An ordinary-looking video with clear sound gets watched; a beautiful video with muffled sound gets closed. Sound matters more than you think, and most of the improvement is free.
The real reason audio sounds unclear
Phone microphones aren't bad; they're just too far from the mouth. With the camera two metres away for a full-body shot, the mic is two metres away too, and it picks up the whole room: echo, air-conditioning, traffic outside. The voice is a small part of that, so it sounds distant and muddy.
Five methods that cost nothing
- Get closer: the nearer the mic to the mouth, the better. If the camera distance can't change, use method 4.
- Choose a small room with soft furnishings: curtains, carpet, a sofa, a bed all reduce echo. Empty meeting rooms and tiled bathrooms echo most.
- Turn off everything that makes noise: air-conditioning, fans, the fridge, computer fans, phone notifications. Sit silent for ten seconds before recording; every sound you hear will be recorded.
- Use a second phone as the recorder: open a recording app on another phone and put it in the speaker's shirt pocket or on the table within 30 cm of the mouth. Use that audio in the edit and the camera phone's picture. Clap once at the start to make syncing easy.
- Wired earphone mic: the wired earphones that came with a phone usually have a mic; clip it near the collar, far closer than the phone itself.
When to buy a microphone
- Lavalier (lapel) mic: the first choice for talking to camera and interviews. Clips to the collar, works while moving. Wired is cheap and reliable; wireless is convenient.
- Shotgun mic (on the camera): for ambient sound and multi-person conversations; picks up what's in front of the camera.
- USB mic: for voice-over and podcasts only, at a desk.
If you buy just one, a lavalier is the most useful for most people.
Always do this before recording
Record ten seconds and listen back through earphones, not the phone speaker. Echo: change rooms. A hum: find which appliance. Thirty seconds of testing saves hours of repair later.
How much post-production can fix
Steady background noise (air-conditioning hum, a buzz) can be reduced a lot. Heavy echo, a distant voice, or clipped, distorted audio can only be improved, never made to sound close-miked. For files already recorded with problems, see the video and audio repair site.
Frequently asked questions
It's windy outdoors. What then?
Find shelter (by a wall, beside a car) and put a furry windshield on the mic. With a phone, block the wind with your hand or body. Once wind noise is recorded, it's very hard to remove completely.
Two people talking. Is one mic enough?
Ideally a lavalier each. With only one, put it on the table between them and ask both to sit close.
What audio format should I send?
The recording app's original file, WAV or M4A, not sent through messaging apps. Put it in the same cloud folder as the video; see how to send us your material.
