Introduction
Poor audio quality directly impacts transcription accuracy. This guide explains common audio issues and how to improve recording quality for better transcripts.
Common Audio Quality Issues
Several factors can degrade audio quality and transcription accuracy:
Fans, traffic, typing, or other ambient sounds interfere with speech recognition.
Quiet or distant speakers make speech difficult for AI to detect and transcribe.
Overlapping voices or crosstalk confuses speaker identification.
Microphone Setup Best Practices
Proper microphone positioning dramatically improves transcription quality.
Recommendations:
- Position microphone 6-12 inches from your mouth
- Use a headset or external microphone instead of laptop built-in mics
- Speak clearly and at a moderate pace
- Avoid covering the microphone or moving it during recording
- Test audio levels before important meetings
Quick Test
Recording Environment
Your physical environment significantly affects audio quality.
- • Quiet, enclosed room
- • Minimal background noise
- • Soft furnishings to reduce echo
- • Close windows and doors
- • Open spaces with echo
- • Near air conditioning or fans
- • High-traffic areas
- • Directly facing hard walls
Audio File Quality
When uploading pre-recorded files, format and bitrate matter.
Recommended settings:
- Format - WAV, MP3, or M4A for best compatibility
- Sample Rate - 16 kHz minimum, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz preferred
- Bitrate - 128 kbps minimum for MP3, 256 kbps recommended
- Channels - Mono is sufficient for speech; stereo works too
Avoid Over-Compression
Speaker Clarity
How participants speak affects transcription accuracy just as much as technical quality.
Best practices for speakers:
- Speak at a moderate pace (not too fast or slow)
- Avoid mumbling or talking while eating/drinking
- Minimize interruptions and talking over others
- Pause briefly between topics for better segmentation
- Pronounce technical terms clearly
Zoom/Teams Bot Recordings
When using integration bots, audio quality depends on the meeting platform settings.
- • Enable "Record separate audio for each participant" for better diarization
- • Use "Original Sound" instead of automatic noise suppression
- • Enable high-fidelity audio if available
- • Encourage participants to use headsets
- • Enable "Noise suppression" for consistent quality
- • Use Teams desktop app instead of web browser
Troubleshooting Poor Transcription
If transcriptions are consistently inaccurate, try these steps:
- Test your audio setup with a short recording first
- Verify the correct language is selected for transcription
- Check if background noise reduction is needed
- Ensure all participants are using good quality microphones
- Review the audio file yourself to assess clarity
- Consider re-recording if quality is very poor
Hardware Recommendations
Investing in quality audio equipment significantly improves transcription accuracy.
Recommended Equipment
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