How-to · beginner · 2 min read
How to record clean audio for video on a phone
Keep the mic within 30 cm of your mouth, record in a room with soft stuff in it, use a lav when you can't stay close, and always use a windscreen outside.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24 · Example: @sulansart
- Level
- beginner
- Read time
- 2 min
Clean audio is mostly distance and room. A phone mic 30 cm from your mouth in a bedroom with curtains and a rug beats an expensive mic across a bare kitchen. When you can't stay close, clip on a lav or use a wireless mic. Outside, a furry windscreen is mandatory. People tolerate soft video and leave over bad audio.
Why it matters
Audio is the half people judge first and forgive last.
The method
- Get close. Built-in mic at 20 to 30 cm. That means arm's length, not a tripod across the room.
- Pick the room. Soft surfaces absorb echo. A closet full of clothes is a free vocal booth.
- Pick the mic. Built-in for close talking. Wired lav for a tripod talking head. Wireless lav for walking, cooking, demos.
- Kill the noise first. Fridge, fan, AC, open window. Turn them back on after.
- Block the wind. Furry windscreen on any external mic. For the built-in, turn your back to the wind and cup a hand loosely under the phone.
- Record a test. Say your first line, play it back on headphones. Peaks around minus 12 dB, never at zero.
Rules of thumb
| Situation | Mic | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Talking head, phone in hand | built-in | 20 to 30 cm |
| Talking head on tripod | wired lav | clipped at the sternum |
| Walking vlog | wireless lav | same |
| Cooking or demo | wireless lav | same |
| Two people | two wireless lavs | each |
| Peaks between minus 12 and minus 6 dB. Record 10 seconds of room tone for noise reduction later. |
Examples
- Studio talking head. Wired lav on the collar, phone on a tripod 80 cm away, fan off, curtains closed, 10 seconds of room tone first.
- Walking vlog through a market. Wireless lav under a jacket lapel with a furry windscreen, phone at chest height, talking in 8 second bursts.
Do it in Vyra
- "Sync the separate lav recording to the camera audio using the clap at the start, then mute the camera audio."
- "Reduce the room echo and background hum on my voice track, then normalize speech to around minus 14 LUFS. Do not touch the music."
- "Duck the music 8 dB whenever I speak and bring it back between sentences."
Common mistakes
- Phone on a tripod across the room using the built-in mic.
- Recording in a kitchen or bathroom.
- No windscreen outside. Wind isn't fixable.
FAQ
Are AirPods good enough? For a quick talking head in a quiet room, sure. They compress the voice and pick up rustle. A wired lav costs less and sounds better.
Can AI fix bad audio? Mild echo and hum, yes. Wind, clipping, or a mic two meters away, no.
Related
- /how-to/frame-yourself
- /how-to/light-a-talking-head
- /how-to/vlog
- /formats/talking-head