How to Record an Interview on Your Phone for a Clean Transcript
By the Speakmi team · Updated October 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Most interviews today are recorded on a phone, and a phone is good enough if you prepare it properly. The quality of the recording decides how much time you will spend correcting the transcript later.
Before you start
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or airplane mode so calls and notifications do not interrupt the recording.
- Check that you have enough free storage. A voice recording uses roughly one megabyte per minute.
- Charge the phone or plug it in.
- Ask for permission to record and explain how you will use the recording.
Place the microphone well
Put the phone on a stable surface, a few centimeters from the speaker's mouth, with the microphone pointing toward them. Do not hold it in your hand, because handling noise ruins the audio. For two people, place the phone between you and sit close. A cheap clip-on microphone improves quality a lot if you interview often.
Choose a good room
A small furnished room is better than a large empty one, because curtains and sofas reduce echo. Avoid cafes, open windows, and rooms with fans or air conditioners.
During the interview
- Record a ten second test and listen with headphones.
- Ask the guest to say their name and the date at the start.
- Wait for the guest to finish before you speak, so voices do not overlap.
- Keep notes of key moments with the approximate time.
After the interview
Back up the file immediately, name it with the date and the guest's name, and keep the original. Split recordings longer than 20 minutes before uploading them to the transcriber. If background noise is a problem, see our guide to improving audio quality first.