DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to remove background noise in DaVinci Resolve (free & Studio)
Short answer
In the free version, add the Noise Reduction effect from Audio FX > Fairlight FX to the clip or track, start from the De-Hiss, De-Rumble or De-Rumble and Hiss preset, and tick Listen to Noise Only to hear what you're removing. In DaVinci Resolve Studio, Voice Isolation removes loud background sound with AI; Blackmagic says an Amount of 70 to 80 sounds natural.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21 (free and Studio), Windows, Mac and Linux, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Noise Reduction (free version)
Add the effect
Open Effects > Audio FX > Fairlight FX and drag Noise Reduction onto the dialogue clip (or the track in the Fairlight mixer). Fairlight FX work on the Edit and Fairlight pages.
EffectsAudio FXFairlight FXNoise Reduction
Open the custom controls
In the Inspector, click the button at the top of the effect to open its window with the spectrum graph.
Pick a preset
Start with De-Hiss (hiss, fans), De-Rumble (traffic, wind) or De-Rumble and Hiss.
Listen to what you remove
Tick Listen to Noise Only. If you hear words, you're removing voice: lower Threshold or Sensitivity. Use Dry/Wet to blend some of the original back.
Method 2: Voice Isolation (Studio)
Turn on Voice Isolation
Open the mixer (the Mixer panel on the Edit page or the Fairlight page) and, in the dialogue track's channel strip, switch on Voice Isolation under Track FX. It works on mono, stereo and dual-mono tracks.
Set the Amount
Blackmagic notes 50 is an equal mix and 70 to 80 gives natural results while strongly isolating the voice.
Which tool for which noise
| Noise | Free version | Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Fan, air conditioning, hiss | Noise Reduction: De-Hiss | Voice Isolation |
| Traffic, wind rumble | Noise Reduction: De-Rumble | Voice Isolation |
| Mains hum (50/60 Hz) | De-Hummer | De-Hummer |
| Music or crowd behind speech | Hard to remove | Voice Isolation |
| Uneven speech levels | Dialogue Leveler | Dialogue Leveler |
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Voice sounds watery or robotic | Too much reduction. Lower Threshold and Sensitivity, or raise Dry/Wet toward dry. |
| Voice Isolation is missing or locked | It is a DaVinci Resolve Studio feature. Use Noise Reduction in the free version. |
| Voice Isolation won't work on a track | It isn't supported on tracks with more than two channels or on live input. |
| Hum is still there | Add the De-Hummer effect and set it to your mains frequency. |
Questions people ask
Is noise reduction free in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. The Fairlight Noise Reduction and De-Hummer effects aren't marked Studio only. Voice Isolation, Dialogue Separator and Music Remixer are Studio only.
What Voice Isolation amount should I use?
Blackmagic suggests 70 to 80 for natural results; 50 is an even mix of original and isolated voice.
Can Resolve remove video noise too?
Yes, but the Color page Noise Reduction for video is listed as Studio only.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Noise Reduction (Fairlight FX) (p. 4089, 4121-4122) (checked 2026-10-05)
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Voice Isolation (Studio Version Only); Track FX (p. 1146, 3837) (checked 2026-10-05)
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with DaVinci Resolve's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.