Record audio while reading your script

Audio mode lets you record your voice while the Teleprompter Automatic reader keeps your script on screen. It creates an audio file instead of a video, so you can concentrate on delivery without opening the camera. The current iPhone, iPad, and Android apps support the same core workflow: choose Audio, select an available microphone and recording profile, read with your preferred scroll mode, then review the saved take in Recordings.

Use Audio mode for voiceovers, podcast drafts, narration, speech rehearsal, course audio, or any script that needs a clean spoken take before video. The recording is saved as an M4A file with AAC audio.

What Audio mode records

Audio mode records the selected microphone and does not create a video track. The script remains visible in the reader, and the app shows recording time and a live input-level indicator so you can confirm that the microphone is receiving sound.

Audio is a separate capture choice alongside Script, Video, and Live. Switching to Audio closes the camera workflow, so camera permission is not required for an audio-only take. Microphone permission is required. If you use Voice Scroll, speech-recognition permission may also be required because that scroll mode listens for your spoken position in the script.

How to start an audio recording

1. Open Library, choose a saved script, and open it in the reader.
2. Open the capture-mode menu and choose Audio. The same menu also contains Script, Video, and Live.
3. Allow microphone access when your phone asks. Teleprompter Automatic requests it when you enter or start the audio workflow, not just to read a script.
4. Before recording, open the microphone button if you want to change the input or select Directional, Stereo, or Spatial.
5. Tap the record button. The timer and live level show that the take is running, and the selected reader scroll mode starts with it.
6. Use Pause when you need a break. Resume continues both the audio take and the reader from the paused state.
7. Tap Stop when you finish. Wait for the app to finalize the M4A file, then review the saved recording.

Record a short test before an important session. Speak at the real distance from the phone, listen for room noise or clipping, and confirm that the reader pace feels natural. If the level does not react, stop and check the selected microphone before continuing.

Choose the microphone before the take

The microphone menu lists inputs currently available to the device. Depending on the phone and operating system, this can include automatic routing, the built-in microphone, wired or USB audio, and Bluetooth input. Available choices can change when an accessory connects or disconnects.

Automatic routing is useful when you want the operating system and app to use an available input. Choose a specific input when the microphone itself is part of the setup and you need to verify exactly which device is active. Make the choice before pressing Record: changing or losing the selected route during a take can stop recording so the app does not silently continue with the wrong microphone.

Bluetooth microphones are convenient, but their sound and latency depend on the accessory and its active Bluetooth profile. For a final take, compare a short Bluetooth sample with the built-in or wired microphone instead of assuming the external device is better.

Directional, Stereo, and Spatial profiles

The profile changes channel layout and preferred AAC bitrate. All three current profiles use a preferred 48 kHz sample rate:

Spatial is the name of the app profile; it is a high-bitrate stereo recording, not a promise of Dolby Atmos or a particular multichannel hardware format. The result still depends on the selected microphone and what the device exposes. Some Android devices may retry with compatible encoder settings if they reject the preferred profile, so playback of a test take is the final check.

Use Audio mode with reader scrolling

Audio mode works with the reader rather than replacing it. Choose the scroll mode before the take:

• Fixed Speed for a consistent manual pace.
• Timed when the script should finish near a target duration.
• Words Per Minute when you rehearse or record around a speaking-rate target.
• Voice Scroll when you want the text to follow your speech.

Starting the audio take starts the selected scrolling workflow. Pausing the recording also pauses the reader; resuming continues both. Voice Scroll uses speech recognition while the audio recorder is active, so test this combination with the intended microphone and permissions before a long take. For a full explanation of reader behavior, see Teleprompter scrolling and reader controls.

Review, seek, share, or delete the recording

Saved audio appears in Recordings with video takes. Use the All, Video, or Audio filter to find the right media type. An audio card shows its duration, date, waveform, and cloud state where applicable.

Open the card for the full-screen player. The waveform is based on the recorded sound rather than a decorative pattern. You can play or pause, move through the recording with the timeline and scrubber, jump backward or forward by 15 seconds, and share the M4A file. Delete the local recording when you no longer need the copy on that device.

For long takes, use the full-duration slider for a large jump and the scrollable waveform for a more precise position. Review the start, a section in the middle, and the ending before sharing so you catch a silent input, a route change, or an accidental early stop.

Upload audio recordings to the cloud

Audio recordings use the same cloud recording workflow as videos. When you are signed in and cloud sync is enabled, you can upload a local audio take, see upload progress, retry a failed upload, stream a cloud copy, download it to another supported device, or delete the cloud item. Automatic upload can also include new audio and video recordings when that option is available for your account and enabled while the app is open.

A local recording is not uploaded merely because it exists. Check the Local, Uploading, Synced, or Failed status before relying on a cloud copy. Read cloud sync and recording storage for the difference between device and cloud files, or use fix sync and cloud upload problems when a transfer does not complete.

What happens to the audio file

The M4A recording is user-created content. It stays on the device until you share, delete, or upload it through the recording sync workflow. If you choose cloud upload, the audio file is stored with your account so supported devices can access it. This is different from temporary live audio used for Voice Scroll or subtitle processing. The Privacy Policy explains that distinction.

Fix common Audio mode problems

• Audio will not start: allow microphone access, close another app that may be using the input, and confirm that the selected microphone is still connected.
• The level stays flat: switch to Auto or the built-in microphone, then speak during a short test. Reconnect an external input only after the built-in path works.
• Recording stops by itself: check free device storage and whether the microphone route changed or the operating system interrupted audio capture.
• The file is missing from the list: let finalization finish, open Recordings, and set the filter to All or Audio.
• Cloud upload is stuck: verify the account, cloud-sync setting, connection, and storage availability, then use Retry where shown.

If iOS or Android has blocked the microphone, follow the camera and microphone permission guide. Do not continue a long session until a short recorded file plays back with the expected input.

Frequently asked questions