Updated October 2026 · Phone recording
Place the phone between you and the guest, close enough to capture both voices, and keep it still. Record in a quiet room, check the levels before you start, and make a backup recording on a second device. Record each side separately if you can.
An interview on a phone can sound professional if the setup is careful. The main risks are a guest who sits too far away, a room that echoes, and a recording that stops without anyone noticing. A short setup check and a backup solve most of them.
Put the phone on a stable surface between you and the guest, about a metre from each of you if you can. Keep the phone still, away from the table edge and any cup that might be knocked over. Avoid placing it near a fan, an air vent or a window with traffic outside.
Record a test with both of you speaking at your usual volume. Play it back on headphones. Check that both voices are clear and neither is clipping. If one voice is much quieter, move the phone toward the quieter speaker or ask them to sit closer.
Use a second device, such as a laptop or another phone, as a backup recording, placed on the other side of the table. A backup costs nothing, and it has saved many interviews. Check the battery and the storage before you start, and keep both devices charged.
If you can, record your side and the guest’s side separately, using a video call or a second device. Separate tracks make the cleanup much easier, because you can level each voice on its own. Agree the recording with the guest before you start, as covered in the guest consent post.
An hour of audio takes a lot of storage. Check there is room before the interview, and turn on airplane mode, so a call or message does not interrupt. Stop the recording properly at the end, then check that the file saved.
A phone in the middle of a table picks up table noise and the guest’s movements. It is a good option for a casual interview, but for an important one, consider a dedicated recorder or a clip-on microphone for each person.
Record voice-overs with live noise removal, or clean an existing file. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Between you and the guest, about a metre from each, on a stable surface away from fans and traffic.
Yes. A second device on the other side of the table is cheap insurance.
Often yes, if the platform lets you record. Check the terms and the consent first.
Move the phone toward the quieter speaker, or ask them to sit closer.
