Recording audio snippets
Voice memos are powerful for capturing melodies and ideas when inspiration strikes.
How to record
In Clavet:
- Open your song
- Click "Record" button (microphone icon)
- Grant microphone permission if prompted
- Click record, speak or sing
- Click stop when done
- Recording saves automatically
From your phone:
- Record audio on your phone
- Upload file to Clavet
- Supports common formats (MP3, M4A, WAV)
- File attaches to song
Best practices:
- Record clearly but don't worry about perfect quality
- Include context: "This is the chorus melody"
- Record ideas immediately, don't wait
- Short snippets work better than long rambles
Privacy
All voice recordings are private. Clavet processes audio locally when possible, and recordings are never shared externally.
Transcription to text
Clavet's AI automatically transcribes your voice memos, making them searchable and usable.
Automatic transcription
How it works:
- AI processes audio after recording
- Transcribes speech and singing
- Creates text version of lyrics
- Usually completes in seconds
Transcription quality:
- High accuracy for clear speech
- Handles singing reasonably well
- May need editing for mumbled or fast speech
- Background noise handled automatically
Editing transcriptions
Review transcriptions:
- Check accuracy after processing
- Edit any mistakes
- Add punctuation and formatting
- Refine to match your intent
Common edits:
- Fix misheard words
- Add line breaks for phrasing
- Correct capitalisation
- Add punctuation
When transcription struggles:
- Very fast speech
- Heavy accents (though improving)
- Background music or noise
- Mumbled or quiet speech
Speak Clearly
For best transcription, speak clearly and at moderate pace. Include pauses where you want line breaks.
Attaching recordings to sections
Link voice memos to specific song sections for better organisation.
Attaching to sections
Method 1: Record in section
- Open the section you're working on
- Click record button in that section
- Recording attaches automatically
- Transcription appears in section
Method 2: Attach existing recording
- Record voice memo (or upload file)
- Drag to section, or
- Use "Attach to Section" menu
- Select target section
Benefits:
- Keep melodies with lyrics
- Reference recordings while writing
- Organise ideas by section
- Easy to find later
Multiple recordings per section
Why multiple:
- Different melody ideas for same lyrics
- Alternative phrasings
- Reference recordings
- Evolution of ideas
Managing multiple:
- Each recording has timestamp
- Play individually
- Compare versions
- Delete ones you don't need
Managing recordings
As your song catalog grows, managing recordings becomes important.
Recording library
View all recordings:
- See all voice memos in song
- Filter by section
- Search by transcription text
- Sort by date or relevance
Recording details:
- Date and time recorded
- Duration
- Section attached to
- Transcription preview
Organising recordings
Naming recordings:
- Give descriptive names
- "Chorus melody v1"
- "Bridge idea - faster"
- Makes finding easier
Tagging:
- Tag by type: "melody", "lyric idea", "reference"
- Tag by status: "keep", "maybe", "delete"
- Tag by mood or energy
- Filter by tags
Deleting recordings:
- Remove recordings you don't need
- Frees up storage
- Keeps workspace clean
- Can't undo deletion (be careful)
Don't Delete Too Quickly
Sometimes old recordings become useful later. Archive instead of deleting unless you're certain.
Quality tips for better transcription
Better recordings lead to better transcriptions.
Recording environment
Quiet space:
- Record in quiet room when possible
- Minimise background noise
- Close windows, turn off fans
- Better audio = better transcription
Microphone quality:
- Built-in phone mic usually fine
- External mic improves quality
- USB mic for computer recording
- Don't need studio quality
Distance:
- 6-12 inches from microphone
- Not too close (distortion)
- Not too far (quiet, unclear)
- Consistent distance helps
Speaking clearly
Pace:
- Moderate pace, not too fast
- Natural rhythm
- Pause between phrases
- Matches how you'll sing it
Clarity:
- Enunciate clearly
- Don't mumble
- Speak at normal volume
- Project but don't shout
For singing:
- Sing clearly
- AI handles singing reasonably well
- May transcribe phonetically
- Edit transcription to match lyrics
Workflow integration
Voice memos fit into your overall songwriting workflow.
Capture phase
When inspiration strikes:
- Record immediately
- Don't wait for perfect conditions
- Capture the moment
- Refine later
Multiple ideas:
- Record several takes
- Try different phrasings
- Experiment with melodies
- Compare later
Development phase
Using transcriptions:
- Copy transcribed lyrics to sections
- Modify to fit song structure
- Combine multiple recordings
- Build songs from voice memos
Reference recordings:
- Play recordings while writing
- Match lyrics to melodies
- Refine based on audio
- Keep original feel
Refinement phase
Re-recording:
- Record refined versions
- Compare to originals
- See how song evolved
- Keep best versions
Final polish:
- Use best recordings as reference
- Export for band members
- Include in song export
- Archive for future reference
Getting started checklist
- [ ] Record your first voice memo in Clavet
- [ ] Check automatic transcription
- [ ] Edit transcription for accuracy
- [ ] Attach recording to a song section
- [ ] Record multiple takes of same idea
- [ ] Upload audio file from phone
- [ ] Organise recordings with names/tags
- [ ] Search recordings by transcription
- [ ] Practice recording in quiet space
- [ ] Integrate voice memos into workflow
Voice recording in Clavet makes it easy to capture ideas anywhere, anytime. The automatic transcription turns audio into searchable text, and attaching recordings to sections keeps everything organised. With practice, voice memos become an essential part of your songwriting process.