Silence Threshold Settings

Silence detection relies on threshold settings. Get them wrong and you'll cut too much or too little.

Understanding Thresholds

Decibel threshold: Audio below this level is considered silence.

• -40dB: Conservative (only obvious silence)
• -45dB: Standard (most dead air)
• -50dB: Aggressive (nearly all gaps)

Duration threshold: How long silence must last before removal.

• 1.0 second: Conservative
• 0.5 seconds: Standard
• 0.3 seconds: Aggressive

Recommended Settings by Content Type

| Content | dB Threshold | Duration | |---------|--------------|----------| | Interview podcasts | -40dB | 1.0s | | Solo podcasts | -45dB | 0.5s | | Training videos | -45dB | 0.7s | | Fast-paced content | -50dB | 0.3s |

Start Conservative

Better to remove too little and adjust than to cut too aggressively and lose content.

Most automated tools let you preview before applying, so test your settings on a sample before processing the full recording.

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Content reviewed January 2026.