Auphonic (Auphonic GmbH, Austria 2012/2013)

Status: Active (founded 2012/2013 by Hans-Jürgen Schüler et al., Graz; 2 hrs free/mo permanent; 2026-01 RMS-based loudness for Audible/ACX, 2025-12 Denoising Editor; auphonic.com + API + CLI live 2026-09). Category ai-productivity-data; pipeline_stage=none. Not a podcast editor (→ Descript), not a live call denoiser (→ Krisp) — it is the broadcast-standard audio finisher: raw multitrack/wave in → EBU R128 / ATSC A/85 / -14 LUFS Spotify / -16 LUFS Apple loudness, noise+hum+reverb reduction, adaptive leveler, ducking, speech rec, chapter marks, ID3, direct publish Libsyn/SoundCloud/S3 → broadcast-ready MP3/AAC/WAV out. Engineers call it “the only LUFS-normalize-to-spec tool most podcasters will ever need.”

1. English Introduction

Auphonic is the automated post-production master for speech audio. Upload one file or per-speaker multitracks (each processed independently: noise profile, leveling, bleed removal, then mixed with ducking), and it runs Intelligent Leveler + Loudness Normalization (EBU R128 / ATSC A/85 / ACX -18/-16 LUFS presets) + Noise & Reverb Reduction (new Dec 2025 denoising editor lets you mask where/when to denoise) + Adaptive EQ/De-Esser/De-Plosive + Bandwidth Extension + filler/silence cutting + multilingual Whisper transcription + auto chapters/shownotes + audiogram/waveform + direct publish to podcast hosts/cloud/FTP. It deliberately stops at mastering — no record, no cut/paste, no timeline. Pitch: “configure a preset once, every episode comes out identical loudness.” Used by independent podcasters, TU Graz lectures, Hindenburg, Julep Hosting.

2. Core Features

Layer	Capability	Notes
Loudness	EBU R128, ATSC A/85, Spotify -14, Apple -16, ACX -18/-16 LUFS, RMS mode (Jan 2026)	Best-in-lane spec compliance
Cleanup	Noise+hum+broadband+reverb reduction, Denoising Editor (Dec 2025, zone-selective), Adaptive EQ, De-Esser, De-Plosive, Bandwidth Extension	Over-aggressive on some material
Multitrack	Per-speaker independent process + ducking + bleed removal + mixdown (Free caps <20 min)	Remote-interview killer feature
Speech/text	Whisper multilingual ASR, transcripts, auto chapters w/ URLs, auto shownotes, filler/cough/silence cut	Free tier = no ASR/shownotes
Publish	Libsyn, Blubrry, SoundCloud, Podbean, Dropbox, GDrive, S3, FTP, RSS, webhook	Pipeline glue
Automation	REST API, CLI, watch folders, batch productions, Zapier	Paid tiers only
Media	Audio + video files (YouTube exports), MP3/AAC/OGG/FLAC/WAV/OPUS, audiogram/waveform image	—
No	No record, no timeline cut/paste, no filler-word model as sharp as Cleanvoice, no mobile app, no EU-residency guarantee beyond Austrian host, no real-time streaming	Finishing-only

3. Pricing (2026-08, USD, by processed audio hours/mo, no seats)

Tier	Monthly	Annual eff/mo	Hours/mo	Gates
Free	$0	$0	2 hrs	Auphonic jingle on output, no ASR/shownotes, multitrack <20 min, no watch folders/batch
S	$13	$11 ($ 132/yr)	9 hrs	Full algorithms, ASR, shownotes, unlimited multitrack
M	$27	$23 ($ 276/yr)	21 hrs	—
L	$53	$45 ($ 540/yr)	45 hrs	—
XL	$105	$89 ($ 1,068/yr)	100 hrs	Priority queue
One-time credits	$12/5h ($ 2.4/h) … $171/100h ($ 1.71/h)	never expire	—	Used after recurring, before free
Business	Custom	Custom	custom	Team accounts, priority, SLA, volume API

pricing_type=usage-hours-recurring+onetime-credits-no-seat; starting_price=$0; recurring hours reset monthly, no rollover; annual ≈ 16–18% off; one-time packs safer for irregular volume; free tier genuinely usable forever for <30 min weekly ep.

4. Access Type

🌐 auphonic.com web · REST API + CLI · watch folders (paid) · no desktop app, no mobile app, no DAW plugin (VST/AU), no MCP.

5. Reviews (2026)

Aggregate ~4.2/5 (G2 4.2/5 10, Capterra 5/5 4, SourceForge 3/5 2, ToolRadar 4.2, Recatools 7.2/10, CreatorStack 4.x).
Praise: LUFS normalization to spec unmatched in price band, multitrack remote-interview mixdown saves hours, free 2 hrs/mo resets (not trial), Whisper transcripts solid, watch-folder pipelines for networks.
Complaints: over-cuts pauses/filler on some material, no timeline so can’t fix bad takes, UI engineer-oriented not creator-friendly, support email slow, per-hour cost adds up for daily long-form, free tier jingle + no ASR.
Verdict: best dedicated podcast/lecture master finisher under $25/mo; not a replacement for Descript (edit) or Adobe Podcast Enhance (one-click rough fix) or Cleanvoice (filler-targeted).

6. Best For / Not For

Best For	Not For
Podcasters wanting identical LUFS across episodes/platforms	Creators needing record+cut+rearrange (→ Descript/Riverside)
Remote-interview shows with per-speaker local tracks	Live-call denoise (→ Krisp/NVIDIA Broadcast)
Lecture/audiobook producers needing ACX/EBU R128	Filler-word perfectionists (Cleanvoice sharper)
Networks/podcast studios via API + watch folders	Mobile-only / offline-studio buyers (cloud only)
Weekly <30 min show = free tier forever	Teams wanting per-seat collaboration/comments (individual-first)

7. Competitors (Lane Map)

Lane	Tool	Auphonic edge / gap
Podcast master finisher	Alitu ($32/mo unlimited)	Alitu flatter edit+master bundle; Auphonic LUFS spec + multitrack deeper
All-in-one edit+clean	Descript (Studio Sound in $24/mo+)	Descript edits+transcribes; Auphonic no edit, better loudness
One-click speech fix	Adobe Podcast Enhance (free 1hr/day)	Adobe no LUFS/no publish; Auphonic pipeline-grade
Filler/mouth sound	Cleanvoice ($29/mo)	Cleanvoice targets um/ah/click; Auphonic levels noise
Live denoise	Krisp, NVIDIA Broadcast	Real-time call cleanup; Auphonic post-process only
TTS/voice (in-list)	ElevenLabs, Murf, LOVO(shutdown), Play.ht(shutdown)	Different lane; Auphonic masters human/any audio not generate
Broadcaster suite	iZotope RX, Hindenburg	RX deep repair, Hindenburg native DAW; Auphonic cloud batch