When you can't go into a studio but want to sound your best
Tips to make your audio crisp
Your VP is in Tokyo and you need a soundbite for a video you're editing in Chicago today - we've designed this guide to provide quick tips you can share to get good audio in a pinch.
Here are our tips to make the most of any situation and ensure your audio is crisp, clear, and usable.
1. Record in a quiet space.
This should be obvious, but the most important thing you can do is ensure your recording environment is as quiet as possible and has good acoustics. That same echo that makes your singing sound great in the shower can make you sound robotic in a recording. Head into a closet, or even put a think blanket over your head while you record to block out all environmental sound.
2. Get a Microphone
If you have time ahead of your recording or know this is something you will do on a regular basis, buying a good microphone is a worthwhile investment. Something as simple as a plug-in lavalier microphone can be purchased online for as little as $20. If that's not an option - phone microphones work in a pinch.
3. Record Multiple Takes & Break Up the Recording.
The magic of editing is that we can often take the best part of several takes to create one perfect take. We always recommend both making multiple recordings of the full script, as well as recording the script line by line. This gives our editors more options in post to be sure your read sounds like it was done by a pro.
4. Use a dedicated recording app
Both iOS and Android have built dedicated apps for recording audio - Voice Memos on iPhone, Google Recorder on Pixel, and Easy Voice Recorder for other Android phones. These will work for you in most instances.
There are also "pro" options available for each. These apps often record at higher quality, save in better file formats, and do a better job of blocking out environmental audio.
Our recommendations for each (as of 2026) - Voice Record Pro on iPhone or RecForge II on Android
5. Don't put your mouth too close to the microphone
Enough said. Place the phone 4-6 inches from your mouth, and talk into the same place you would if you were talking on a speakerphone call.
6. Check the audio with headphones
Before sending, put on a pair of headphones and play back your recordings. Listening through headphones vs through the phone speakers will give you a better understanding of how the recordings turned out.
7. Grab Some Room Tone
This sounds ridiculous to a non-video person, but recording the sound of the space you are in for 10-20s helps your editing team isolate the "room tone" so that your voice shines through. It's simple - just record nothing, the sound of the room you are in for 10-20 seconds.
