Related Articles
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
The voice notes app on your phone is all well and good, but it’s no real replacement for a high quality voice recorder. The best voice recorders won’t interrupt your recording with a pesky phone call, and they include a variety of helpful functions like easy start and stop, volume settings, and noise filtering, which can vastly improve the audio quality.
Portable voice recorders are enormously helpful tools in many settings, whether you’re a college student recording a lecture, a musician recording a particular melody, a journalist recording an interview, or a professional recording an important meeting.
What Are the Best Voice Recorders?
There are a few basic functions you’ll want from a good voice recorder, including superior audio quality, a size that is convenient to carry, plenty of storage space, and the ability to easily share and edit files. Here’s what else to look for:
Convenience: Recording devices can be impressively small without sacrificing functionality or sound quality, which is an important feature. We like a device small enough to be tucked into a pocket without awkwardness, or with a lanyard attachment. We also look for devices that are intuitive and easy to use. Some can be awkward to figure out, especially when looking for additional features.
Storage Space:A good voice recorder will have a large memory capacity so you can continue recording for long periods of time without needing to delete files.
Sharing Files: In addition to large storage space, we look for devices with easy file-sharing capabilities so you’re never struggling to transfer a recording to your computer. In most cases, the simplest way to do this is with a usb plug-in. These can be tricky depending on your computer software, however, which don’t always recognize the folder right away.
Editing and Playback Features: You’ll want to be able to easily playback and edit your recordings. Ideally, recorders will have functions to adjust speed, which is particularly helpful any time you’re doing transcriptions. You should also be able to skip ahead or skip backwards in small increments in case you need to repeat a section or find a particular moment.
Audio Quality: Excellent audio quality is a must. We like recorders that automatically filter out ambient or peripheral noises to enhance the sound of the voice you’re recording. We also look for recorders sensitive enough to pick up sound from a wide range, and which can be heard clearly via speakers or headphones.
