How to Prepare Your Audio Before Sending It for Restoration

The quality of audio restoration results depends not just on the restoration engineer's skill — it depends significantly on what you do before submitting. Properly prepared audio submissions lead to better results, faster turnaround, and fewer back-and-forth clarifications.

This guide covers everything you should (and shouldn't) do before sending audio for professional restoration.

What NOT to Do Before Sending

Let's start with the mistakes that actually reduce restoration quality:

Don't apply noise reduction yourself first: If you've already processed the audio with Audacity's noise reduction before sending it, the processing artifacts from that application are now baked in. Professional tools working on your already-processed file have to work around those artifacts. Send the original unprocessed file.

Don't convert to a lower quality format: If you have a WAV recording, don't convert it to MP3 to "make the file smaller" before sending. The quality lost in that conversion is gone. Send the WAV.

Don't normalize or amplify before sending: If you try to boost a quiet recording before sending, and the recording has noise, you've boosted the noise too. Leave level adjustments to the restoration engineer.

Don't trim aggressively: Keeping 10-30 seconds of background noise before and after your main content helps the restoration engineer analyze noise characteristics. If you trim to exactly the first word of speech, that reference disappears.

Don't export from a video in a lossy format when lossless was available: If you're extracting audio from video, export at the same quality as the embedded audio, not a compressed version.

Step 1: Start with Your Original File

The best file to send is the unmodified original from your recording device or software:

• If you recorded as WAV in your DAW: send that WAV
• If the recording came directly from your iPhone: the .m4a or .m4a file from Voice Memos
• If you digitized a cassette: the WAV from your audio interface capture

If you've already done some editing (cut silence, removed sections), that's fine — send the edited version. The concern is about quality-reducing processing, not content editing.

Step 2: Keep Some "Reference Noise"

This is counterintuitive but important: don't trim the noise sections at the beginning and end of your recording.

Those 5-10 seconds before you start speaking, or after you finish, where it's just background noise? That's a noise reference. Restoration engineers use it to analyze the specific characteristics of your noise and develop targeted processing.

If you've trimmed to exactly your content, the engineer has to find noise reference sections within your speech pauses — which is less ideal.

Step 3: Choose the Right File Format

Send the highest quality format you have:

Best: WAV or AIFF (uncompressed)
Good: FLAC or Apple Lossless (lossless compression)
Acceptable: MP3 at 256+ kbps or AAC at 256+ kbps
Avoid if better exists: MP3 at 128 kbps or lower

See our full guide to audio formats for restoration for more detail.

Step 4: Label Your Files Clearly

Clear file naming saves time and prevents confusion:

• interview_john_doe_20250415.wav — good
• audio1.wav — not helpful
• final_FINAL_v2_edited.wav — confusing

For multi-track recordings (separate host and guest tracks, multitrack music session), numbering clearly helps:

• session_track1_drums.wav
• session_track2_bass.wav
• session_track3_vocals.wav

Step 5: Write a Brief Description of the Problem

Include a short note with your submission explaining:

What's wrong with the audio:

• "There's a constant HVAC hum throughout"
• "Background voices from next room during quiet moments"
• "Clipping on the louder parts of sentences"
• "General muddiness and lack of clarity — was recorded in an untreated basement"

What the audio is:

• Interview, podcast episode, old family recording, business meeting, music session, oral history
• Approximately when it was recorded (helps with archival material)
• What the audio will be used for

Priority sections:
If certain parts of the recording are most important — "the first 2 minutes are most critical" or "the segment from 15:30 to 22:00 is what we need most" — say so. This helps the engineer focus attention appropriately.

Step 6: Note Any Previous Processing

If you've already applied any processing:

• "I already applied Audacity noise reduction at default settings"
• "There was some normalization applied when I exported from GarageBand"

This context helps the engineer understand what they're working with and avoid conflicting processing.

Step 7: For Physical Media Transfers, Note the Format

If you're sending a digital transfer of analog media:

• "This is from a cassette tape, transferred with my deck's normal playback"
• "VHS Hi8 transfer done with a Elgato capture device"
• "Reel-to-reel transfer at 7.5 ips quarter-track"

The source format affects which restoration approach is most appropriate.

What to Expect After Submitting

At WefixSound, the process after you submit:

1. Within 24 hours: You receive a free 60-second restoration sample from the most challenging section of your audio
2. You evaluate: Compare the before and after — does the improvement meet your needs?
3. You decide: Pay only if the result satisfies you; order the full restoration if it does

This approach eliminates the risk of paying for results that don't meet your expectations. The free sample is genuinely representative of what the full restoration will sound like.

Quick Checklist Before Submitting

• Sending the original unprocessed file (not a re-processed or converted version)
• WAV or AIFF format if available; otherwise highest quality you have
• File has at least 5-10 seconds of background noise at start or end
• File is clearly labeled
• Brief description of the problem is included
• Any previous processing is noted
• Source format noted if from physical media transfer

Related Articles

• Best Audio Format to Send for Restoration
• Audio Restoration Service: What to Expect
• How Long Does Audio Restoration Take?

Proper preparation takes 5-10 minutes and meaningfully improves restoration results. Send the highest quality original, include noise reference sections, label clearly, and describe the problem — then let WefixSound's engineers deliver the best possible result from your recording.