How to record audio from Instagram Live

Recording audio from Instagram live

Instagram Live sessions contain valuable content that you might want to save for later use, whether for research, learning, or content creation. This guide explains various methods to record audio from Instagram Live broadcasts, along with important legal considerations and post-recording processing techniques.

Why record audio from Instagram Live?

You might need to record audio from Instagram Live for several reasons:

• Content creation: Repurpose valuable discussions for podcasts or other content

• Research: Capture insights from industry experts or competitors

• Documentation: Preserve important information shared during ephemeral broadcasts

• Learning: Save educational content to review later

• Accessibility: Create text transcripts for those who couldn't attend live

Legal and ethical considerations

Before recording any Instagram Live session, consider these important guidelines:

1. Permission: Always obtain permission from the content creator before recording their Instagram Live session

2. Copyright: Understand that most content is copyrighted, even on social media

3. Personal use: Limit recordings to personal reference unless you have explicit permission to share

4. Platform policies: Be aware that Instagram's terms of service may restrict certain recording activities

Method 1: Using screen recording with audio

Most modern smartphones have built-in screen recording capabilities that capture both video and audio:

For iPhone users:

1. Add Screen Recording to Control Center in Settings if not already present

2. Swipe down (or up, depending on your iPhone model) to access Control Center

3. Long-press the Screen Recording button

4. Enable microphone audio by tapping the microphone icon

5. Start recording before opening Instagram and joining the Live session

6. When finished, tap the red status bar and stop recording

7. The recording will be saved to your Photos app

For Android users:

1. Swipe down twice to access Quick Settings

2. Tap the Screen Recorder icon (may vary by device manufacturer)

3. Enable audio recording in the settings

4. Start recording before opening Instagram and accessing the Live

5. When finished, tap the stop button in the notification

6. The recording will be saved to your gallery

Method 2: External recording setup

For higher quality audio without notifications or other device sounds:

1. Set up two devices: one to watch the Instagram Live and another to record

2. Position the recording device's microphone near the speaker of the first device

3. Use a voice recording app on the second device to capture audio

4. For better quality, consider using a directional microphone

Method 3: Using desktop screen recording software

If you access Instagram Live on a computer:

1. Install screen recording software like OBS Studio (free and available for Mac, Windows, and Linux)

2. Configure the software to capture system audio

3. Start the recording before accessing the Instagram Live session

4. When the session ends, stop the recording and save the file

5. Use audio extraction software if you only need the audio portion

Method 4: Using Circleback for professional recording and transcription

For professionals who need high-quality recordings with searchable transcripts, Circleback offers a comprehensive solution:

1. Set up Circleback on your device before the Instagram Live session

2. Start recording when the Instagram Live begins

3. Automatic transcription creates a searchable text version of the audio

4. Review and edit the transcript as needed after the session

5. Share clips of important moments with your team using Circleback's meeting clips feature

6. Search specific moments later using Circleback's robust search functionality

7. Access recordings on mobile using Circleback's iOS or Android app

Processing your recording

After capturing audio from an Instagram Live, you might want to:

Extract audio from video recordings

If you used screen recording, you'll need to extract just the audio:

1. Use a free tool like VLC Media Player to convert video to audio

2. Import the video file and select "Convert/Save"

3. Choose an audio format like MP3 or WAV

4. Complete the conversion to get your audio file

Edit the audio

To clean up your recording:

1. Remove unnecessary parts at the beginning or end

2. Adjust volume levels for consistency

3. Reduce background noise if present

4. Split into smaller segments if needed

Create a transcript

For accessibility and searching:

1. Use transcription software to convert audio to text

2. Review and correct any errors in the transcript

3. Format the transcript for readability

4. Include timestamps for easy reference