Ranked: Best AI vocal isolator tools

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Each day, more and more AI tools are being introduced, each covering different grounds to help users with their needs or wants. While AI vocal removal focuses on separating vocals from music or backing tracks, AI vocal isolation helps remove background noise from voice recordings. I’ve been searching for a reliable AI vocal isolator to clean up my voice notes and wanted to share which tools gave me the best results. To help you save time from going through the hassle of testing different tools for this task, I'll share my findings with you in this article, where I will discuss their pros and cons and which AI vocal isolator tools would suit you best.

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Before using these AI tools, I’ve always used audio editing software and plugins for background noise removal. While I was getting the results that I was looking for, the process soon became repetitive and boring. Not to mention the amount of time you need to put into finding and learning these tools also adds to the labor. While I am not saying that I'll be altogether ditching this traditional way of enhancing my audio, I would love access to tools that can help speed up my process and still achieve great results. At the end of this article, I’ve included a blind shootout with outputs from every tool on the list, plus one audio sample I manually edited so you can listen and better understand how well each tool performs. 

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In this article, we compare four of the best AI vocal isolator tools we’ve found to help you clean up your recordings without needing complex audio editing skills or special software.

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What I looked for

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The best AI tools for vocal isolation

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1. ElevenLabs

Best for high quality background noise removal

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ElevenLabs shines with its excellent AI tools for audio, and its voice isolator is no exception.

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One of the major problems I've encountered when separating noise from my audio is that some tools also cut off critical frequencies, which affects the clarity and overall sound quality of the recording. The results are either:

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• Audio that is too nasally due to mid-frequency roll-off.
• Audio that sounds bright and harsh due to the lows being rolled off

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I was impressed by ElevenLabs' innovative appr as I haven't seen any tool so far that utilized AI to solve this problem.

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Based on my observation, ElevenLabs has used their AI voice cloning feature (which we have reviewed in 'The 4 Best AI Voice Cloning Tool.' article) to recover lost frequencies while removing noise from the audio. I deduced it when listening to the result it produced and comparing it to the original audio; there were subtle changes in how I speak, and you can hear it for yourself in the comparison video I prepared above. If I were to describe it, my voice recording sounded more polished which is an absolute win.

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If I were to nitpick any drawbacks with ElevenLabs' AI vocal isolator compared to other tools on this list, the lack of features might be a disadvantage. Personally, I really like the straightforward process that ElevenLabs has. Sure, they may be short on features, but I didn't find the need for them since the results exceeded my expectations. 

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ElevenLabs' AI vocal isolator is only available with a subscription. The most affordable option is the Starter plan, priced at $5 per month. If you only need the isolator, this plan is a good choice. Upgrading to a higher plan for more credits might be worthwhile for frequent use or larger projects.

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2. Lalal.ai

Best for voice and noise separation 

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Lalal.ai has built a strong reputation for audio separation and continues to push boundaries. When Lalal.ai first entered the AI audio separation scene, it quickly gained recognition for the quality of the outputs that users get compared to its existing competition. While its core feature revolves around creating high-quality audio stems of songs, it later expanded and introduced more AI audio processing services, which is why we had the chance to check out its voice and noise separation tool.

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I was well aware of the capabilities of Lalal.ai's tools as I was able to try its stem separation in the past when looking for the best AI vocal remover for music. I initially thought Lalal.ai didn't offer audio enhancement services, so I was pleasantly surprised upon learning that they do. I knew I had to try it; lo and behold, it was great as expected.

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While Lalal.ai didn’t have the same innovations as ElevenLabs, like using AI voice cloning to restore lost audio details, its voice and noise separation kept my voice sounding natural, as if there was no background noise at all. While there is very minimal noise that slips in from its output, it's barely noticeable and very tolerable. Even in a treated room, there is still noise that the mic will pick up. While it may not be as polished as ElevenLabs' vocal isolator, other users might prefer how natural the output of Lalal.ai's voice and noise separation tool produced, so it's just a matter of preference.

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Lalal.ai’s free trial only allows you to preview audio. To download files, you’ll need to purchase a subscription. The Lite Pack, which costs a one-time fee of $20, is the most affordable option. With this plan, you get lifetime access as long as you still have credits. Once you run out of credits, you’ll need to buy more. This pay-as-you-go model is great if you plan to use vocal isolation long-term. Subscribing also unlocks additional features like voice and noise isolation, with more options depending on the plan. The Lite Pack is recommended for its good value and sufficient minutes for vocal isolation.

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3. Noise Reducer by Media.io

Best for unique tools to remove wind noise, reverb, and clicks  

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Media.io lands the third spot on our list with its Noise Reducer. Media.io was developed by the company Wondershare, which is also responsible for Filmora, a video editing software that has become widely recognized by the public. And with that comes Media.io, a different venture for Wondershare focused on offering a variety of tools for audio and video processing needs.

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My first impression of this tool is pleasant since it's easy to navigate and understand. A standout feature of this tool is the section where it has set specific options where you can select your preferred noise reduction type. You can choose from speech enhancement, denoise, wind noise, reverb noise, click noise, and hiss noise. These features are excellent additions for those who may not wish to remove all noise but rather have specific noise elements in their recording they'd like to remove. These features shine in scenarios like reducing wind noise from outdoor recordings or keyboard noises picked up by the mic.

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I've tested each of the options, and they are working, but what worked best for my needs was the Denoise feature, which you can listen to above. The other options seem hit-or-miss. They might work well if you’re dealing with specific noise issues, like loud keyboard sounds, but I didn’t get the chance to test them all with tailored audio clips.

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4. Audioenhancer.ai

Best for fast and easy voice isolation 

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AudioEnhancer.ai is another powerful tool with extra features beyond its AI audio enhancer. Media.io's Noise Reducer offers options to clean up speech, reduce background noise, fix loudness, remove plosives and sibilance, and eliminate echo. You can also match the format type to your source audio. After checking out its features, I chose the "background noise remover" for enhancement and the "voice recording" option for content type for my tests.

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AudioEnhancer.ai's noise reduction was decent, but the output lacked clarity and sounded slightly nasal, which was a dealbreaker for me and why I ranked it lower. Although it doesn't match the superior quality of ElevenLabs or Lalal.ai, it came close to Media.io's noise reducer. Some may even prefer its warmer tone over Media.io's brighter, harsher sound, making it a solid alternative to Media.io.

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Audioenhancer.ai offers a free trial but is limited to exporting just 5 minutes of audio per session. It’s great for quick tasks like isolating a short clip since it’s fast and doesn’t require logging in. However, tools like Eleven Labs may be a better fit if you need more advanced features. The free trial is a good way to see if it works for you before committing to a paid plan.

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Challenge your ears

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We've prepared a quick test for you in the form of a blind shootout. It features outputs from these tools, plus one I manually edited using my usual plugins and software labeled 'human.' Challenge yourself and your friends to see if you can guess which AI tools are yours. Stick around until the end of the video for the results!

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How we picked these tools

The first thing we focused on was audio quality—how effectively each tool isolates vocals while minimizing noise or artifacts. During testing, we excluded certain tools such as Cleanvoice.ai and Voiceisolator.io because, although decent, they couldn’t match the overall clarity and quality of the other tools.

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We also considered each tool’s popularity and user base, using website traffic as one measure to help confirm a tool’s popularity over time. Lastly, we assessed other performance aspects, overall features, and user feedback to ensure we included the best possible candidates.

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How I tested these tools

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To test the tools on our list, I've recorded audio of myself speaking a few inches away from my phone while ambient conversation noise is running in the background. I tried to achieve the typical noise floor from public areas like restaurants or coffee shops. I've also measured and matched the noise level of my test environment with the help of a decibel meter app to what I found on Google, which was said to be between 55-65 decibels (dB).

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For this test, we've exclusively used the desktop version of these tools to add fairness and serve as a control. 

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