How to Improve Audio When Recording Video Outdoors?
In this article, I explain how to prepare for outdoor video recording and how to fix microphone issues or remove unwanted noise that can ruin your video.
How to prepare for outdoor recording?
This is a broad topic, and high-quality filming depends on many factors: script preparation, locations, cameras, actors, lighting, and more.
In this article, we focus on audio, since our blog is dedicated to sound. When it comes to audio, you should consider the following:
- understand how many people will be on camera and prepare the required number of microphones
- choose a convenient microphone format
💡 Wireless microphones usually offer the best quality and convenience, but they are expensive. Wired microphones may not be suitable for outdoor shoots, and Bluetooth microphones can have poor sound quality. Always test audio quality before filming.
- plan the actors’ clothing so microphones are not visible, if that matters
- choose microphones carefully, read reviews, and always test them in similar conditions before filming
These steps help you prepare better, but they do not eliminate all issues that may occur. Let’s talk about those next.
What problems can occur when recording outdoors?
No matter the location—city streets, restaurants, parks, or forests—unexpected noise and microphone issues can always happen, for example:
- loud passing cars
- birds singing
- people talking nearby
- strong wind or rain
- and many other noises
This is why audio equipment must be prepared and tested carefully. Still, post-processing is almost always necessary.
Does the microphone matter?
Yes. A good microphone accounts for about 70% of audio quality. However, even the best microphone cannot fix wind noise, clothing rustle, or loud breathing.
💡 Choose a microphone based on your budget or project budget. Software can handle the rest.
What if you don’t have a good microphone?
This is where our service Background noise removal comes in. It automatically removes street noise, microphone defects, and even speech issues.
If you don’t have a good microphone, record a test video and upload it to our service. Remove background noise, enhance your voice, and check the result. In many cases, even a built-in phone microphone is enough after processing. Below, I explain how the service works and what problems it can solve.
💡 Around 80–90% of audio problems can be fixed using our service. We recommend reading to the end and trying it in your workflow.
How does our tool work?
Background noise removal is a website where you upload audio or video in any format, choose a processing option, and improve your sound.
There are several audio processing options. Below are real examples of what each option does.
What if the audio was recorded with defects?
Here’s a short story. A video editor friend once recorded interviews in multiple locations—outdoors and indoors—with two speakers. They prepared lavalier microphones, tested everything, and completed a full shoot. Later, they discovered the audio tracks were mixed up and uneven. The result was unusable audio after time, money, and effort were already spent.
They came to us, and using a combination of Voice Cleaner (keep music) and Partial Deverb, we saved the project. The audio became clean and balanced, and the video was published on time.
What if you need to fix microphone noise?
This often happens when a microphone is touched, placed too close to the mouth, or overloaded. The result is distorted audio that is unpleasant or hard to understand.
This is common with budget microphones or built-in laptop and phone microphones.
Our Bandwidth Extension and Voice AutoEQ (keep noise) option removes interference, balances volume, and improves clarity automatically. You simply upload the file, select the option, and get clean, even audio.
What if you need to remove unwanted sounds from a video?
Outdoor recording always includes unpredictable noise. Our service automatically detects and removes unwanted sounds so you can get clean voice audio. Use the Voice Cleaner (remove music) option for this task.
In summary, planning and microphones matter, but no one is protected from unexpected issues. In such cases, tools like Background Noise Removal help remove noise and save your video.