Recording older relatives' stories: interview tips and preserving recordings

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Every family has someone who remembers how things used to be: the house they grew up in, the jobs people did, the stories behind old photographs. Recording those memories in their own voice is one of the most valuable things you can do for future generations, and it is easier than you might think. Oral historians have developed good practice that works just as well at the kitchen table.

Preparing

Ask first and explain why. Let your relative know what you would like to do, how you will use the recording and who will hear it. Some people are delighted, others need time to warm to the idea.
Do some background research so you can ask informed questions and prompt with names and places.
Write a loose list of topics, not a script. Childhood, school, work, wartime or major events, moving home, courtship and marriage, raising children, food, holidays and how the area has changed are all good starting points.
Gather prompts. Old photos, letters, objects or a map can unlock memories.

Equipment

You do not need a studio.

A smartphone with a voice recording app works well. Put it in flight mode so calls and notifications do not interrupt.
A small external microphone, such as a clip-on one, noticeably improves sound quality.
Video can capture expressions and gestures, but some people are more relaxed with audio only.
Test first. Record a minute, play it back and check the levels.

Setting up

Choose a quiet room. Turn off televisions, radios and noisy appliances, and close windows.
Sit close and at a slight angle rather than across a large table.
Keep sessions short, perhaps an hour, and offer breaks. Several shorter sessions are often better than one long one.
Start the recording by saying the date, place, who is speaking and who is interviewing.

Asking good questions

Ask open questions: "What was your street like?" invites more than "Did you like your street?"
Ask for descriptions: "What did the kitchen smell like on a Sunday?"
Follow up: "What happened next?" and "How did you feel about that?"
Allow silences. People often add the most interesting details after a pause.
Do not correct or argue. Memories may differ from records; note the discrepancy and check later.
Be gentle with painful subjects. Let your relative choose what to talk about, and stop if they become distressed.

Consent and ownership

Oral history guidance in the UK, including from the Oral History Society, recommends a simple written agreement that records the interviewee's consent and how the recording can be used, such as within the family, deposited in an archive or shared online. A speaker owns the copyright in their own words, so this matters if you ever want to publish or donate the recording. Respect any wish to keep parts private.

Preserving the recordings

Keep an uncompressed master, such as a WAV file, as well as a smaller MP3 copy for sharing.
Name files clearly with the date, the interviewee's name and a session number.
Write a summary or log of topics covered with rough timings, and add a transcript if you have time. Automatic transcription tools can give you a first draft, but check names and places by ear.
Back up in at least two places, such as an external drive and a cloud service, and copy files to new storage every few years so they do not get stuck on an old device.
Consider depositing a copy with a local archive or record office if the stories have wider local interest. Ask them about their requirements first.

Sharing

Clips played at a family gathering, paired with photographs, can be very moving. Ask your relative which parts they are happy for others to hear. Have you recorded a relative's memories? Share your favourite question to ask in the comments.