How to record interviews and meetings for transcription: tips for the best results

A good transcript starts with a good recording

A transcript is only as good as the recording it comes from. Clear voices, little background noise and a microphone close to the speakers give you cleaner text, less editing and better recognition of who said what. That is true for a conversation between two people, and even more so for a meeting with a full table of speakers.

This guide explains how to record interviews and meetings, which mistakes to avoid and how Scribeer turns your recording into searchable text with speakers and timestamps.

The short answer:

• Record in a quiet room and place the microphone close to the speakers.
• Always make a 30-second test recording first.
• Ask people to speak one at a time.
• Have everyone say their name at the start.
• Upload the recording unchanged, for example as mp3, wav, m4a or mp4.

How to record an interview between two people

An interview has only two voices, so the recording does not need to be complicated. A few small choices make a big difference.

• Pick a quiet room. Curtains, carpet or a sofa absorb echo. Avoid bare rooms, open-plan offices and spots next to a coffee machine or a fan.
• Place the microphone close. As a rule of thumb, about a forearm's length from the mouth, roughly 20 to 30 centimetres (8 to 12 inches). A phone or recorder between you, pointed at both speakers, works well for two people. If voices are soft or the room is difficult, use two clip-on microphones.
• Make a test recording. Record 30 seconds and listen back with headphones. You will hear noise, echo or a speaker who is too quiet before the interview starts.
• Put your phone in airplane mode. That prevents notifications and vibrations on the table. Also check your battery and free storage.
• Let each other finish. Talking over each other is the hardest thing for any transcription service. Wait a moment before you respond, even with a "yes" or "hmm".
• State the names at the start. For example: "This is an interview with Mark Taylor, my name is Sarah." It helps later when you label the speakers in the transcript.
• Record in a common format and edit nothing. Mp3, wav or m4a is fine. Heavy compression or filters can remove detail from the voice.

How to record a meeting with several people

A group is harder. Voices sit further from the microphone, people talk over each other and speakers change quickly. A good setup prevents most problems.

• Put the microphone in the middle of the table. That way the distance to each speaker is about equal. For a large table or room, a conference microphone works better than a phone.
• Keep everyone close. Voices far from the microphone sound softer and more echoey. For a long table, use several microphones.
• Have everyone introduce themselves. Ask for name and role at the start, one at a time and without others talking over them. This lets you replace the speaker labels in the transcript with real names later.
• Agree that one person speaks at a time. A chair who hands over the floor helps enormously. Overlapping voices are the hardest case for any transcription service, Scribeer included.
• Limit background noise. Typing, shuffling paper and cups being put down come through loudly on a table microphone. Keep phones and laptops away from it.
• Note how many people take part. You can enter that number when you upload, which helps separate the speakers.
• Do a one-minute test. Ask everyone to say something short and listen back to check that every voice is clear.

How to record online meetings and phone calls

• Use the built-in recording feature of Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, if your plan and organisation allow it. The recording comes straight from the call, without room noise.
• Upload the file as you get it. Scribeer accepts mp4 and m4a, among other formats, up to 500 MB, so there is no need to convert anything first.
• Ask participants to wear headphones. This prevents echo caused by one person's speaker being picked up by another person's microphone.
• Always ask for consent. Say at the start that you are recording and what you will use the recording for, especially if personal data is involved.
• Be extra careful with overlap on phone calls. A phone line has lower sound quality to begin with. Put the call on speaker in a quiet room or use the recording function of your phone or app.

Common mistakes that make a transcript worse

No service can fully repair a poor recording. Avoid these six mistakes:

Mistake	Result	Fix
Microphone too far away	Soft, echoey voices and more wrong words	Move closer: 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) for an interview
Background music or a busy room	Voices disappear into the noise	Choose a quiet room
Talking over each other	Broken sentences and mixed-up speakers	Take turns, ideally with a chair
No test recording	You only find out afterwards that the audio failed	Record 30 seconds and listen back
Phone in a pocket or on a soft surface	Muffled sound and clothing noise	Place the microphone freely and steadily on the table
Recording edited or heavily compressed	Loss of detail in the voice	Upload the original file

How Scribeer processes your recording, even with several speakers

Scribeer turns your recording into a searchable transcript with speakers and timestamps. That works for a conversation between two people and for a group. When you upload, you set the number of speakers, between 1 and 10, or let Scribeer detect them automatically.

• Speakers are separated and labelled. In the editor you replace the labels with real names and add context.
• Timestamps on every passage. You jump straight to the right moment in the recording.
• Multiple languages. Dutch, English, German, Flemish, Spanish and French, or automatic detection.
• Fast. Usually 3 to 5 minutes per hour of audio. You can safely leave the page; processing continues.
• Edit and share. Click on text or on a speaker to change it, and share the transcript with your team.
• Export. As Word (.docx), PDF, text file or subtitle file such as SRT.
• Privacy. Servers in Frankfurt, Germany, encrypted with TLS 1.3 and AES-256, and GDPR compliant. Audio is deleted right after processing and your data is not used to train AI. If a recording must not go to any cloud, Private Pro Mode runs locally in your browser.
• Price. €0.033 per minute, so €1.98 per hour of audio, with no subscription. A 30-minute interview costs about €0.99 and a 45-minute meeting about €1.49.
• Try it free. 10 minutes without an account, and 50 free minutes with a free account.

An honest caveat: results are best with a good recording. Overlapping voices and heavy noise remain difficult, and with voices that sound alike a label can occasionally be wrong. Check important passages and adjust them in the editor where needed.

From recording to transcript in five steps

1. Prepare. Choose a quiet room, place the microphone close and make a 30-second test recording.
2. Record. Have everyone say their name and agree that people speak one at a time.
3. Upload. Add the file to Scribeer, choose the language and set the number of speakers.
4. Review. Read through the transcript, fill in the speakers' names and correct anything in the editor.
5. Download or share. Export as Word, PDF or text, or share the transcript with your team.

Frequently asked questions

How many speakers can Scribeer tell apart?

You can set up to 10 speakers, or let Scribeer detect them automatically. How well the separation works depends on sound quality and on whether people talk over each other.

Which file formats can I upload?

Among others mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, flac, mp4 and mov, up to 500 MB per file.

How much does it cost to transcribe a meeting?

Scribeer charges €0.033 per minute, with no subscription. A 45-minute meeting costs about €1.49.

How long does it take?

Usually 3 to 5 minutes per hour of audio.

Is my recording safe?

Processing takes place on servers in Frankfurt, encrypted with TLS 1.3 and AES-256, in line with GDPR. Audio is deleted right after processing and your data is not used to train AI.

Can I upload a recording from Teams or Zoom?

Yes, as long as it is an audio or video file, such as mp4 or m4a.

What if my conversation is highly confidential?

Use Private Pro Mode. It processes your audio locally in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. This requires modern hardware with WebGPU support.

Try it with your own recording

A good recording saves you time when you review the text. Got one? Upload 10 minutes for free on scribeer.io without an account, or create a free account for 50 minutes and see for yourself how Scribeer separates the speakers. You can also look at the pricing.