Tips on how to record interviews for transcription

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Tips on How to Record Interviews for
Transcription

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Whether you are a blogger, a podcaster, a company or a journalist, a writer or
even a student doing research we all at one point of time are required to
interview an individual or an expert in our fields. Our intent may differ. We may
interview a person seeking for some specific information that person knows
about. You may interview an expert to learn more about your market or niche
and to get yourself some “visibility”. You also interview individuals to be
interesting and be viewed as an expert in your industry.

However, without good guidance on recording an interview, the interview itself
may be rendered useless if the recording cannot be used in any way. Below
are our tips on recording and conducting interviews.


1. Be prepared for the interview: Come prepared for the interview. Check
sound and recording quality before actually interviewing and recording. Do
a thorough research on the background of your subject, be that an
individual or a topic. Speak naturally and pace yourself. Remember, as an
interviewer you set the tone and pace for the interview.
2. Invest in some good recorder: Buy a decent audio recorder. These days
most smart phones have some sort of recorder in them. Perhaps by
installing an app you can make recording interviews an easy task.
3. Invest in a noise-cancelling mic: Buy a good quality noise-cancelling mic.
Do not talk too close or too far to the mic.


4. Avoid noisy places: The best place to record an interview may be a
professional recording studio. However, most people don’t have recording
studios in their basement. The second best place is a quiet room. Avoid
rooms where other people might walk in any second or public places. Turn
off fans, air conditioners, TV or radio and even a computer.
5. Do not crosstalk! Wait till your respondent finishes answering your
questions. Do not interrupt him while he is explaining or elaborating or
making a point. You may even get excellent quotes if you give him the
space to express freely!


6. Avoid multitasking: Avoid doing anything else while recording an
interview. Concentrate on the person you’re talking to. Do not type on your
phone or laptop. Do switch off your phone and stop checking your emails.
7. Edit the audio or video, if you can. Once the interview is over, try and
edit your interview audios using softwares like Audacity. If you cannot do it
yourself, consult someone with experience in recording studios or with
podcasting. They can be a wealth of information on recording.


Why is it important to go to that extent to get a good
recording out of my interviews?

Now, you may be asking the above question. The simple answer is good
recordings are a pleasure to listen to. From transcription perspective though
there are some bonus reasons.

When you record good quality interviews for transcriptions:

 It is easy to transcribe – no brainer.
 It takes less time to transcribe and therefore you get your interview
transcripts quicker.


 It cost you less money.

Transcription companies usually charge more if:

 there is background/ambient noise in your recordings
 you have more than one respondents
 you require time code every certain interval of time
 you require identifying each speaker
 you require verbatim transcription as opposed to clean read
 you require quicker turnaround time than normal


Hence, the need to record quality interviews for transcription – to save time,
money and effort. Also, to get better bang for your buck.

As transcribers we’ve come across lots of people (students, researchers,
investigators, surveyors, solicitors, etc) who sometimes have to record
outdoors, in noisy restaurants and parks. These are NOT the best places to
conduct your interviews. However, if you must then try reducing the ambient
noise level when recording your interview.

Below are resources to learn about reducing ambient noise level when
recording or after.

 How to Remove Ambient Noise From Your Audio Files Using Audacity


 Reducing background noise and Ambiance
 How to use a Noise Gate to get rid of Unwanted Noise in Your Audio
Recordings
 How to Reduce background Noise while on conference call

The Ideal Place to Conduct and Record Interviews

The ideal place to conduct and record interviews is inside a professional
recording studio. However for the purpose of an interview recording being
transcribed a quiet room is more than enough.

Types of Interviews we transcribe


We transcribe different types of interviews by different groups of people in
different industries. The types of interviews we transcribe are:

 Podcast interviews – where a podcaster interviews another person on
his podcast
 Research interviews – where a student interviews a source as part of his
research for PhD thesis or a journalist of writer researching a story
 Expert interviews – where an expert in any industry or on a subject is
interviewed
 Talks – a radio or TV talk show where a celeb is being interviewed by
the show host


Why get your interviews transcribed?

You need to get your interviews transcribed so you can publish the interview
online or offline. Getting your interviews transcribed also allows for you to
easily quote your source or expert resource. Another thing is that your
interviews can be part of a book and be sold. Transcripts of interviews are a
great SEO for your blog or website. They can become a source of income and
inspiration. You just need a good strategy on how you plan to utilize your
interview recordings.

Best apps for the Mobile Interviewers

Some of the best audio recording iPhone apps are as below:


 SpeakEasy by Zarboo Software
 Audio Recorder by Peerium
 Note2Self by Web Information Solutions
 Recorder by Retronyms
 iTalk Recorder by Griffin Technology

Some of the best audio recording android apps are as below: Please note that
android’s default voice recorder is good enough for most people.

 Tape-a-talk Voice Recorder
 netMemo Voice Recorder
 Voice Recorder from Identity, Inc


How to contact us for transcribing your interviews

Contact us via the Contact page. Alternatively, fill up the Quotation form to get
a quote for your interview transcription requirements.

We are a reliable transcription services provider. We are experts in
transcribing interviews. We guarantee you’ll get the best transcription
services from us. Check out what our clients and customers say about us.

Your Turn

Why do you record interviews? What are your favorite recording apps and
gadgets? Do you get your interviews transcribed and why?


About the Author: Carey Suante is a writer and entrepreneur. He is also a
transcriber who has been transcribing for over 7 years. He loves social media
and started TranscriptionPRO Services after years of experience in blogging
and internet marketing. He can help you in typing and transcribing your
interview recordings today. Contact him now! Get a no-obligation Transcription
Quotation today for all your typing and transcription requirements. Contact him
at careysuante@gmail.com any time!


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Tips on how to record interviews for transcription

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