What is the best way to record phone/remote interviews?
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We have had a few instances recently of people using an app to make recordings of interviews, unknowingly to the interviewer the ‘cancel background noise’ setting was checked in that app after it updated and it does a very thorough job of absolutely obliterating every word the respondent says. Please test any program you use to record interviews to see if this setting is checked as there is no way of restoring the removed ‘noise’ from the recording! Call a friend/colleague, record that conversation and review it just to make sure before you perform an important interview.
On with the blog post…
We have a lot of experience in transcribing phone interviews and as technology has progressed over the last few years, it’s been easy to hear by the increasing overall quality of the recordings we receive. There is still very much a spectrum of recording methods however, so we thought it was a good time to share our experience of how to work best with your transcription company to get useful transcripts from these interviews.
Very best - Telephone pick up mics
We’ve only had a few audio files submitted from people who use technology such as the Olympus TP-8 telephone pick up mic, but they are by far the best recorded phone calls we have ever received. Like a hug for your ears.
Next best (and requiring no outlay) - In-app recording of a video conference
Recording a video conferencing app such as Zoom, Teams or Skype (other services are available) is relatively simple. You don’t need to have the camera on for these calls. In time, people will become less and less awkward with videoconferencing so this will be less of an issue, but it also takes up more space than a recording of just the audio.
The joy of recording these in the applications themselves is that you get equal volume and quality levels for both/all sides of the call which makes it much easier for us to transcribe.
Here are a pair of quick guides for how to do this for the two most popular services.
Zoom: This chap has a great accent.
Teams: Here’s a handy video.
Skype: A how to guide on their site.
We recommend that if you do choose this option, you also use a backup device (such as a recording app on your phone or a standard dictaphone) at the same time, because we’ve heard plenty of horror stories of crashes.
It’s worth noting that a number of universities have already stated that working with Zoom is not compatible with ethical standards, and privacy concerns are being widely reported. Many other platforms exist, such as Jitsi and BlueJeans. Make sure you’re data is safe by checking with your institution.
Good - Conducting the interview by phone on speakerphone (IN A SILENT ROOM) and recording on a good dictaphone
First, make sure you have good phone reception in the silent room.
There are some great recording devices out there – some look very intimidating like most of (the other company called) Zoom’s products (this is probably the least frightening one they make) but most are just standard looking rectangular dictaphones. Although there’s probably a Sabre one out there which is triangular. We reviewed the Olympus WS-450S here a few years ago, Olympus make very good recorders, but make sure the files are saved as .mp3 rather than .ds2 or .dss files as the latter two are not playable on some media programs.
A dedicated recording device is incredibly useful because it’s just that – dedicated. You only use it for the one purpose it’s designed for, so it remains simple and easy to use.
Being in a silent room is by far the most important aspect of this point. Any outside noise, or constant hum such as a fan or air conditioning can really mess with the recording. Often it’s almost imperceptible in person but completely obscures the respondent when listening back.
Make sure you place the recording device close to the speaker in all circumstances, and increase the volume as much as possible for the respondent(s). The volume imbalance that occurs when the respondent is recorded from a distance but the interviewer is close means that we can’t simply increase the playback volume when transcribing as the interviewer is then far too loud. Make sure also that the recorder will not be moved during the recording as any rustling or movement of the microphone will be far louder than anything being said. Place it on a non-moving surface next to the speaker and leave it there. Think about where the fan for your laptop is. If you put the mic next to the output of the fan, you’ll get a recording that sounds like it was performed up Ben Nevis.
A lot of these tips are the product of some not very fun learning experiences.
One last thing - try not to type, especially if you’re recording the laptop speakers. It’s incredibly loud on the recording. If you have to take notes, make sure the paper is as far as possible from the recorder… and don’t use a pencil as it’s incredibly loud.
Do a trial run to understand and eliminate any of these pitfalls, we’ll all be thankful!
Slightly less good - Conducting the interview by phone on speakerphone and recording on your smartphone in airplane mode
First, there are some smartphones that will not allow you to directly record phone calls, so if you choose this option you will need to have one phone for the interview (on speakerphone) and another for recording.
The main issue with recording on your mobile is making sure you know how to get the files from your phone to your computer (every manufacturer/OS has a different way of doing this). Make sure you know how to access/share the file before you commit to using your device as a recorder. Another common problem is the recording disappears into some obscure folder and is automatically saved with a file name which is a string of ~23 random digits and characters.
Slightly less good than that - Conducting the interview by phone on speakerphone and recording on your smartphone NOT in airplane mode
One of the things that we wish was common knowledge is the amount of interference one can pick up when recording using a smartphone.
The amount of data being sent/received by a phone is phenomenal and manifests very often in recordings as the kind of interference you used to get on your car/home stereo when a text message was coming in – except constantly. We’ve had to reject audio files in the past because they’ve been files full of noise with just the faint whispers of an interview behind.
Turning on airplane mode also has the benefits of making notifications stop, so the whistle of WhatsApp and the friendly ping of your email app won’t appear over that crucial quote from your interviewee. Also the vibration notifications are REALLY LOUD when it’s the recording device doing the vibrating.
Worse - Recording anything on speakerphone with lots of background noise
It’s not always possible to record a call in perfect conditions, we get that. But if you’re outside – go inside. If you’re in a crowded café then why not postpone the call for a few minutes and go sit in your car?
Worst - Not recording it at all and relying on note taking
We’ll do our best to transcribe anything you send our way, but if you do your best to get a good recording you’ll get much prettier looking transcripts out the other end!
Feel free to contact us to discuss this and any other query you have about our services, we have a lot of experience and can help you get the best out of your project. Our contact details are here.
