Recording Interviews Like a Pro: A Practical Guide for 2025

Planning Your Interview Setup Before Recording Interviews

There is a range of recording device options available on the market, from smartphones to professional devices. Generally speaking, solid state digital recorders – an electronic device recording audio directly onto solid state memory such as SD cards or drives - have replaced analogue recorders and digital formats.

There are a few features you should prioritize

when it comes to selecting a recording device for interviews, including the ability to:

✔️ Record in stereo using external microphones (preferably with professional XLR sockets)

✔️ Record uncompressed PCM WAV files at 44.1kHz/16bit or 48kHz/16bit, to ensure good recording quality

✔️ Transfer files easily using USB2 connectivity

✔️ Run on both rechargeable batteries and mains power

We’d also recommend opting for an external power bank for greater flexibility, too, as an alternative power source can always come in handy when battery issues arise.

Tip: You can look at our How to Choose the Best Voice Recorder Device Guide for more in-depth advice on which features you should be looking for to get a high-quality audio recording.

Pick a quiet and well-lit location

It goes without saying that the recording environment you choose for an interview can make or break the quality. Always opt for a quieter spot with minimal background noise, keeping in mind that planes, cars, and other distant sounds can be picked up by recording devices (even when they might seem faint to human ears).

Though outdoor locations may offer some great visual opportunities, indoor recording is generally best to avoid distraction. Preferably, rooms without echoes – spaces with rugs, carpets, soft furniture, and blankets typically have fewer sound reflections than those with harder, flat surfaces.

Lighting can be an easily forgotten element for video interviews, but it plays a pivotal role in how much editing may have to be done post-recording. Opting for natural light from windows rather than harsh, direct sunlight or visually overwhelming backdrops.

Test your equipment before recording your interview

This is just as much a part of your preparation as finding the appropriate equipment and space to record. You want to perform a test run to ensure your equipment functions perfectly when recording audio.

Take a quick moment to verify that:

✔️ You can easily start and stop the recorder

✔️ The microphone captures your interviewee’s voice clearly

✔️ Both voices register at reasonable volume levels

✔️ You can save and listen to the test file

If you want to be recording interviews like a pro, these simple steps mean you won’t encounter equipment issues after you’ve done all of the hard work of completing an interview.

Prepare backup gear and batteries

Preparation is key, but it’s also important to know that even with careful preparation, equipment failures can still happen.

Always carry backup batteries, SD cards, and possibly even a second recording device for your interview. External hard drives or additional storage options can also provide peace of mind in case of data loss.

Getting Ready Before You Hit Record

Now that your equipment is covered, take the time for thoughtful preparation ahead of the interview process to keep your conversation smooth and engaging before you even begin recording audio properly.

Write open-ended questions ahead of time

You don’t want to have a conversation full of yes and no answers, or one that stalls because you’re unsure of what to ask next. Open-ended questions allow your interviewee to really dive into their experiences and viewpoints.

Think of it this way: instead of asking “Do you handle stress well?”, ask “Can you describe a time when you faced a stressful situation and how you managed it?”. Give your interviewee a chance to really shine with their responses, and your interview will benefit massively!

Always give an open-ended question to give space to elaborate (simply adding “and why?” to the end of many questions will make this even easier to implement).

Brief your guest on what to expect

Prior to recording the interview, send your guest an information sheet outlining:

✔️ The vision and purpose of your interview

✔️ Expected duration of the recording session

✔️ Topics you’ll be covering

✔️ The intended audience

✔️ How and where the interview will be published

By giving your guest this information ahead of time, you’re ensuring that they’re more comfortable and confident, which in turn means a more natural and engaging interview process.

Avoid sending all potential questions in advance, though, as this may lead to very rehearsed responses.

Get consent for voice recording interviews

Obtaining consent before recording an interview isn’t just good practice; it’s also, in some cases, a legal requirement.

Informed consent means ensuring your interviewee knows:

✔️ Who is conducting the interview

✔️ The purpose of the interview recording

✔️ How the recording will be used

✔️ Who will have access to the recording

For face-to-face interviews, a signed consent form is best. For remote interviews, email confirmation, recorded verbal consent, or digital signatures are acceptable alternatives.

Do a quick test run to check audio levels

You might be thinking that this is overkill with other prep you’ve done, but a brief test recording can prevent potential technical disasters. You can do this by asking a simple question like “What did you have for breakfast?” while monitoring audio levels.

Ideally, your average levels should sit around -15 dBfs with peaks at -3 dBfs. This ensures you’re capturing a strong signal without any distortion or clipping.

Wear headphones during this test to hear exactly what your device is capturing.

Now It’s Time to Start Recording the Interview Like a Pro

Now that you’ve covered all of your bases for recording interviews like a pro, it’s time to get to the actual process of recording. Attention to detail is key to guarantee a high-quality final product!

Use headphones to monitor sound quality

Professional interviews require headphone usage to detect potential issues such as background noise, electronic interference, or microphone problems that appear when recording audio.

Closed-back headphones are best for isolating audio and stopping any sounds from bleeding into the microphone. Being able to hear these issues as they arise means being able to tackle them before they become major issues that impact the quality of your interview.

Avoid interrupting your interviewee (and include pauses!)

The natural flow of a conversation is a vital element of any interview recording, but interrupting your interviewee can disrupt their train of thought and impact the quality and confidence of their responses.

If you feel as though the interview is going off-course in any way, non-verbal cues are best, such as a small hand raise followed by a diverting statement to avoid appearing rude or dismissive.

Pauses can also serve a very useful purpose! Recording 30 seconds of “room tone” – the natural ambient sound of your recording space when nobody is speaking – provides audio that can be used to smooth transitions or unwanted sounds during the editing process.

Record in multitrack, if possible

Multitrack recording captures each participant on a separate audio track, providing greater flexibility during the editing process and allowing you to adjust volume levels and remove background noise or mistakes for each speaker.

Recording platforms like Zoom, for example, offer built-in multitrack capabilities, so it’s worth opting for multitrack where possible, regardless of whether your interview is in-person or remote.

Use an AI notetaker to stay focused

Do you ever feel as though you can’t concentrate when recording interviews because you’re trying to also focus on remembering or writing each point for later?

Well, recording interviews like a pro also means using tools that make your life easier. AI transcription means that your interview can be recorded, transcribed, and key points can be easily identified.

That way, you’re free to fully immerse yourself in the interview process rather than worrying about taking notes.

After the Interview: What Comes Next

The interview process doesn’t stop once you stop recording – you need to take a few important steps to maximise your hard work!

Save your files in multiple locations

Your recordings are a goldmine, which means they need to be safeguarded accordingly. Make multiple copies of your audio files immediately, and store them in at least two separate locations (e.g., your computer’s hard drive and an external storage device).

For additional safeguarding, you can also upload your recording to Google Drive or Dropbox to protect against hardware failures, unexpected data loss, or accidental deletions.

Transcribe your interview

We already mentioned AI transcription above, so we won’t go over the finer details again! But having a text version of your interview isn’t only great for your own reviewing, it’s also important for accessibility purposes.

Send a thank-you and share the final product

Once your interview is complete, sending a follow-up within a day of the interview can be a great way to demonstrate your professionalism and touch base, letting the interviewee know when they can expect to see the final product.

When your project is complete, sharing it directly with your interviewee is a great way to acknowledge their contributions and maintain that personal connection.

Recording Interviews Like a Pro: What Are You Waiting For?

Recording interviews like a pro requires thoughtful preparation, technical know-how, and detail-oriented execution. In this guide, we’ve covered the essential elements for capturing high-quality interview content to make your process smoother and more effective.

Here’s the summary of how to record interviews like a pro:

✔️ Select appropriate equipment based on your needs, ideally, equipment that has the ability to record in stereo, transfer files easily, and is compatible with your preferred devices and storage choice.

✔️ Test equipment beforehand, including volume levels, starting and stopping the recording, and sending test files.

✔️ Find a quiet place to record with minimal background noise.

✔️ Prepare back-up gear where possible, such as additional batteries and storage devices.

✔️ Focus on open-ended questions for your interviewee.

✔️ Gain informed consent and brief your interviewee on the process and purpose of the interview.

✔️ Wear headphones during recording to monitor quality throughout.

✔️ Avoid interrupting your participant during the interview, and leave space for pauses that can be used for editing purposes post-interview.

✔️ Create multiple file back-ups after the interview, including potential cloud storage options.

✔️ Follow up with your participant to keep them updated.

Though these steps might seem like a lot of effort, the payoff is undoubtedly worth it! Whether you’re creating content for a podcast, conducting research, or documenting important conversations, these steps will make sure your interview recording is high-quality and engaging