How to record an interview for an accurate transcript

Distance matters more than equipment. A phone half a metre from the speaker beats an expensive recorder across the room. For a one-to-one interview, place the phone on the table between you, screen down, closer to the person whose words matter most.

For a focus group, put the recorder in the middle of the table, or use two phones at either end and send both files. Ask people not to tap or move the table near the phone.

Hard rooms echo; rooms with curtains, carpets and furniture don't. Turn off fans and air conditioning if you can, close windows facing a road, and move away from generators, kitchens and televisions.

Outdoors, stand with your back to the wind and shield the microphone with your hand or body. Wind noise is one of the hardest things to transcribe through.

Put the phone in flight mode so a call or notification doesn't interrupt the recording. Make sure there is enough storage and battery for the whole session, and record a ten-second test and play it back.

Any common format works: m4a, mp3, wav or a video file. Higher quality settings help, but distance and noise matter far more.

Open with the date, the place and a quick round of introductions, or the participant codes you will use. It takes thirty seconds and lets the transcriber label every speaker correctly from the first line.

Ask people to speak one at a time. Crosstalk, when two or more people talk at once, is the single biggest cause of [inaudible] marks in group recordings.

When you order, include a list of names, places and technical terms, and the interview guide if you have one. Good transcribers use them to get spellings right first time; at Soundtoscript supporting documents are free.

Ask how long recordings are kept. At Soundtoscript, audio and video are deleted 90 days after upload, or sooner if you ask.