how to improve the quality of your video calls (2/3)

• Eliminate the background noise: One aspect of working from home is that many of us are starting to notice how noisy our homes can actually be. When it comes to video calling, here’s an important insight to know: People might tolerate bad-quality video, but they won’t listen to crappy audio. Firstly, make sure you’re sitting in a quiet room in your home. If you have people around, let them know that you have an important call. Next, always use headphones, otherwise, the other people in the call might hear an echo of their voices while talking if the computer speakers are on.

Using earbuds (those of Apple or other reliable companies) or Bluetooth headphones is not a bad idea, however, if you want the best audio quality, it’s best to invest in a reliable USB microphone. Alternatively, you can also use a lavalier microphone pinned to your lapel. Before you get on the call, make sure you select your chosen microphone in the audio settings of the program or app, otherwise, the computer will connect either to the lower quality in-built microphone or the webcam one by default. Make sure your microphone is at the right distance (neither too close nor too far) and that you don’t touch or fiddle with it while the call is on. 

While getting a high-quality microphone and creating a noise-free environment might solve a lot of your problems, your equipment might still pick up unwanted sounds. However, there are a few steps you can take to minimize background noise and static. One option is to go into your desktop or laptop computer and manually adjust the microphone settings. Unless you’re an audio expert and have the required skills to regulate the background noise on your microphone, a better way is to use a reliable software application like Krisp for noise cancellation. I think this is the easiest option to get rid of unwanted sounds where you’re at home or on the go.

Krisp seamlessly integrates with most of the communication and recording apps on Windows and Mac devices. It essentially creates a virtual microphone in the system and uses the power of AI to recognize and remove unwanted sounds from your calls. In other words, it adds a protective layer that filters all noises, providing clean and crisp audio on your device. 

Krisp works with all microphones and headphones, and it’s super simple to install and work with. If you want a studio-like quality on your calls no matter where you are without endlessly adjusting the audio settings on your computer, I highly recommend Krisp.