Audio and Narration Best Practices

This guide highlights best practices for recording narration for online course content, whether video or audio. Your instructional designer can provide appropriate technical guides for your chosen recording method. For videos that will include your webcam footage, see the Envision post Self-Recording Best Practices.

A production team can minimize disfluencies such as ums, pauses, and misspeaks but cannot remove noises that disrupt your speech. Therefore, please follow these guidelines as much as possible when recording audio for your course.

• Use in-ear headphones that have a microphone instead of a headset or wired headphones.
• Be careful not to create noise by shuffling paper notes.
• Close all doors or windows to minimize outside disruptions.
• Remove all pets from the recording area.
• Turn of­­f fans and other noise-producing home devices.
• Place cellphones and tablets in airplane or silent mode while recording. Vibrations will disrupt the audio recording.
• Silence any computer notifications and close unnecessary apps.
• Ask delivery drivers not to ring the doorbell.
• Remove jewelry that could create noise interference, such as earrings or a watch.
• Notify any home or office companions that you will be recording; consider putting a sign on your office door.

• Make sure you have outlined and planned your talking points in advance so that your narration is clearly organized.
• Students want to get to know you, the expert who is teaching them, so speak naturally and don’t be afraid to let your personality show.
• Record each topic in one sitting, in the same environment.
• If you make a mistake, keep recording. Simply allow for a 2–3 second pause before you start speaking again, and feel free to explain where you are going to re-start.

• Students need time to process new or difficult content. Therefore, it is best to speak at a moderate pace and leave natural pauses between thoughts and topics. Students will be able to speed up the video player if they want, whereas they may get frustrated trying to follow content that is presented too quickly.
• Explain jargon, abbreviations, and difficult words.
• Students who are visually impaired will rely on the audio to understand any visual content. Therefore, what you say must convey as much meaning as what is shown on the screen. Avoid vague references such as “over here,” “on the right,” etc. You should also avoid using color or sensory characteristics to describe things. If you are using your cursor or another tool to show what you are describing, be sure to narrate your actions clearly.
• Your instructional designer will work with you to make sure that your text and visuals have sufficient size and color contrast for accessibility. Keep these principles in mind for other video types as well—if you are recording your screen, try to ensure that text is large enough to be legible and color contrast is sufficient.

• Avoid mentioning information about course logistics that may change in future terms, such as page numbers, assignment deadlines, or course and module numbers.
• Be mindful of relative time expressions. For example, reference time by month and year as opposed to yesterday, last year, etc.

If you are working with an instructional designer and/or production team, they will support you throughout the planning and recording process to ensure that your content both reflects your intentions and provides the best possible experience for your students. Inquire about any resources that may be available to assist with your recording process.