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How to record a live show with your phone
By BandManager · 1 min read ·
You do not need a professional camera to have a live teaser that convinces a venue. You need light, a stable spot and audio that does not clip.
Where to place the phone
- Fixed, on a tripod or leaning on something stable. No handheld recording.
- In landscape, at chest height or higher, with the whole band in frame.
- Some distance from the stage so the mic does not take the speakers’ full volume.
- With enough light: no stage lights pointing straight into the lens.
How to look after the audio
- If you can, use a recorder or the desk feed and sync the audio afterwards.
- If you use only the phone, move away from the speakers and lower the gain if your app allows it.
- Do a ten-second test and listen back with headphones before the show.
- Record several songs: one of them will always come out better.
Turn it into a teaser
Pick the best minute of the show: an energetic start, a recognizable chorus and a clean ending. Trim it, adjust the volume and add the band name at the start or end. That gives you the video any venue can open on their phone.
Permissions and good practice
Ask the venue for permission if you are recording from a specific spot or if recognizable audience members will appear. And if you publish other bands’ material or third-party songs, check each platform’s terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to shoot vertical or landscape?
Landscape for the press kit and venues. For socials you can crop a vertical version afterwards.
Which app should I use to record?
The phone’s own camera works, but some video apps let you control the audio level and avoid clipping.
How long should the press kit video be?
Thirty to sixty seconds. If they have to watch five minutes to decide, they will not.
Your live set, in your press kit
In BandManager you link your videos and tracks inside your band’s press kit and share it with a single link.
Keep reading
- How to make an EPK for your bandWhat to put in your band’s EPK (press kit), in which order and what to cut. With a one-screen layout, before-and-after examples and a checklist.
- How to get gigs with your bandA method to book shows without relying on luck: work out how many venues to write to, choose well, follow up and measure. With templates.
- How to promote a gigA week-by-week promotion plan for a gig: poster, socials, trackable links, local press and how to fill the room.
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