To record your audio, use an external microphone or headset. Your computer's microphone will pick up extra background noise and may not be high quality enough. If your microphone or headset has both a Bluetooth and wireless USB option, use USB; this is because Bluetooth signals are not always strong enough.

Be sure you are close to the mic when you record. If you have an external mic that is not a headset, consider putting it next to your mouth rather than in front so you do not pick up all your breaths. Do some sound tests with your microphone to determine how close you should get without the audio "popping."

If you are recording eLearnings at the office, consider getting a huddle room. Your microphone may pick up the sounds of your colleagues as they work. If you are recording at home, move away from loud appliances, such as AC units, washing machines, or dishwashers. Consider any potential landscaping that may occur and move away from windows if there is construction or lawn mowing outside.

Before you start speaking on your recording, record 30 seconds of ambient noise. This will allow you remove any background noise without losing the volume of your narration.

When you are reading from a script, it can be difficult to sound natural. Speak with a smile on your face, as it will come through in your voice. Allowing yourself to gesticulate while you record can also help. People often use hand gestures in natural conversation for emphasis, so allowing yourself to "talk with your hands" will help you emphasize vocally, too. When you write your script, don't try to sound too "formal," either. Contractions like "don't" or "let's" are completely fine to use in your eLearning!

Practice reading your script a couple of times. However, don't get tripped up if your audio isn't "perfect." If you stumble over words, pause, redo the sentence, and keep going. If you feel stressed while you record, you will sound stressed!

If your project is going to take multiple days, be cautious of differences in your voice. Ideally, you should try to record your audio all in one day. However, if that's not possible, be sure you warm up your voice each day. This is especially important if you start recording audio first thing in the morning. Call a colleague and have a comfortable conversation to get warmed up. If you find that your voice is feeling a bit strained after recording for a long time, have some tea or water and rest for a couple of hours.

Be sure that you record in the same area with the same tools each day you record. You want to keep all aspects of your audio recording as consistent as possible.