Here are some tips for better audio quality:
- Strive for “Listenable” audio quality
- “Overwhelming” background noise is your enemy. If it's too loud where you are, MOVE.
- Mic Placement: put your mic near their mouth: under their chin or off to the side.
- Wind noise is a common problem. Use a windscreen and / or position yourself out of the wind.
- Ambient sounds are good (but not when overdone). It can give the listener a sense of being there, but don’t let it be a distraction (i.e. people nearby having a loud conversation, incessant barking dog: BAD. Gentle waves in the background or birds softly tweeting: GOOD)
- Reflective surfaces, like ceilings in a noisy, crowded room, can be bad.
- Monitor the audio through headphones if you can.
- Too quiet or too loud is not listenable.
- Post Production: Too quiet can sometimes be “repaired” in post. These cannot: overblowing or clipping. P pops or plosives.
If you can edit your audio before delivery, MOST AWESOME! Audacity is free!