{"id":8172,"date":"2021-05-11T18:07:59","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T14:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=8172"},"modified":"2025-01-21T16:31:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T12:31:00","slug":"audio-conferencing-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/audio-conferencing-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix 8+ Common Audio Conferencing Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever feel like your team is not actively engaged in an audio conference? Or you\u2019ve asked participants a question only to be faced with silence for half a minute? A lack of engagement is just one of the common audio conferencing problems you\u2019re bound to face during calls with your employees, colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve previously highlighted when you\u2019d <\/b>prefer using an audio conference<\/b><\/a> over a video one. Yet, despite their widespread accessibility and apparent ease of use, there\u2019s quite a few common audio conferencing problems you could bump into.<\/b><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to fix them!<\/span><\/p>\n

Check your equipment before the start of a call to prevent misunderstandings<\/span><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t assume everything\u2019s going to work the right way because you had another meeting the previous day. Each tool has its specific settings that might impact the way audio is rendered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So test out your microphone at least 10 minutes before the start of an audio conference. This will give you enough time to troubleshoot any potential issues. You can also briefly record your speech to see if you\u2019re sitting too close or too far from the mic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your mic or speaker volume could be too low during the call. This commonly leads to misunderstandings and loads of other back-and-forths needed to clarify a topic since you couldn\u2019t properly hear a participant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevent audio conference background noises and echoes through Krisp<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your neighbor\u2019s dogs don\u2019t seem to stop barking whenever you\u2019re on a call? Got no soundproofed room to kill that echo during conferences?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Background sounds are huge distractors, <\/span>impacting our ability to concentrate<\/span><\/a> and stay engaged. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll often have conference participants straying away from a subject, fidgeting around, or thinking about what they\u2019re going to do later that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Krisp<\/span><\/a> removes all <\/span>background noises<\/span><\/a> and echoes during live audio conferences so the audio quality stays clear. This comes in handy if you want to record your audio call and share it with team members who couldn\u2019t attend or post it up on YouTube. In fact, the tool\u2019s HD voice feature makes for a final recording that mimics professional studio ones \u2014 with no post-production editing needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Krisp<\/a><\/p>\n

Extra tip:<\/b> Use a headset<\/a> and avoid using speakerphones so other participants won\u2019t have problems hearing you because of the unbearable echoes or buzzing sounds.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fix other audio quality issues on time<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re looking to impress company stakeholders or put a top-notch recording of the call out there, better recording tech will most likely fix the audio quality issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a good selection of starting equipment that won\u2019t break the bank:<\/span><\/p>\n

Blue Yeti USB Mic<\/span> – a great solution if you want to record your conferences<\/span><\/p>\n

\"audio<\/p>\n

FIFINE K669<\/span> – one of the best-rated mics under $50<\/span><\/p>\n

\"conference<\/p>\n

MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone<\/span> – if you need a smaller mic to carry around<\/span><\/p>\n

\"audio<\/p>\n

Neewer USB Microphone Kit<\/span> – complete set for multi-purpose use<\/span><\/p>\n

\"conference<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using Krisp, you won\u2019t need the most expensive mic on the market as the tool will improve and maintain the quality of your voice. To avoid distracting \u201cp\u201d and \u201cb\u201d sounds, add a pop filter screen to whatever microphone you already have. Drop an eye over our <\/span>essential audio recording guide<\/span><\/a> for more pro tips.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/b> Maintain the right distance from your mic. Sit no closer than 3 inches when in a call and try to keep the same distance throughout the entire conference, especially if you\u2019re recording.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For improved audio quality, keep your software updated. The majority of audio conferencing platforms push out regular updates that will improve the performance of a conference, some of them being focused on audio quality too. This prevents delays to the start of a meeting because a participant hadn\u2019t updated the app on their end.<\/span><\/p>\n

Truth is some conferencing tools offer better audio quality than others. So it\u2019s a good idea to test multiple options internally. Users of the most popular solution, Zoom, often notice the audio quality isn\u2019t the best in addition to regular lags.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

LoopUp, on the other hand, was built to provide high-quality remote meetings at an enterprise level. Other options<\/a> like StartMeeting, Dialpad UberConference, and Fuze offer HD audio quality by default. However, remember there\u2019s no standard for defining the quality of a conference\u2019s audio so it will still differ from one tool to another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Know when it\u2019s appropriate to mute yourself<\/span><\/h2>\n

Audio quality is another audio conferencing problem that can be improved by muting participants who are not speaking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So a must-have feature for your next audio conferencing solution is the mute button users can activate when they’re done with their speech. Staying on mute when you\u2019re not sharing your thoughts prevents unwanted buzzing and background sounds from interrupting others or entirely covering what they\u2019re saying.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a host, you\u2019ll want a tool with strong conference moderation options. These include being able to ask participants to mute themselves, blocking spammy or rude participants, or providing closed captioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regularly using Zoom? Check out our <\/span>complete guide to becoming a pro at moderating and muting Zoom calls<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Try on-hold music and other tricks to keep people engaged as they wait for the conference to start<\/span><\/h2>\n

In a non-visual setting, the casual talk you\u2019d have at the start of a meeting is harder to maintain. For an audio conference, you can keep participants on hold by finding ways of keeping them engaged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A good solution is to choose a fun jam to get them ready for the meeting. Get your team to contribute to a playlist or take inspiration from <\/span>existing Spotify playlists<\/span><\/a> for pre-meeting time. You can host your playlists anywhere (e.g. YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.) or have them play in the background before the start while everyone\u2019s still on mute. Spotify has a Group Session feature that lets you send a playlist or podcast to your team so they can listen to it at the same time. Talk about fun collaboration!<\/span><\/p>\n

You can send a poll or ask a question you\u2019ll later discuss during the conference. All this means you\u2019ve done your duty to get familiar with new participants or better know your team, their interests, and their struggles.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, pre-conference time is perfect to share the goal of a call and introduce each speaker. This is particularly helpful in the absence of video as it will help call participants meet new team members or speakers and ask the right questions later on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For small conferences, you can attribute roles to each indeed. Someone could keep track of time while another person could be responsible for making sure no one is left out of the conversation. Having small tasks throughout an audio meeting helps attendees stay focused on every single thing that\u2019s being said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ditch neverending audio calls for on-point meetings<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you want to share an update, calling a new conference isn\u2019t the best idea. You can replace status updates or simple Q&As with written conversations via email, your preferred team communication tool, or record your queries using a tool like Yac \u2014 a good idea if you promote asynchronous collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

For all other conference purposes, maintain a clear structure you won\u2019t stay away from. That\u2019s why all audio conferences need to have a moderator who can:<\/span><\/p>\n