How to record your parents’ stories and keep the audio

Agree on the audience before pressing Record

Ask whether your parent wants to be recorded, which topics are welcome and who may receive the file. Make it easy to pause or stop. Before wider sharing, offer to listen together and remove material they do not want included. The Oral History Association treats consent and review as part of the process, not just a formality at the beginning. Oral History Association: Statement on Ethics.

Write down the agreed audience next to the recording. “For our children and grandchildren” is different from “for a public family-history website.” Revisit the agreement if your plans change.

Make and reopen a short test recording

Choose a quiet space, learn the recorder’s controls and prepare topics before the meeting. These are also central recommendations in the Smithsonian Institution Archives’ oral-history guide. Smithsonian Institution Archives: How to Do Oral History.

1. Check battery level and available storage before the conversation.
2. Record both voices for about half a minute at normal speaking volume.
3. Stop, save and reopen the test file. Listen for a quiet voice, rustling or background appliances.
4. Check whether you can export the file and play that exported copy.
5. Adjust the device position and test again if a speaker is difficult to understand.

Do not assume that a moving waveform means a usable file has been saved. A rehearsal should include the save and export steps, not only the microphone check. Device and app behavior differ, especially when the screen locks or another app interrupts.

Record one scene before attempting a life history

Put an object or photograph within view. Ask for a particular occasion: the first journey with a suitcase, the meal associated with a recipe or the person who repaired a chair. Let the answer finish before asking for a name or date.

Begin with a brief spoken introduction: the participants, recording date and chosen subject. Avoid reading out a home address. The Oral History Association recommends a contextual lead-in and a low-distraction setting. Oral History Association: Best Practices.

Choose manageable sections together. At a natural pause, stop, save and check the file before continuing. Short sections may make later labeling easier; they do not guarantee protection from a crash or hardware failure.

Check the saved recording before packing up

• Play the beginning, a section in the middle and the ending.
• Check that the duration is plausible and the final sentence is present.
• Export the file, locate it outside the app and open it in a compatible player.
• Keep the original recording even if you later edit a shorter version.
• Make a second copy in a different storage location before deleting anything from the recorder.

The Library of Congress advises retaining important audio with descriptive information, exporting files and managing copies in different places. Its guidance also recommends checking that recordings remain readable over time. Library of Congress: Keeping Personal Digital Audio.

Keep a recording log beside the audio

File: 2026-09-25_OBJ-004_suitcase-story_original.m4a
Speaker and interviewer:
Date and general setting:
Related object: OBJ-004
Topics and useful timestamps:
Names needing verification:
Who may receive the recording:
Original saved at:
Separate copy checked on:

The filename above is a fictional example, not a required format. Use whatever format your recorder actually produces; changing the extension does not convert the audio. Add a separate note for any edited or transcribed version.

If you use transcription, review names and unclear phrases against the audio. Mark an uncertain word rather than inventing one. Do not replace the original voice file with an AI-written account.

Where Things Retold fits

Things Retold can attach a recording to the object it describes and include saved audio in an archive export. Its browser recorder is not crash-safe during an unfinished recording, and automatic transcription is not currently connected. For an irreplaceable conversation, keep a separately saved original and verify it before relying on an upload.

You can begin with a recorder you already know, then attach the completed file to an archive. Whatever app you choose, the useful test is the same: can the family find and play the saved copy without depending on your original recording session?

Common questions