
But there’s a huge range of mics designed specifically for computers and mobile devices - including condenser mics and headsets - and your recordings will be easier to listen to if you use them. Its microphone is optimized to pick up my voice rather than the environment around me. I regularly use my AirPods to record my voice. For greater convenience, or higher quality, you may want to consider using a different mic.

They have everything you need, including a basic internal microphone. Equipment That May Helpįor basic recording, you can just use your computer or device. The aim of the apps we cover in this review is to capture information or an idea, so the focus is not necessarily on the quality of the recording.
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See our previous roundup: The Best Audio Editing Software For Quality Recordings You Need a Full-Featured Audio EditorĪs I mentioned in the introduction, if you want to make high-quality recordings to use in a project, it’s best to use a full-featured audio editor, and not one of the apps we list in this review. Some mobile apps are pretty good at editing too. Mobile apps are perfect, because you’ll have your smartphone wherever you go.Įven better is when your voice memos are synced to your computer, so you can process them when you’re at your desk, or edit them with your desktop software. Once you get into recording voice memos, you’ll want a way of making them wherever you are. What You Need to Know Up-Front about Voice Recordingīefore we look at specific software options, here are a few things you need to know about voice recording in general. A double-tap on my AirPods, and she’s right there to be my digital secretary. I still use voice memos today, but I’m just as likely to use Siri, especially when I’m driving and cycling. Voice memos were the quickest and most reliable way to take down information. In the early days, handwriting recognition wasn’t always accurate, and typing on a tiny, on-screen keyboard was slow and took too much concentration. I used these devices to remind myself of appointments and phone numbers, capture useful information I came across, record musical ideas, and talk through the contents of writing projects.
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My name is Adrian, and I’ve been using portable cassette recorders since the 80s, and voice recording software on laptops and PDAs (personal digital assistants) since the 90s. Alternatives to Voice Recording Software Who Can Benefit from Voice Recording Software? What You Need to Know Up-Front about Voice Recording Have you made voice recording a productive part of your life? We’ll help you explore which apps will suit your goals and workflow. What features can software developers offer to make voice recording more useful, relevant and accessible? We’ll explore apps that can synchronize the audio you record in a lecture or meeting with the notes that you take, and also apps that make your voice recordings readable and searchable through machine transcription. These apps can record and edit quality audio, and we’ve given our recommendations in a separate review.įinally, we’ll explore the software options that lie between those two extremes of convenience and quality. For recording jobs where quality is the priority - say a voiceover for a video or vocals for a music track - then you’ll want a full-featured audio editor or digital audio workstation.

Usually the most convenient recording app will be the one that came with your computer or device. I use voice memo software more like an inbox than a repository.įor quick voice memos, the killer feature for me is convenience, and that will be the focus of this review. I’ll transfer the information to my calendar, task list, or notes app, then delete the recording. For me, voice memos are usually a quick way to capture information, and not for long-term storage, a placeholder for something I don’t want to forget. Often that’s when I’m on the run, so a mobile device is my first choice. When I need to record a quick note in a hurry, I turn to voice recording software.
