How I use the Voice Memos app on my iPhone to create audio interviews

Now that I have an iPhone, I refuse to go anyplace without it. It’s become particularly central to the work I do at WPS, the NSCAA, and in my personal endeavors in social media. Below, I’ve detailed how I use the Voice Memos application to record audio interviews. In my experience, it’s been both easy and reliable. The best part is that even in a crowded bar, the audio is still super clear. Here are two examples.

Audio Interview with Tiffeny Milbrett

We took this interview outside of a restaurant in San Carlos, Calif, where it was pretty quiet. I did hold the iPhone up to my mouth as I spoke. And when Tiffeny spoke, I held it in the air about a foot away from her. I had the questions scripted out beforehand, so the interview was super smooth. Plus, Tiffeny – a former USWNT super star and current member of the FC Gold Pride – has obviously been in front of a camera many, many times so she was cool as a cucumber. View the original post here, where I actually put the audio into a slideshow format, or listen here:

Audio Interview following “Tweet – Blowing the Whistle on Social Media”

After participating on a panel about soccer and social media, (read more about the panel here), I went to dinner with Tim Horton (Soccer Interactive), Alex Kotler (Football Partnerships) and Ryan Knapp (FC Buffalo). This was definitely an impromptu interview in a noisy bar. I wasn’t even sure that it would come out okay, but the secret really was having each person hold the iPhone themselves close to their mouth as the spoke. At one point I don’t think I could hear Tim across the table, but the iPhone picked everything up just fine :-) View the orignial post or check out the audio:

After the Interview

So how much work goes into post-production? Well, after conducting these audio interviews, I hook my iPhone up to my computer and sync. Note that the checkbox to sync Voice Notes is located under the Music tab. Then, all my audio files are on my computer in an .mp3 format.

Technically you could use that file in it’s raw form, but luckily I have the Adobe Master Collection, which includes Soundbooth – So I can drop my .mp3 file into there and edit out all the bad jokes, cursing, and awkward pauses, not that there’s very much of that in an impromptu interview in a really loud bar over a couple beers ;-) Then, I export the .mp3 to my desktop and voila! *Interview*.

I upload the .mp3 to my own hosting folder at http://www.amandavandervort.com/audio, and then I use a flash player to embed it in my website. Here’s the site where I found the code for the flash player: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/07/embed-mp3-files-into-your-website.html.

Finish the Job

While at this point I’m always a little tempted to pat myself on the back and walk away, I don’t. Instead, I transcribe everything. Yes, this means I slog through the entire audio and type out, word for word, exactly what is said. But this extra effort is super important for three main reasons:

First, with a Flash application as my primary “play” method, I always face the challenge of iPhone viewers not being able to access it. I never want to limit who can and can’t access my interview due to a technical function.

Second, search engine ranking drastically improves when you add the written content to a blog post or webpage. You’ve got to TELL the search engine what your audio recording is actually about, and transcribing the audio – at this point in the life cycle of the wide, wide world of web – is the only way to do that.

Finally, some people just don’t want to take the time to listen to the audio… by scripting it out you can catch the passers-by, and hopefully convert them into returning visitors.

Another Example

Here is another post with interviews you might be interested in, that demonstrate my use of all the above. Dorrance’s Pressure Stumps the Stanford Cardinal. These were recorded at the post-game press conference following the NCAA National Championship:

• Anson Dorrance, Head Coach of University of North Carolina.
• Paul Ratcliff, Head Coach of Stanford University
• Whitney Engen, Senior Defender at North Carolina

Summary

Journalists rejoice! The Voice Memos application puts the ability to conduct an audio interview in the palm of your hands. You no longer the need to carry around heavy interview equipment (lol, like a notepad and paper). And you can be assured that you get the right quote, the first time. But with this new freedom also comes the responsibility on the back end to put the time into doing it correctly. Tips for success: edit the audio appropriately and take the time to transcribe everything.

So the next time you find yourself side-by-side with a top coach or a famous athlete… or in a particularly unique setting where you think you might someday say, “You had to be there,” pull out your iPhone and say, “May I ask you a question or two?” And see what happens!!!