A magical App for muting background noise on Video Calls

Happy #WFH #Monday! Read this if you will be on a video call this week and would like to mute background noise effectively. This is a game-changer. Thank me later.

On Video Calls, we want two things WRT audio.  

First - Effective Listening - both parties need to have a way to block out noise on their side so that they can concentrate on the speaker. It's impossible to have a barking dog, screaming kids, or other external noise beyond your control while effectively listening on a call. Most Active Noise Canceling headsets or earbuds accomplish this. I use the Bose 700. I set noise canceling to max, and most external noise is blocked.

Second and the point of this Article - As the speaker, you want to be heard by your audience without distraction. Is your home office setup isolated from noise? Do you have a home office, or are you in a common area that receives background noise from the rest of the house? Do you have kids, pets, noisy neighbors, TV noise in the background, and so on?   

I've tested and have been using a fantastic app that removes background noise, and it works with most video conferencing products on the market.

Krisp.ai is a real game-changer. It's so embarrassing for me when my dog starts barking while on a video call with my co-workers. Krisp blocks everything except for your voice. I was skeptical, but after testing their product for two months, I can confidently say that it works. Beyond "works," this app is almost magical.  

Krisp works Desktop (Mac/PC), Chrome Extension, and iOS. IMO - the desktop app blocks out noise more effectively than the Chrome Extension. The Chrome Extension works with video conferencing products launched within the Chrome browser. I have both. I haven't tried the iOS version.

Free and Paid. You get 120 minutes of free use per week. If you need more than 120 minutes per week, the paid app is $3.33 per month.