typically processes files in up to 10 minutes depending on file size and complexity. Processing runs in Adobe’s cloud, so no local computer resources are required. You can close the browser and return later to download your enhanced file
Use Adobe Podcast Enhance for remote recordings with background noise, when you lack DAW experience, or need quick AI enhancement. Choose professional DAWs like Adobe Audition or REAPER when you need precise control, already capture high-quality audio, or require comprehensive editing beyond noise reduction.
Only Premium subscribers can process video files. Express Premium ($9.99/month) supports .m4v, .mov, and .mp4 formats, extracting and enhancing the audio track. Free tier users are limited to audio-only formats and must extract audio separately before processing.