Recording Interviews with a Smartphone: How Do I Ensure the Highest Quality?

Smartphones have become a necessary commodity in today’s world, and anyone can now record interviews and voice recordings. Recording interviews with a smartphone is practical due to the lower cost and ease of use. However, when it comes to recording interviews, there are some considerations you need to address if you wish for your recordings to be of high quality. 

This article will cover key points that ensure high-quality recordings every time you use your smartphone.

How Do I Ensure The Highest Quality?

When recording an interview with a smartphone, it’s important to remember that the sound and overall quality of your recording will depend on two factors: your equipment and the environment.

The Equipment

When recording interviews, you must ensure you have the right equipment. The first step is to use a good-quality smartphone and an audio recording app. Go for one with a good camera and the highest-quality video resolution within your budget. Thanks to its quality camera, you can never go wrong with recording interviews on iPhone.

While paying extra for features like optical zoom or image stabilization may seem extravagant, these will help your recording appear more natural and real. You’ll also want to ensure that your phone has enough storage space to accommodate the interview duration. 

There’s nothing worse than running out of battery charge in the middle of an enjoyable, in-depth conversation, especially when dealing with a prominent interviewee. And even though you have the charger in hand, you’ll likely hear the beeping sound as the phone charges, affecting the sound quality. 

A good microphone is also essential for any recording session. You don’t want to record with an under-­powered or cheap microphone that may not pick up your tonal range or distort the sound somehow. If you’re planning on recording a distance away from your subject (outdoors), consider using a tripod or other stability device so that your phone will stay steady during the interview. 

The Environment

To ensure high-quality recordings, you will want to ensure that your recording environment is as quiet as possible. You can achieve this by setting up your smartphone and interview recording equipment with plenty of room and no distractions. 

You’ll want to hear the person you are interviewing clearly, so if there’s any background noise or other voices in the recording room, it could affect the quality. You also need to ensure you have enough space around yourself so that you can move around freely.

Furthermore, you don’t want to be distracted by unrelated tasks like phone calls and message beeps while recording your interview. So it’s best to keep your phone in flight mode to avoid distractions from any notifications. You should also ensure that your interviewee has their phone on silent, as any noise will ruin the quality of the recording.

Summary

Recording interviews with a smartphone is a skill that can help you build your audio-video skills. Following the above-listed video recording interview tips will significantly improve media quality and make you a pro in no time!