Resources
How to record multi-speaker conversations for AI
Plan participants, isolated tracks, synchronization, overlap and a reviewable pilot before collecting conversational speech.
Published 2026-10-27 · 5 min read
| Item | Define before requesting a quote |
|---|---|
| Session plan | Language, speakers, topics and natural versus prompted speech |
| Recording map | Microphones, channels and original encoding |
| Timing | Synchronization method and end-of-session drift check |
| Pilot review | Clipping, overlap, missing audio and labels |
Start with the intended conversation task and a written collection brief. Natural turn-taking, interruptions and room acoustics may matter more than studio polish. There is no single microphone arrangement or sample rate that makes every conversation dataset acceptable.
The workflow below is a collection plan, not an open Fiund recording assignment. Establish scope, participant permissions, acceptance and payment before arranging paid sessions.
Design the session before placing microphones
Specify language and dialect targets, speakers per session, topics, expected duration and whether participants should converse naturally or follow prompts. Avoid reading a script while labeling the result spontaneous conversation.
Plan a way to exclude sensitive topics and allow participants to stop. Use session and anonymous speaker IDs in working files, with permission records handled separately through the agreed process. Recording permission and permission for the proposed licensing use need appropriate review.
Choose tracks that match the task
For close-microphone speech, separate tracks per participant may help inspection. For room or far-field tasks, preserve the required room channels as well. Document microphone positions and which channels correspond to each source; do not describe a mixed export as isolated audio.
Make a test recording at realistic speaking volume. Listen to each channel for clipping, hum, missing speech and crosstalk. Avoid silently applying denoising or removing overlap; retain originals and describe any processed versions.
Preserve a common timeline
Use a shared recording system where practical, or document synchronization and drift checks for separate devices. Check alignment near the beginning and end. A matching start time alone does not prove the tracks stay aligned.
Keep native files and record codec, sample rate, bit depth, channel map and session start information. WAVE is a container and can hold different encodings; a .wav filename alone does not specify uncompressed PCM or prove quality.
Review a pilot and deliver a manifest
Listen to a representative pilot across speakers, distances and overlap conditions. Define rejection reasons, missing-track handling and annotation conventions before longer sessions. Check whether overlapping speech should be preserved and labeled for this project.
Deliver a manifest linking session IDs to audio, channel IDs, duration, language, permission status and label files. Mark unavailable fields explicitly. Separate elapsed conversation hours from channel-hours when reporting volume or requesting a price.
Frequently asked questions
Should I remove every interruption?
Only if the brief requires it. Overlap and interruptions can be relevant conversation features; preserve originals and label edits.
Can I start recording for Fiund immediately?
Describe your capabilities first. A capability submission is not a commissioned project or payment promise.