Recording Clean Audio on Your Phone

In this lesson, we focus on one thing: how to record clean, professional-sounding audio using only a phone.
Great audio doesn’t require expensive gear — it requires good habits.

If your audience can’t hear you clearly, they won’t stay — even if your story is powerful. So this lesson gives you simple, repeatable steps you can use every week.

What you will learn in this lesson

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Choose the best recording environment (even in a busy area)
• Position your phone correctly for clearer sound
• Reduce background noise and echo
• Do a quick “test + fix” process before recording
• Record voice notes and interviews that sound clean and confident

The 4 enemies of good phone audio

Most bad audio comes from these four problems:

1) Noise

Traffic, wind, people talking, music, animals, machines.

2) Echo

Big empty rooms, halls, tiled spaces, bare walls.

3) Distance

Phone too far from your mouth = weak voice + more background noise.

4) Handling

Touching the phone while recording creates scratchy “rubbing” sounds.

Step-by-step: The Clean Audio Setup (2 minutes)

Step 1: Pick a better location (quick rules)

✅ Best places:

• Inside a room with curtains, furniture, or clothing (absorbs echo)
• A quiet corner away from roads
• Near soft materials (sofa, bed, blanket)

❌ Avoid:

• Empty rooms with hard walls
• Windy places (unless you block wind)
• Close to loud music or generator noise

Quick hack: If you have no quiet place, record inside a parked car.

Step 2: Phone positioning (the sweet spot)

For voice notes:

• Hold phone 15–20 cm from mouth
• Don’t point the microphone directly at your mouth (prevents harsh “P” sounds)
• Angle slightly to the side

For interviews:

• Keep the phone between you (closer to the speaker)
• If possible, use earphones with a mic (often clearer)

Step 3: Do the “10-second test”

Before recording anything important, record 10 seconds:

1. Say your name + one sentence
2. Pause for 2 seconds (listen for background noise)
3. Play it back

If you hear:

• Too much noise → move or turn away from the noise source
• Echo → move to a softer room (curtains / clothes)
• Voice too low → bring phone closer + speak slightly louder

Step 4: Turn on the “focus mode”

Do these every time:

• ✅ Put phone on Airplane mode
• ✅ Close all apps
• ✅ Turn off fan/TV/music if possible
• ✅ Stay still while recording

Simple recording modes (choose one)

Option A: Voice Note Style (fastest)

Best for storytelling, reflections, narration.

• Record as a voice note
• Keep it 60–120 seconds
• Clean, direct, personal

Option B: Interview Style (two voices)

Best for community stories and real voices.

• Ask short questions
• Let the person speak more than you
• Record in a quiet corner and keep phone close to speaker

Option C: Sound + Voice (more advanced)

Best for cinematic audio.

• Record a voice story
• Then record 10–20 seconds of “sound” (ambience) separately
  Example: market sounds, birds, footsteps, classroom sounds
• Later these sounds can be added under the voice to create mood

Micro-Activity: The Clean Audio Challenge (10–15 minutes)

Do this after watching the lesson video(s). No big editing needed.

Part 1 — Record 3 short tests (1 minute each)

Record the same sentence in three places:

“This is my audio test. Today I’m practicing clean sound for storytelling.”

1. Inside a room
2. Outside
3. Inside a softer space (near curtains/clothes/car if possible)

Listen back: Which one sounds cleanest? Why?

Part 2 — Record your final voice note (60 seconds)

Record a 60-second voice note using the cleanest setup.
Use this prompt:

“A small thing in my community that people ignore, but it matters because…”

Goal: clear voice, low noise, good pace.

Quick checklist: Clean Audio Before You Record

Use this every week:

✅ Quiet place (or best possible option)
✅ Airplane mode on
✅ Phone 15–20 cm from mouth
✅ 10-second test recorded + listened to
✅ Don’t touch phone while recording
✅ Speak slower than normal
✅ Pause instead of “umm”

Bonus: Consent + privacy reminder (for recorded voices)

If you record someone else:

• ✅ Ask permission before recording
• ✅ Explain where it will be used (class, portfolio, public)
• ✅ If they say no, respect it and stop immediately
• ✅ Avoid sharing sensitive details without clear consent

What’s next

In the next lesson, we’ll start interviews:

• how to ask better questions
• how to capture emotion
• how to record two voices clearly