How do I record an interview remotely using StoryCorps Connect? – StoryCorps Help

StoryCorps Connect is a first-of-its-kind platform that allows Americans to conduct and record StoryCorps interviews of loved ones remotely using video conference technology. Each interview becomes part of American history in the StoryCorps archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. It is powered by global business cloud communications provider Vonage through the Vonage Video API.

For a detailed guide to recording with Connect watch this video or read our instructions.

Please Note: After this how-to video was recorded, we've made some updates to the StoryCorps Connect platform:

You now have more options to invite your interview partner to your interview. You can learn more about the different ways you can invite someone to join a StoryCorps Connect interview here.
A countdown timer now displays how much time you have remaining in your interview. You can see what the countdown timer looks like here.

Follow the detailed instructions below when you are ready to record remotely with a partner using StoryCorps Connect:

Initiate a StoryCorps Connect interview
- To record a StoryCorps Connect interview, start by going to storycorps.org/connect.
- When you are ready to begin, select “Record Your Story Using StoryCorps Connect.”

Log in
- Log in to your StoryCorps Account or create a new account on archive.storycorps.org. Once you have logged in, you will be redirected to a new StoryCorps Connect interview.

Give permission to access your microphone and camera
- As soon as you land on the interview page, you will be prompted to give StoryCorp Connect access to your microphone and camera. You must give access in order for StoryCorps Connect to record your interview.

Invite your partner There are a number of ways to invite your partner to join your StoryCorps Connect interview:
- By sending an invite email
  - Select the “Join By StoryCorps Connect (Recommended) Tab
  - Enter your interview partner's email address next to the "Invite via Email" button
  - Press the "Invite via Email" button to email your interview partner the link to your StoryCorps Connect interview.
  - Once your interview partner clicks the link in the email, they will be prompted to log in or create an account on archive.storycorps.org to join the StoryCorps Connect interview.
  - Once your interview partner is logged in, they will be automatically redirected to the StoryCorps Connect interview page, where they also will be prompted to give access to their microphone and camera.
- By sharing the invite link
  - Select the “Join By StoryCorps Connect (Recommended) Tab
  - Click on the interview link to automatically copy it to your clipboard.
  - Open your preferred email or messaging app and send the link to your interview partner. You can send this link as an email, text, or whatever format you prefer.
  - Once your interview partner clicks the link, they will be prompted to log in or create an account on archive.storycorps.org to join the StoryCorps Connect interview.
  - Once your interview partner is logged in, they will be automatically redirected to the StoryCorps Connect interview page, where they also will be prompted to give access to their microphone and camera.
Prepare to record Once both you and your interview partner are logged in and can see* and hear each other on the StoryCorps Connect interview page, you should take a moment to make sure you are ready to record, as there is no way to pause a StoryCorps Connect interview.

- This is a great time to grab some water, review or create a question list (you can use our Great Question generator for inspiration, though we recommend doing this before your interview), and remove anything that might interrupt or distract you during your interview.
- If you and your interview partner cannot see or hear each other, please make sure you have given connect access to your microphone and camera. If you accidentally chose “no” or the pop-up did not appear, this can be done in your browser’s settings.

Start recording, and have a conversation
- When you and your interview partner are ready, “Click Start Audio Recording” to begin recording your StoryCorps Connect interview.
  - Please note: You will not be able to press the button to start recording your interview unless each participant has given connect access to both their device's microphone and camera.
- Once you start recording, you will see a little red dot and the words “Archiving On,” which indicates that your interview recording is in progress.
  - Please note: Screenshots are taken of the participants sporadically over the course of a StoryCorps Connect interview. Participant photos are considered to be an important part of the StoryCorps Archive and are included with the interview when it is published to archive.storycorps.org.

End your interview
- When you’re done, click “Stop Recording” to end the interview. You’ll still be able to see and hear your partner. This is a chance to say a final goodbye, as you won’t see and hear each other when you move on to the next step.
- Click “Save Interview to Archive” to save your interview to the online archive and move on to the next step.
Enter your interview details
- Once you have saved your interview to the archive, you will be prompted to input any names, locations, and keywords pertaining to your interview. Once you have completed all the required fields, select “Save to Archive.” Your interview will not be accessible to anyone if you do not complete this step.
You're done! Your interview should appear on your archive.storycorps.org profile in the “My Interviews and Profile” section.

Please note: Your interview will be marked as syncing until the audio has completed processing. Your interview will only appear on your profile until it finishes syncing and cannot be seen by anyone else regardless of privacy settings.

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