How to record great voiceover audio with an iPhone and a Blanket

In this tutorial I will teach you how to record great voiceover audio with just an iPhone and a blanket to block background noise.
(Make sure you crank up the audio on your computer so you can clearly hear the difference in quality when recording under the blanket).

WARNING: If possible use a CFL or led based lamp to reduce heat. Also make sure you let air come in at regular intervals to avoid suffocation.

IPHONE SETTINGS: Make sure your recording app is set to record at its maximum quality. You will need to find the app’s settings and select the highest quality. For VoiceRecord that is the “CD Quality” setting.

Equipment used in this tutorial:

  • iPhone 3G
  • Blanket (the thicker and fluffier the better)
  • Lamp or flashlight
  • Audio recording iPhone App (Voice Record Pro)

Here is the complete script I use as an example in the video:

So you want to record some high quality voice over but don’t have any of the expensive audio recording gear professionals use?
No problem, I’ll teach you how to record great quality voiceover audio with just an iPhone and.. a blanket!
Here is how,

Just print your script, download an audio recording iPhone app, and have a blanket and a flash light ready.
Take a deep breath, turn the flash light on, cover yourself with the blanket, and press record.

Now start reading your script loud and clear. When you make a mistake, take a breath and repeat the sentence until you are happy with it.

When you are done, download the audio to your computer and use an editing program to cut out all the bad takes. If there are still any lines you are not happy with, just repeat the process until you get a perfect reading!

Here are both audio samples:

With no blanket:

With a blanket:

Some tips:

  • Make sure you use a fluffy blanket and that you cover any holes (don’t suffocate!).
  • Go to a smaller space, inside a closet works best.
  • Make sure you don’t bump the microphone.
  • Don’t speak too close to the mic or set the levels so they don’t red-line and become saturated.
  • Try to be relaxed and casual like if you were telling a story to your best friend.
  • It is easy to get frustrated, if you do, take a break so your anger doesn’t come in the VO (I curse a lot to vent my frustration ;))

I hope this tutorial helps you record better audio on your next project.
Of course, if your budget permits so, you will always get greater audio quality with professional gear or by hiring a voiceover professional (ie: Voices.com).

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55 thoughts on “How to record great voiceover audio with an iPhone and a Blanket

  1. Ryan Reply

    Thanks Miguel, very handy info. The difference in sound quality with the blanket is amazing! Good idea!

  2. London Lyric Reply

    OMG bro. Where were you in 2007 when I spent about 7 freakin grand to cute out sound for my home studio? That was amazing. Very awesome idea. Thanks Miguel=)

    • Miguel Hernandez Reply

      Haha! well, if you’ve got the money and want to go pro the right equipment will always sound better. However, we’ve come to a point where inexpensive technology is capable of producing results good enough to use in production.
      The first iPhone generation was released back in June 29, 2007, but I am not sure if its microphone was as good as it is today.

  3. Ray Reply

    WOW…such a simple solution, but what a difference in quality.  Thank you so much for the tip.

  4. Michael Reply

    Great training. Sometimes you can do amazing things without spending an arm and leg on anything. However I think you still need to buy an iphone though … uuurgh!

    • Miguel Hernandez Reply

      Buying an iPhone is not required. All you need is any device with a decent microphone, it could be also an Android phone, and mp3 recorder, a laptop, etc.

      The main factor to record higher quality audio is the use of the blanket which acts as a practical yet very efficient solution to block unwanted background audio.

  5. Jcolome Reply

    dude – has anyone ever told you – you look like Robert Downey Jr.  ???

    You could be his double – LOL  – great work and info.

    Juan M. Colome – Miami, Fl

  6. joshua Reply

    Are you looking for anyone to do voiceovers for you with an American accent?  If so send me an email.  Thanks, Joshua

  7. Dianna Reply

    Hi Miguel,
    I’ve used my iPhone for several videos I’ve made, but I did them inside my walk-in closet.
    It gave a great result. The clothes work really well to absorb the sound waves.The blanket is a good alternative.But I’ll have to stop laughing first. jaja
    Dianna

    • Miguel Hernandez Reply

      Closets work great as long as they are small and full of clothes.
      I’ve tried putting a large jacket inside the closet to get better results.
      I still find the blanket technique the fastest and funniest.. hehe

  8. Herb Reply

    Thanks for the great video and tips on using the iphone. i downloaded VoiceRecord and it works well but the WiFi transfers only as a Quicktime Movie which requires QuickTime Pro. Any other way to get the recording to your PC ?

    • Grumo Media Reply

      Hi Herb, when I do it it transfer to my Mac as .aiff You should be able to open it an convert it to mp3 using Audacity which is free.

  9. Cyn Bergara Reply

    Hola Miguel:

    Soy Española, descubrí tus vídeos porque una amiga me los recomendó y me encantan, simplemente saludarte y decir que eres genial, creativo y que en Salamanca tienes una seguidora.

    Un abrazo.
    Cynthia Bergara

  10. Andrew Woo Reply

    wow, you’re a life saver. I was about to spend a bunch of money on a mic and blah blah blah. Thanks!

  11. Sam Reply

    Thanks for this. You’ve inspired me to make a podcast for my company, but I’m not sure how to best edit the final result. What’s the best way to actually edit the final audio file? I have an iPhone 4Gs, iPad 2, PCs and Macs available. 

  12. Larry Vaughn Reply

    WARNING: If possible use a halogen or led based lamp to reduce heat. Halogen lamps get very hot. Maybe you mean cfl? Those twisty fluorescent bulbs?

  13. Gema Reply

    Miguel, estás como una auténtica cabra. Este tutorial sólo es superado por el capítulo de tu curso en el que estornudas, y pasaste de editarlo. Me moría de risa.
    Sigue así. Un beso from Madrid.

  14. tumeito Reply

    I have done this concept of recording way back college days. Only that I used a handkerchief as the cover for the mic as we speak. My classmates had spent a lot, the quality is just as same as the one we created without spending any penny. Great saver ever! 😀

  15. Tayba Khan Reply

    I think going under the table and putting a huge blanket to cover the sides will be great >>>>> thank you

  16. Gauri Verma Reply

    Amazing blog!! I am truly impressed read this amazing stuff. I really appreciate you! GoodLuck.!! Total Recall recording app

  17. Oscar Prøwhïz Obians Reply

    Man! You’re a life saver. I was already in a fix. Those dreadful background noises and echoes (shivers) made a mess of things. The blanket while hilarious, was a light bulb idea. Now my voice recordings sound way better. Thanks

  18. Tom Smith Reply

    Miguel … Thanks man.. great info. My question is .. if I already have a 45 second instruction video and I made it with no audio…. How can I add my voice over? Thanks again…. Tom Smith tgsmith1012@comcast.net

    • Miguel Hernandez Reply

      Hi Tom, you need to use video editing software to combine the video with the audio. In Windows you can use Windows Movie Maker or Camtasia and for Mac iMovie or ScreenFlow. Cheers!

  19. Asti Reply

    OMG Thank You soooo much!!! Your tips is really helpful.

    Much luv from Indonesia!!!

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