How to Record a Spoken Word Poem
Updated October 2026
A spoken word poem lives in its performance: the pace, the breath and the force of the lines. Record close and dry, keep the pauses, and clean only what gets in the way.
The short version
- Record close and dry, in a soft room.
- Keep the pauses and breaths that carry the rhythm.
- Record several passes, and keep the most alive one.
- Clean the noise gently, and never over-process the performance.
Set up
A close mic in a soft room keeps the voice intimate and dry. Stand or sit at a steady distance, and keep it the same for every pass.
Keep the performance
The pauses and the breath are part of the poem. Keep them. Cutting every breath makes a performance feel rushed and unreal.
Several passes
Record the poem several times. The most alive pass is often not the most careful one. Keep the passes, and choose later.
Clean lightly
Clean the room noise and any clicks gently. Over-processing flattens the force of a performance. The breath guide explains how far to go.
Clean the noise, keep the performance
Tunedzy cleans the room noise gently and levels the performance, keeping the breaths and pauses.
Free tools for this
Frequently asked questions
Should I keep the breaths?
Yes, most of them. They carry the rhythm.
How many passes should I record?
Several. Pick the most alive one later.
Can I add music?
Yes, if you have the right to use it. Duck it under the voice.
Keep going
How to Remove Breath Noise From a Voice RecordingHow to Record a Vocal at Home for a SongHow to Make a Voice Sound Close and IntimateAll guides and comparisons · Tunedzy Go on your phone · Pricing