These days it’s easy to wonder if there’s actually anything a smart phone or iPhone can’t do. They are used for taking pictures, videos, playing video games, watching movies and even organising your life! However, when it comes to recording interviews for transcription using your iPhone or Smartphone, there are some tips and tricks that can dramatically improve the quality of your recordings and make your transcription services company much happier in the process.
The quality of recordings made using your iPhone can be temperamental, when it comes to making a recording where there is even the hint of background noise (think busy cafe or restaurant). With this in mind, we thought we would come up with a checklist you can follow to get the best recordings possible.
Getting the Best Transcription Service
No matter what type of recording device you use, it is essential that you reduce the background noise if you want to produce a high quality recording. If you are using a smart phone or iPhone to record your interviews, this also applies to sounds coming directly from you phone. So be sure to switch off or mute any notifications such as text message alerts and the like.
Making a Recording for Transcription on Your iPhone or Smartphone
There are lots of apps available that are designed for recording interviews (all with different features) so feel free to browse these. However, most Smartphones now come with a recording capabilities as standard, so as long as you have sufficient space to store your recording (before uploading to your computer) you shouldn’t need any fancy software. Please remember to record in the highest quality setting possible.
Recording High Quality Audio and Video Files for Transcription
It is always prudent to stay close to your recording device to avoid picking up other sounds that are closer to the microphone (this can be anything from clanging teacups to wind rushing past you if you are on the move). Even what seems to be the tiniest distraction can really ruin an otherwise perfect recording. Remember that if you are interviewing someone, it probably makes sense to have the microphone closer to them than to you.
Smartphones, iPhones and External Microphones
If you intend on conducting a lot of interviews and want to record them all using your phone, it may be well worth purchasing an external microphone as this will dramatically improve the quality of the audio you record, as well as the type of interviews you are able to record without loss of quality (think multi speaker interviews). Most Smartphones will have an external microphone port and external microphones are widely available through online stores such as Amazon and some high street retailers.
Below is a check list for recording high quality audio files using any device:
- Always record your interviews for transcription in a quiet environment.
- Take measures to avoid interruptions (people walking in and out of the room, fire alarm drills, switch off telephones).
- Stay close to the microphone and speak slowly and clearly.
- Repeat any answers that were unclear or hard to hear.
- Stay in control of group interviews by reducing cross talk and interjections where possible.
If you would like more information about any of our transcription services, video transcription services, translation services, captioning or subtitling services, why not get in touch? We’re here and available to assist you 7 days a week.
