Choosing Recording Apps or Devices for Interview Recordings
Many people today have to conduct interviews for different purposes. Sometimes, interviews are needed for research purposes, sometimes for media releases. You can record interviews or take notes.
Why Should You Record Interviews?
Recording interview is always a better option. Below are some reasons why recording interviews is a better option than taking notes.
- Recording something is easier than writing. All you have to do is hold a recording device and ask questions.
- A recording contains all the details mentioned during the interview. On the other hand, you can’t write down everything the interviewee speaks when you take notes. Therefore, there is a big chance you’ll miss some important details.
- Interview is one of the best data collection methods for qualitative research. (LINK) Interviewee emotion, intonation is important in qualitative research. By listening to a recording, you can analyze emotion and intonation in the interviewee’s voice.
- When recording, interviewers can focus on the interviewee rather than taking notes.
These recordings, however, should be done very carefully. Even the smallest mistakes can ruin the entire input and effort. To save yourself from this trouble, make sure to choose a perfect device for your recording.
Devices for Interview Recording
There is a variety of recording devices available in the market at very affordable prices. Most of these run on battery, and hence anyone can easily own them. There are microphones, recording apps, digital devices to make the recording process easier.
Which device is better? There are many devices that can be used in different ways. Let’s look at some of them.
1. Mobile phone recording
It is the easiest to record interviews, especially small interviews. However, it is worth mentioning that the phone should have enough recording quality. A quiet environment is another factor in a high-quality recording.
2. Microphone-attached smartphones
There are a lot of microphones available in the market that you can connect to smartphones. The price range depends on the company and quality. You can use these microphones to record interviews in a less quiet environment.
3. These are some devices specific for recording purposes only. The most common and useful of these are:
Olympus WS-852: It is one of the cheapest recording devices that can record 1600 hours of audio. It can be connected to computers, laptops, and other devices through USB.
Sony ICD-UX560: It is comparatively expensive than the others as it has a higher capacity, a very long battery life, and can be connected to any other source. It provides very clear audio than any other recording device.
4- Recording Apps
There are apps like Sound Cloud, Audacity that can be used to record interviews. Some apps can be downloaded for free, have no memory issues. Also, these apps allow easy sharing and sending of recording files in the form of links without any security issues.
How to Do the Perfect Recording: Tips and Tricks
How can we record a high-quality interview?
There are some things you can do to achieve a higher quality from your recording. Below are some tips you can use for this purpose.
- Interviews should be recorded in a very calm, quiet place.
This will make the voices in the recording clear and ensure a smooth flow of conversation without any interruption.
- Choose a good microphone and recording device and test them before the actual interview.
- Make sure you know all the details about your devices. Of course, every professional interviewer should use their recording devices enough in order to to be able to use them appropriately.
- Make sure you have enough battery life for the uninterrupted recording process.
- Make sure the device is placed at a normal distance from the interviewee.