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Getting Started

Recording High-Quality Audio for Your Interviews

Clear recordings produce faster, more accurate transcripts. Most research interviews today happen on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, so those come first — phone calls and in-person options follow.

Before You Record

  • • Get consent first. Follow your IRB protocol and let participants know they're being recorded before you press record.
  • • Do a test recording. Record 30 seconds, play it back, and listen for volume, echo, and background noise before the real session.
  • • Use headphones with a microphone. Ask participants to do the same — it eliminates echo and keeps voices clear and separate.
  • • Pick a quiet room. Background noise and echo are the biggest causes of inaudible sections in transcripts.
  • • Download recordings promptly. Many university Zoom and Teams accounts automatically delete cloud recordings after a set period.

Recording on Zoom

Zoom's built-in recording works well for interviews and focus groups. A few settings make a real difference for transcription quality.

Local recording (best quality)

  • • In the Zoom desktop app, go to Settings → Recording and confirm local recording is enabled. It's available on free and paid plans.
  • • During the meeting, click Record → Record on this Computer.
  • • When the meeting ends, Zoom saves a video file (MP4) and a separate audio-only file (M4A). Either works for transcription — the audio-only file is smaller and uploads faster.

Cloud recording (paid plans)

  • • In your Zoom web settings under Recording, enable cloud recording.
  • • Turn on “Record a separate audio file of each participant” — separate speaker tracks help our transcriptionists attribute voices accurately in group sessions.
  • • Download the files from your Zoom account when processing finishes; university accounts often purge cloud recordings automatically.

Audio settings worth changing

  • • In Settings → Audio, enable Zoom's original sound / high-fidelity audio option. Zoom's aggressive noise filtering can clip quiet speakers.
  • • Use an external microphone when you can — even a modest USB mic (Blue Yeti, Rode NT-USB Mini, Shure MV7) beats a laptop's built-in mic.

Recording on Microsoft Teams

Teams recording is built in for work and school accounts, though many university IT departments control who can use it.

Start a recording

  • • In the meeting, open More actions (…) → Record and transcribe → Start recording. Every participant sees a notice that recording has started.
  • • The recording saves as an MP4 to the OneDrive (or SharePoint, for channel meetings) of the person who started it.
  • • If the record option is grayed out, your university's Teams policy restricts it — your IT help desk can enable recording for research use.

Good to know

  • • Teams recordings expire. Many organizations set recordings to auto-delete after a default period (often 120 days, sometimes much less). Download the MP4 soon after the interview and store it with your project files.
  • • Teams' built-in transcription is machine-generated — useful for a quick skim, but it is not a research-grade transcript. Upload the MP4 to us for the verbatim version.

Recording on Google Meet

  • • Built-in recording requires a Google Workspace plan (most universities have one): click Activities → Recording → Start recording. Files save to the organizer's Google Drive.
  • • On a personal account without recording, use a local screen recorder: QuickTime on Mac, or OBS Studio (free) on Mac and Windows.

Recording Phone Calls

iPhone

  • • iPhones running iOS 18.1 or later have call recording built into the Phone app — tap the record button in the top-left during a call. Both parties hear an announcement that the call is being recorded, and the audio saves to the Notes app.
  • • Availability varies by region and language; if you don't see the option, update iOS or use the second-device method below.

Android

  • • The Google Phone app includes call recording in some regions and on some carriers — look for the Record button during a call.
  • • Google Voice can record incoming calls on any platform: enable incoming call options in settings, then press 4 during the call.

The reliable fallback: a second device

  • • Put the call on speakerphone in a quiet room and record with another device — Voice Memos on an iPhone or iPad works well.
  • • Place the recording device close to the speaker, and do a quick volume test before the interview starts.

Ready to Upload?

We accept all common audio and video formats, including Zoom and Teams MP4/M4A files. See How to Upload Your Media Files for the step-by-step walkthrough.