The best AI audio tools for creators: stems, cleanup, mastering, and voice—top picks, quick recipes, and smart buying tips.

Quick Picks (What to use and when)
- LALAL.AI — Fast, clean stem splitting / vocal remover (karaoke, remixes). →
/go/lalal - Auphonic — One-click denoise, level, loudness for podcasts & videos. →
/go/auphonic - Descript — Edit audio like text, overdub, multitrack cleanup for podcasts. →
/go/descript - ElevenLabs — Premium voice cloning & TTS (great for intros, explainer VO). →
/go/elevenlabs - Play.ht — TTS at scale, many voices, quick exports. →
/go/playht
Mini Recipes (5–10 minutes each)
1) Make a karaoke/backing track (no vocals)
- Upload your song to LALAL.AI → choose “Vocals” model.
- Export stems; mute vocals; keep instrumental.
- Run through Auphonic: set target loudness (e.g., -16 LUFS), light noise/tilt EQ.
- Export WAV for highest quality.
2) Clean a podcast or voiceover fast
- Import into Descript → remove filler words, fix obvious stumbles.
- Export mix to Auphonic → target platform loudness (YouTube -14 LUFS, Podcast ~-16 LUFS).
- Add light noise reduction and limiter; export WAV/320 kbps MP3.
3) Add a natural AI voice intro
- Draft your 10–20 sec hook.
- Generate VO with ElevenLabs (or Play.ht for variety).
- Mix under music bed at -18 to -12 dBFS; duck bed during VO (-6 dB).
Tool-by-Tool: Why these made the cut
LALAL.AI — Stem Splitting & Vocal Removal
- Best for: Karaoke/backing tracks, acapellas, creative remixes.
- Why we like it: Fast previews, strong vocal isolation with fewer metallic artifacts than most web tools.
- Pro tip: Try “Drums” model separately if you need a tighter rhythm stem.
- Link:
/go/lalal
Auphonic — Cleanup & Loudness in One Pass
- Best for: Podcasts, YouTube talk tracks, VO polishing.
- Why we like it: Reliable loudness targets, consistent results, time saver for batch jobs.
- Pro tip: Save presets by content type (interview vs solo VO).
- Link:
/go/auphonic
Descript — Text-Based Editing + Overdub
- Best for: Fast edit passes, transcript-driven cuts, screen/audio tutorials.
- Why we like it: Turn “ums/ahs” into one-click deletions; overdub fixes small flubs.
- Pro tip: Use Studio Sound for mild room cleanup before Auphonic finalizing.
- Link:
/go/descript
ElevenLabs — Voice Cloning & TTS
- Best for: Branded intro/outro VO, character reads, alt-language versions.
- Why we like it: Natural prosody; good “excited” and “conversational” styles.
- Pro tip: Write to the voice—short sentences, strong verbs, clear hooks.
- Link:
/go/elevenlabs
Play.ht — Fast, Flexible TTS
- Best for: Many variants quickly; social cut captions + VO drafts.
- Why we like it: Big voice library, quick exports, handy for A/B testing reads.
- Pro tip: Generate 3 takes with different pacing; pick the snappiest for shorts.
- Link:
/go/playht
How to Choose (Decision Guide)
- Goal:
- Stems/backing → LALAL.AI
- Cleanup/loudness → Auphonic
- Edit by transcript/overdub → Descript
- Premium VO/clone → ElevenLabs
- Quick TTS at scale → Play.ht
- Output quality: Prefer WAV for edits/mastering; MP3 for distribution previews.
- Speed vs control: Auphonic/Descript for speed; DAW for surgical fixes.
- Licensing: Stems are for practice/mixes—publishing remixes may need rights.
Pricing & Limits (Snapshot Guidance)
We avoid posting exact prices (they change often). Expect:
- Stem splitters: pay-per-minute or credits.
- Cleanup/loudness: monthly credits/tiers.
- TTS/voice: character/minute quotas; cloning may cost extra.
Check each tool’s current plan before committing annual.
Workflow Tips
- Order of operations (audio): Denoise → Edit → Level/Loudness → Limit → Export.
- Headroom: Keep peaks under -1 dBFS; masters around -14 to -16 LUFS depending on platform.
- File hygiene: Work in 24-bit WAV; tag final MP3s with cover art + metadata.
- Repurpose: Use your polished audio in shorts/reels—pair with our AI Video Tools. →
/ai-video-tools
Recommended Stack (Good / Better / Best)
- Good (Free/Low): LALAL.AI (credits) + Auphonic (starter)
- Better (Creator): + Descript for text-based editing
- Best (Pro): + ElevenLabs and/or Play.ht for VO variants
FAQs
Vocal removal targets only the vocal lane. Full stem splitting separates vocals and instruments (drums, bass, etc.) for better mixes and karaoke/backing tracks.
Common targets: YouTube ≈ -14 LUFS, Podcasts ≈ -16 LUFS. Use Auphonic presets and a limiter ceiling near -1 dBFS.
You can create for practice/education; publishing/distribution generally requires rights from the original copyright holders.
Feed the highest-quality source, try alternate models, and post-process lightly (EQ/denoise). Avoid heavy compression before splitting.








