Guide 02 / consent and context
Record sound with respect
A public place is not an unlimited archive. Before recording, ask what the file captures, who becomes identifiable and whether the setting permits collection at all.
Start with necessity
Ask whether audio is needed. If the observation concerns direction, repetition or masking, a drawn map may preserve everything relevant. A recording becomes justified only when the sonic detail itself matters and the social context allows it. “I can” is not the same as “I should.”
Read the setting before the meter
Check signs, staff instructions, access terms and local law. Religious sites, museums, transport spaces, performances and protected areas may have specific restrictions. A quiet corner can still be private, sacred or operational. If permission is unclear, keep the recorder away and continue with written notes.
Do not hide the device to avoid a conversation. Concealment removes other people’s ability to understand the situation and can create risk for everyone involved.
Consent needs context
Explain what you will record, for how long, why you want it, where it may be stored or published and whether a person can change their mind before use. A vague nod to an unexplained microphone is not meaningful permission.
Identifiable voices change the task
A street or river atmosphere may include speech even when conversation is not your subject. Move the microphone away, shorten the take or wait for a clearer interval. If voices remain intelligible, treat the file as containing people, not just ambience.
Children require particular care and appropriate guardian involvement. Do not collect names, stories or performances from children for an informal travel project. Avoid recording distress, conflict, medical situations or security activity.
Sacred practice is not atmosphere
Prayer, recitation, calls and ceremony carry meaning beyond acoustic texture. Do not sample them casually, direct participants or request repetition. Follow the responsible institution’s rules and the wishes of the people involved. Sometimes the respectful outcome is listening without producing any artefact.
Equipment does not solve context
A smaller microphone, directional pattern or distant position may reduce obvious intrusion, but it does not remove the need for permission. Technical separation can still capture intelligible speech or a sensitive event. Make the social decision before adjusting the settings.
Keep less and label honestly
If recording is appropriate, capture the shortest useful section. Note the broad location, conditions, consent status and what the microphone position excludes. Do not title a file as the definitive sound of Cairo, Aswan, a community or a tradition. It is one partial recording from one position and interval.
Before sharing, listen again for names, conversations and sensitive context that were not obvious in the field. Delete material that exceeds the permission given. Do not upload precise locations of vulnerable wildlife, private activity or restricted sites.
Accept a clear no
Consent can be refused or withdrawn without debate. Stop recording, lower the device and delete the relevant file if that was the agreed condition. Do not pressure someone by describing the project as educational, artistic or harmless.
A respectful practice leaves people and places with control over their participation. The strongest field note may be a sentence explaining why no audio was made. That gap is evidence of judgment, not failure.