Audio quality is the unsung hero in our visually saturated world. While everyone obsesses over perfect video, bad sound will tank your content faster than any visual flaw.

The good news? You don't need an expensive recording studio anymore. Today's smartphones can capture audio that rivals traditional recording equipment—if you know which apps to use.

This guide cuts through the noise to identify the best audio recorder apps for both Android and iOS. No fluff, no sponsored picks—just practical analysis of each app's features, strengths, and limitations to help you find the right audio recorder for your specific needs.

Understanding supported audio formats, bitrates, and sample rates

Selecting the correct audio format can make or break the overall sound quality of your recordings. Most audio recorder apps support widely used formats like WAV, MP3, and AAC, each with distinct pros and cons. Higher bitrates, typically in the 128–320 kbps range, help preserve clarity, especially in MP3 recordings. Meanwhile, WAV files often provide lossless quality for professional-grade projects at sample rates like 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Some advanced apps even let you record at 96 kHz for added detail, though larger file sizes might require more storage. To learn more about balancing format choice with file size, read how to choose the best audio file format for your project.

What are audio recorder apps?

A voice recorder app captures sound and stores it as a digital file. These apps are usually built into smartphones, but if not, you can always download them from the app store. Audio recording apps are a lightweight alternative to desktop recording software that put the convenience of high-quality recording right into your pocket. Most modern smartphones come with pre-installed voice recorder apps, making it easy to start recording immediately.

Voice recorder apps are good for all sorts of things: recording meetings, lectures, interviews, personal notes, voice memos, music practice sessions, and podcast content. They're versatile tools that can handle everything from quick voice notes to professional-quality audio recordings.

• Capturing fleeting ideas
• Recording important conversations as they happen
• Collecting raw material for podcasts
• Recording scratch audio for music production

Choosing the right audio recorder app takes your sound from good to fabulous with professional-level sound quality, background noise reduction, and convenient audio file sharing options. The best recording apps offer features like multiple audio formats (MP3, WAV, M4A), adjustable bitrates, cloud storage integration, and transcription capabilities. Here are a few options worth considering:

Using built-in phone recorders effectively

Most smartphones ship with a native voice recorder that can handle everyday audio capture. On Android, the default Voice Recorder app allows for quick recordings and often includes features like noise reduction and simple editing. Apple’s Voice Memos app offers similarly streamlined functionality, along with iCloud syncing across your devices. These stock solutions are ideal for spur-of-the-moment recordings, from voice memos to interview snippets. If you have an external mic handy, many phone recorders let you connect it for higher fidelity audio. For tips on getting the most out of iPhone’s default options, check out how to use voice recording on iPhone for great podcast audio.

8 best audio recorder apps

1. Alice
2. Voice Memos
3. Easy Voice Recorder
4. Voice Recorder
5. Rev Voice Recorder
6. Smart Recorder
7. AudioShare
8. Otter

1. Alice

Best for: Journalists who want to preserve and preserve original audio recordings.

Alice's real strength lies in its built-in audio editor. If you record a long podcast and need to cut out certain parts, you can do it right in the app. The sound recorder supports high-quality audio formats and offers precise editing tools that maintain audio fidelity. This saves you time and keeps your audio quality high. Just be aware that you'll need to make in-app purchases to unlock some of these premium features. Overall, Alice is a solid choice for those looking for top-notch audio without complicated software.

Some of Alice's best features include: high-quality audio recording at adjustable bitrates, built-in audio editing tools, noise cancellation technology, transcription capabilities, and seamless cloud integration for backup and sharing.

• High-quality audio recording
• Works with many audio file formats like WAV and PCM
• Real-time audio editor lets you trim unnecessary parts of your recording
• Tools designed to prevent audio from being intercepted or manipulated

Pros of Alice:

• High-quality audio export
• Export in multiple file formats
• Can identify different speakers
• Integration with Gmail, Outlook, Google Drive, and Slack

Cons of Alice:

• Some advanced features are locked behind in-app purchases
• Only available for iOS on the Apple App Store

Pricing: Alice's pricing plans are based on how many hours of transcription you need. Plans start at $2.99 per hour when you buy 100 transcription hours.

2. Voice Memos

Best for: Quick voice notes, reminders, or capturing ideas on the go.

Voice Memos offers straightforward audio recording, making it the go-to app for quick and simple tasks on Apple devices. It's Apple's built-in voice recorder app for iPhone and iPad, so there's no need to download anything extra. The app supports decent audio quality with AAC format recordings that balance file size and sound fidelity.

It's useful for capturing spontaneous ideas, recording reminders, and making quick voice notes. Plus, the iCloud sync feature ensures you can access these audio files from any of your Apple devices.

But Voice Memos isn't designed for heavy lifting. Its audio editing options are limited, so if you're looking for detailed audio work, this isn't the tool for you. The other downside is that it's exclusive to Apple products, so Android users are out of luck (read on for more Android options). But for quick, on-the-go recording for users already invested in the Apple ecosystem, Voice Memos is a no-brainer.

Its best features include:

• Simple audio recording and playback
• Rename and categorize recordings for easy referencing
• Use your system audio or external microphone

Pros of Voice Memos:

• No extra downloads needed for Apple users
• Syncs with iCloud to save your audio recordings in the cloud
• Compatible with all Apple devices, including Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, and iPhone

Cons of Voice Memos:

• Limited audio editing features
• Exclusive to Apple devices

Pricing: Free.

3. Easy Voice Recorder

Best for: Students who need to record lectures or professionals who need to capture meeting minutes.

The Easy Voice Recorder app nails the ease-of-use factor, which makes it an ideal choice for anyone who needs to record audio on the fly without a learning curve.

However, the limited audio quality in the free version is a significant drawback, particularly for users requiring high-fidelity sound. The free version only supports basic MP3 recording at lower bitrates, while the Pro version unlocks higher quality WAV recording at 48kHz sample rate. If you can overlook this limitation and you're on the Android platform, it's a solid choice for basic recording needs.

Some of the best features on offer with this audio recorder app include: background recording capabilities that continue capturing audio even when your screen is off, customizable audio quality settings, easy sharing options to social media and cloud storage, and a simple, intuitive interface that doesn't require a learning curve.

• Easy voice recording with a widget that allows you to quickly record your screen with audio
• Support for audio recording on Bluetooth headsets
• Upload new recordings to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive

Pros of Easy Voice Recorder:

• User-friendly interface
• Bluetooth compatibility
• Free version available

Cons of Easy Voice Recorder:

• Limited audio quality in the free version
• Only available on Android devices

Pricing: Free version available. For advanced features (like uploading to Google Drive), the Easy Voice Recorder Pro plan starts at $4.99.

4. Voice Recorder

Best for: Transcribing interviews or meetings.

The Android-only Voice Recorder app stands out for its real-time transcription services, making it a go-to for interviews and meetings where text documentation is crucial. It supports multiple audio formats including MP3 and M4A, with high-quality recording at up to 320kbps. The app also offers cloud integration with Google Drive, making it easy to back up and share your recordings. While the high-quality audio and multiple format options make it versatile, the less intuitive interface may be a bit of a hurdle for first-time users.

But if you're willing to navigate through that and invest in in-app purchases for advanced features, this app serves well for both recording and transcribing needs.

Its best features include: continuous background recording capabilities, multiple audio format support (MP3, WAV, M4A), adjustable recording quality settings, real-time transcription with good accuracy, and direct cloud storage integration.

• Real-time transcription services in English
• Supports multiple audio formats like WAV and AAC
• Microphone gain calibration tool

Pros of Voice Recorder:

• High-quality audio
• Share recordings via email, SMS, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Dropbox
• No time limits on audio recording

Cons of Voice Recorder:

• Some users find the interface less intuitive
• Requires in-app purchases for advanced features
• Only available for Android devices

Pricing: Free version available. Plans that include premium features start at $4.89.

5. Rev Voice Recorder

Best for: Journalists or professionals who need quick and accurate transcribing.

Rev Voice Recorder excels in delivering high-quality audio along with the bonus of professional transcription services. It records in WAV format at 48kHz sample rate for superior audio fidelity, making it a match made in heaven for journalists and professionals who need their recordings transcribed accurately and quickly. The app also offers background recording capabilities, allowing you to capture audio even when using other apps.

With compatibility for both iPhone and Android, Rev Voice Recorder caters to a broad user base. Keep in mind that these premium features, including transcription, come at an extra cost.

Consider this audio recorder app if the following features are important to you: high-quality WAV audio recording, seamless cloud storage integration with Dropbox and Google Drive, human transcription services with 99% accuracy, background recording capabilities, and multi-platform compatibility.

• High-quality audio
• Real-time transcription that uses AI
• Ability to rename and categorize voice recordings

Pros of Rev Voice Recorder:

• Free app
• High transcription accuracy
• Available on both iPhone and Android

Cons of Rev Voice Recorder:

• Some transcription services come at an extra cost
• Rated below average for collaboration features

Pricing: Free.

6. Smart Recorder

Best for: Long recordings where you want to skip dead air.

Smart Recorder brings a unique offering to the table: the ability to skip silence in recordings. This feature is a lifesaver for long recordings like lectures or extended meetings where dead air consumes valuable time during playback. The app supports MP3 recording at various quality levels (up to 256kbps) and offers continuous background recording capabilities that can run for hours while your phone is in standby mode. The adjustable playback speed only adds to its utility.

However, the app's interface could be more user-friendly, and you'll have to make in-app purchases to unlock some additional features. But if you value content over fluff, Smart Recorder gets the job done pretty effectively.

Add this to your shortlist if you're looking for the following features: silence skip functionality, background recording that continues even when your screen is locked, adjustable audio quality settings with multiple bitrate options, automatic cloud backup to Google Drive or Dropbox, and variable playback speed controls.

• Skip silence to keep listeners engaged
• Adjustable playback speed
• Microphone gain calibration tool

Pros of Smart Recorder:

• Excellent for capturing lectures or lengthy meetings
• Doesn't drain battery life
• Adjustable sample rate

Cons of Smart Recorder:

• 2GB limit per file
• Some features locked behind in-app purchases
• Only available on the Google Play Store

Pricing: Free. In-app purchases start at $1.99.

7. AudioShare

Best for: Musicians or sound designers who need a more robust audio editing suite on their iPhone or iPad.

AudioShare is designed for people who want more than just a basic voice recorder. It's a comprehensive audio editor and sound recorder for iOS that's perfect for users who want to keep their audio files organized and easy to find. With high sample rates up to 96kHz and support for multiple audio formats like WAV, AIFF, CAF, and AAC, it's an ideal choice for musicians and sound designers. The app also offers seamless integration with cloud storage services for backup and sharing.

The app gives you advanced audio editing capabilities right on your iPhone or iPad, from normalizing audio levels to converting and zipping the audio file. However, the app is exclusive to iOS, and much like other apps, you may need to invest in in-app purchases to unlock its full potential.

Some of AudioShare's best features are: high-resolution audio recording up to 96kHz/24-bit, support for multiple professional audio formats, advanced audio editing tools, seamless integration with other audio apps, cloud storage compatibility with Dropbox and Google Drive, and a comprehensive file management system.

• Ability to record audio from your system microphone or Audiobus compatible app
• Files and folders to organize audio recordings
• Ability to store and access recordings through iTunes File Sharing

Pros of AudioShare:

• Audio editor and sound recording rolled into one
• Supports high sample rates and multiple audio formats like WAV and AAC
• Access your recordings library from other compatible apps

Cons of AudioShare:

• Exclusive to iOS
• Some features may require in-app purchases

Pricing: $4.99.

8. Otter

Best for: Recording and transcribing meetings, interviews, or lectures and people who work remotely.

Otter stands out for its multitasking capabilities, offering both voice recording and real-time transcription. It's helpful for recording and transcribing video meetings, interviews, or lectures simultaneously. The app supports high-quality audio recording in MP3 format and offers continuous background recording capabilities, allowing you to capture audio even when using other apps. It's versatile too, supporting both Android and iOS devices and offering seamless cloud storage integration.

The audio quality is top-notch, but there are some caveats. The free version comes with limitations—you're only able to record and transcribe a limited number of minutes per month. While the transcription is fast, it may not always hit the 100% accuracy mark. Still, if multitasking is what you're after, Otter delivers.

Some of Otter's best features include: real-time transcription with speaker identification, continuous background recording capabilities, cloud storage with automatic syncing, searchable audio recordings based on transcript text, collaboration tools for teams, and cross-platform compatibility.

• Voice recording and real-time transcribing
• Automatically summarizes a conversation
• Collaborative document to share recordings and transcripts with a team

Pros of Otter:

• Android and iOS functionality
• High-quality audio recording
• Otter can automatically record audio from Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom integrations

Cons of Otter:

• Free version has limitations
• Transcription might not be 100% accurate

Pricing: Free plan available. Plans that give access to advanced features start at $10 per user, per month.

4 best audio recorder apps for Android and iOS

We've gone through the best overall audio recorders. But if you're looking for an app specific for voice recording, here's a quick rundown of the best recorder apps for capturing voice on Android and iOS. Remember that most Android devices come with a pre-installed voice recorder app (often called 'Voice Recorder' or 'Sound Recorder'), while iPhones come with the Voice Memos app built-in.

4 best audio recorder apps for Android

• Voice Recorder Pro: For customization and superior audio quality, this app is a winner.
• RecForge II: Offers a robust set of features, making it ideal for professional use.
• Easy Voice Recorder: User-friendly interface makes it perfect for quick recordings.
• Smart Voice Recorder: Great for long recordings and offers the option to skip silence.

4 best audio recorder apps for iOS

• Voice Record Pro: Offers an extensive suite of editing tools and superior audio quality.
• AudioShare: Best for musicians looking for a flexible recording and storage solution.
• HT Professional Recorder: Excels in recording meetings and interviews, even in noisy environments.
• Recorder Plus: Features a simple interface but doesn't skimp on functionality.

All in all, there are a ton of options out there for just about any audio recording needs regardless of budget. When choosing the best audio recorder app for you, consider factors like supported audio formats (MP3, WAV, M4A), sample rates, background recording capabilities, cloud integration options, and transcription features. Use this guide to inform your choices and don't be afraid to try a few options.

How to record audio with Descript

Looking to capture high-quality audio without a hassle? Descript's built-in recorder offers an intuitive and streamlined way to record your microphone or computer audio seamlessly.

1. Go to the top of the editor and click the Record icon to open the Record panel.
2. Choose "Audio only" as your recording option.
3. Click on the Settings gear icon to adjust recording settings to your liking.

Once you customize your settings, hit the red "Record into script" button. Descript will capture clear and crisp audio at high sample rates, free of lags or glitches. It will also transcribe your audio in real time, laying out the text right before your eyes as you speak. This is excellent for content creators and podcasters who want to save time producing accurate transcripts. Descript supports multiple audio formats and offers seamless cloud integration for backup and sharing.

Next, turn on Studio Sound to make your voice sound like it was recorded in a professional studio. When you're done, the file saves automatically to your account.

Join the thousands of creators using Descript to produce their audio and video content. Take a free product tour today.

Audio recorder apps: Frequently asked questions

Are there free audio recorder apps?

There are free audio recording apps available for both Android and iOS. For Android, Easy Voice Recorder offers a free version with basic recording features that supports MP3 format at standard quality. Most Android phones also come with a built-in voice recorder app. The Voice Memos app provides free audio recording on iPhone with AAC format support and iCloud integration for backup.

Is there an app to secretly record conversations?

While apps do exist for discreet audio recording, secretly recording conversations without consent is illegal in many jurisdictions. Always make sure you're following local laws. Some apps offer continuous background recording that works even when your phone screen is locked. Android's Google Play and Apple's App Store offer apps like Call Recorder that can record phone calls, but use them responsibly and with proper consent.

How do I record audio on my phone?

Recording audio on your phone is straightforward. On Android, head to the app store and download your chosen voice recorder app, like Voice Recorder Pro, or check if your phone already has a built-in recorder app. For iPhone users, the Voice Memos app is pre-installed. Just open the app, tap "Start Recording," and you'll capture high-quality audio. Most apps support common formats like MP3, WAV, or M4A, with adjustable quality settings to balance file size and audio fidelity.

What is continuous background recording and why use it?

Continuous background recording is when your phone’s microphone stays active even if you move to other apps. Apps offering this feature can capture entire lectures, interviews, or meeting sessions without interruption. However, this functionality also raises privacy concerns, as it can record sensitive information if left on unintentionally. Checking app permissions and local consent laws is crucial. For more details on managing background capture, refer to best practices for remote audio recording in remote environments.

Why use external microphones on a phone recorder?

External microphones often deliver higher clarity and broader frequency response than a built-in phone mic. They reduce background noise and offer more consistent volume levels, making them ideal for professional interviews or podcasting. Many audio recorder apps automatically detect and integrate external mics, allowing you to capture higher bitrates and sample rates. Some mic recommendations outline which models connect easily via USB or Lightning cables. Using an external mic is one of the quickest ways to elevate your phone’s audio recording quality.