Smartphone journalism: Audio

Summary

This video offers practical tips for enhancing smartphone recordings, applicable across various devices like Android, Windows, and iPhones. Key advice includes using airplane mode to avoid interruptions, positioning the microphone correctly, and maintaining a 4-6 inch distance for optimal audio quality. It also suggests using external microphones and windshields for better outdoor recordings. The video introduces the iPhone's 'Voice Memos' app for straightforward recording and editing, and mentions the BBC's proprietary PNG app for professional use. It concludes by encouraging exploration of third-party apps for advanced audio recording features.

Takeaways

• 📱 Use airplane mode to prevent interruptions during recording.
• 🎤 Keep fingers away from the phone's microphone for better audio quality.
• 🔊 Hold the phone 4-6 inches from your mouth to avoid audio distortion.
• 🌬️ Use a windshield to improve audio quality when recording outdoors.
• 🎧 Consider using an external microphone for enhanced audio recording.
• 📲 The iPhone's 'Voice Memos' app is suitable for simple recordings.
• ⏺️ Press the red button to start, pause, and stop recordings in 'Voice Memos'.
• 👂 Listen back to recordings by tapping the title and the play icon.
• 💾 Storage space is the only limit for recordings on your device.
• 🔄 Share recordings via email or cloud services like Dropbox.
• 🌐 BBC journalists use the PNG app for unrestricted recording and sharing.

Q & A

What is the first piece of advice given for improving smartphone recordings?

The first piece of advice is to switch to airplane mode before recording to prevent interruptions from incoming phone calls.

Why is it important to be aware of the location of the microphone on your smartphone?

Knowing the location of the microphone is important to ensure that your fingers or other objects do not obstruct it, which can affect the audio quality.

What is the recommended distance to hold the smartphone from your mouth while recording audio?

It is recommended to hold the smartphone about four to six inches away from your mouth to avoid audio distortion like popping sounds.

How can you improve the audio quality when recording outdoors with a smartphone?

Using a windshield over the microphone can significantly improve the audio quality by reducing wind noise and other outdoor interference.

What is the purpose of an external microphone when recording with a smartphone?

An external microphone can further enhance the audio quality, but it requires the right kind of adapter to be compatible with the smartphone.

Which built-in iPhone app is mentioned for simple single-track recordings?

The 'Voice Memos' app on the iPhone is mentioned for simple single-track recordings, which is used by many BBC journalists.

How does the 'Voice Memos' app handle recording and playback?

To record with 'Voice Memos', you press the red button to start, tap again to pause, and tap once more to continue. To finish, tap the red box and 'Done'. To listen back, tap the title and the blue play triangle.

What is the limitation of recording length in the 'Voice Memos' app?

There is no inherent limit to recording length in 'Voice Memos', but the amount of recording is limited by the storage space available on the device.

How can you read a script while recording with the 'Voice Memos' app?

You can read a script while recording by pressing the 'Home' button and accessing your script in a note-taking app. The red bar at the top indicates that recording is still in progress.

What are the sharing options for recordings made with a smartphone?

Recordings can be shared via email, which is limited to 14 minutes, or through cloud services like Dropbox for longer recordings. BBC journalists can also use the internal PNG app for unrestricted duration sharing.

What third-party apps do BBC journalists use for enhanced audio recording and sharing?

BBC journalists use third-party apps that offer more options such as different formats, audio levels, and the ability to create and mix full audio packages.

What potential does a smartphone have in the context of newsgathering as mentioned in the script?

A smartphone has the potential to be a mobile newsgathering device, allowing for recording and sharing of high-quality material with the right techniques and practice.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Smartphone Recording Tips

This paragraph introduces the topic of using smartphones for professional recording purposes, specifically mentioning the iPhone but noting that the advice is applicable to various platforms like Android and Windows. It emphasizes the importance of switching to airplane mode to avoid interruptions during recording. The paragraph also covers the placement of the iPhone's microphone and advises keeping fingers away from it to maintain audio quality. It suggests holding the phone 4-6 inches from the mouth to avoid audio distortion and mentions the use of a windshield for outdoor recordings. The use of an external microphone with the right adapter is also recommended. The paragraph introduces the 'voice memos' app for simple recordings and explains how to use it, including starting, pausing, and stopping a recording, as well as how to listen back and share recordings via email or cloud services. It also mentions the use of the BBC's internal app, PNG, for recording, editing, and sending material without time restrictions.

Keywords

💡Smartphones

Smartphones are mobile devices that combine the functions of a computer and a telephone. In the context of the video, smartphones are highlighted as versatile tools for journalists and others to record, edit, and share audio and video content. The script mentions that many people, including those at the BBC, use iPhones, which are a type of smartphone, for professional recording purposes.

💡Airplane Mode

Airplane mode is a setting on smartphones that disables all wireless communication features, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The video script advises using airplane mode before recording to prevent interruptions from incoming calls, ensuring uninterrupted recording sessions. This is crucial for maintaining the quality and continuity of recordings.

💡Microphone

A microphone is a device that converts sound waves into electrical signals. The script emphasizes the importance of knowing the location of the microphone on one's smartphone to avoid muffling the sound with fingers during recording. It also suggests using a windshield for outdoor recordings to improve audio quality.

💡Background Noise

Background noise refers to any unwanted sounds that occur in the recording environment. The video script discusses how the quality of audio recordings can be affected by the presence of background noise, and it suggests ways to minimize it, such as using a windshield or choosing a quieter location for recording.

💡External Microphone

An external microphone is a device that can be connected to a smartphone to enhance audio recording capabilities. The script mentions that while the iPhone's internal microphone is sufficient for basic recordings, using an external microphone can significantly improve audio quality, provided the right adapter is used.

💡Voice Memos

Voice Memos is an app on iPhones that allows users to record audio. The video script uses Voice Memos as an example of a simple tool for making single-track recordings, which are used by BBC journalists for voice pieces and even tracks for TV. It explains the basic functions of the app, such as starting, pausing, and stopping recordings.

💡Script

A script is a written text that serves as an outline for a performance or recording. The video script mentions that one can read a script while recording using the 'Home' button, indicating that scripts are an essential part of preparing for and conducting recordings, especially for professional broadcasting.

💡Cloud Services

Cloud services are online platforms that offer data storage and sharing capabilities. The script mentions using cloud services like Dropbox for sharing longer recordings, which is an alternative to email and allows for the transmission of larger audio files.

💡Portable Newsgathering App (PNG)

The Portable Newsgathering app, or PNG, is an internal BBC app used by journalists to record, edit, and send material without restrictions on duration. The video script highlights PNG as a tool that streamlines the process of newsgathering and content sharing within the BBC newsroom.

💡Third-Party Apps

Third-party apps are applications developed by entities other than the original equipment manufacturer. The script refers to BBC journalists using third-party apps for recording and sharing audio, which offer more advanced features such as different audio formats and levels, and the ability to create and mix full audio packages.

💡Mobile Newsgathering

Mobile newsgathering is the process of collecting news using mobile devices. The video script positions smartphones as mobile newsgathering devices, emphasizing the potential of these devices to capture and share high-quality material with practice and familiarity with various recording techniques.

Highlights

Smartphones can be used for recording, editing, and sharing audio recordings.

BBC journalists use iPhones for recording audio.

Tips provided are applicable to various smartphones, including Android and Windows phones.

Switching to airplane mode before recording prevents interruptions.

The iPhone's built-in microphone is located on the bottom left of the charging port.

Maintain a 4-6 inch distance between your mouth and the microphone for optimal audio quality.

Avoid 'popping' sounds by not holding the phone too close to your mouth.

Use a windshield to improve audio quality when recording outdoors.

External microphones can enhance audio, but require the right adapter.

The 'Voice Memos' app on iPhone is suitable for basic single-track recordings.

Recordings can be paused and resumed using the 'Voice Memos' app.

There is no time limit to recordings, limited only by device storage.

You can read a script while recording without stopping the recording.

Recordings can be shared via email or cloud services like Dropbox.

BBC journalists use the internal PNG app for unrestricted recording and sharing.

Third-party apps offer more options for recording and sharing audio.

Smartphones have the potential to be a mobile newsgathering device.

Explore and practice to become proficient in recording and sharing audio with a smartphone.

Transcripts

There are many smart phones on the market that journalists and others can use to record

edit and share recordings. In this video I am going to show you a number of tips that

could help make those recordings look and sound better. Here at the BBC many people

are using iPhones and while a lot of the advice in this video applies to those phones specifically,

many of the tips apply regardless of the phone you're using. So, whether you're on Android,

a Windows phone or an iPhone, this first point is particularly important.

It's always wise to going to airplane mode before you start recording; this would stop your phone

receiving a phone call. If you were to get one while recording it will instantly interrupt

you and you may not get a second chance. On the iPhone, the inbuilt microphone for recording

audio is on the bottom of the phone to the left of the charging port. Check where the

mic is on your device and wherever it is make sure you keep your fingers clear. The quality

of the audio can be affected by many factors, for example where you record and how much

background noise there is - but equally, where you hold your phone has a huge bearing too.

About four to six inches away from your mouth is normally ideal; any closer and you risk getting

popping which can be pretty problematic for professional broadcasting. If you're recording

outdoors, then a windshield over the end of the microphone can make a huge difference

to the quality of your recording. You can improve the audio further by using an external

microphone but you have to have the right kind of adapter. The iPhone's internal audio

app - 'voice memos' - is fine for simple single-track recordings. It is used by many BBC journalists

for voice pieces and even track for TV. Press the red button to start recording, tap again

to pause and tap once more to carry on recording; tap the red box and 'Done' to finish recording

and then give the recording a title. To listen back to the recording, tap the title and then

the blue play triangle (press the red button to start recording, tap again to

carry on recording). There is no limit to how much you can record beyond

how much space you have on your device. You can even read a script at the same time as

recording: press the 'Home' button and then go to your script in a note, for example. The

red bar at the top shows that 'voice memos' is still recording. Tap the red bar to return.

To share your recording, tap the title then the box with a forwarding arrow to reveal

a number of options. Email is a quick and reliable method but it's limited to 14 minutes

of material. Cloud services like Dropbox can do much longer. BBC journalists can record,

edit and send material using the internal-only portable newsgathering app, PNG.

Using PNG, you can record, edit and send without any restrictions on duration straight into the

BBC newsroom. BBC journalists are also using a number of 3rd party apps to record and share

their audio. These give more options in the recordings, such as the format, the audio levels

- even making and mixing a full audio package. A smartphone has the potential to be a mobile

newsgathering device in your pocket. Explore, practise and get comfortable with many of

these techniques and you'll soon be able to record and share great material.