Using your phone as a recording or dictation device is smart, just like the apps and programs that are on it. Recording audio with your smartphone isn’t always straightforward and although mobile phones have advanced a lot over the last few years the microphone on the device haven’t generally changed that much, with mobile manufacturers focusing the efforts on better cameras, application or software speed as their main features.

Below are our top tips to get better audio recording on your mobile device:

1. Remove distractions from your phone

Your smartphone is a multi-functional device, it distracts us from every day conversations with people, keeps us informed as to the latest news and connected with our family and friends.

It is important that you are not distracted when making a recording, think how distracting it is when your instant messenger goes off when you are out with friends, in the cinema or a meeting, it is human nature to look a it, so it is important to ensure that it does not intrude upon your recording, with shrill notifications, or break your flow of conversation.

So before you press the record button, turn your off your phones capabilities to take messages or to make calls. Switching to airplane mode should do the trick!

2.       Know Your Surroundings

Before you start recording, stop and look (and listen to) your surroundings, is there anything that could distract you or that could be easily picked up by a microphone. For example I am sat writing this blog and my two dogs are in the room with me eating bones. If I was to be recording this as dictation instead of typing it, you would be able to hear them chomping and munching away.

What you could do is take a short recording sample of the room you are in and listen to the recording to check the sound quality.

3.Use an external microphone

To ensure that you maximise your chances of capturing all of your audio it is recommended that you use an external microphone which can be inserted into the earphone socket of your smart phone device.  It is even better if the microphone that use is one that can be attached to your lapel as it will ensure that everything is caught if you move around.