How to Record Piano with Separate Audio and Video (It’s Easier Than You Think)

This article is part of my guide to recording your piano at home.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting great piano recordings is trying to capture both the audio and the video with the same device.

Whether you look at a Hollywood film or a simple YouTube podcast, audio and video are almost always recorded separately—and there’s a good reason for that.

At first, this can sound complicated or even a bit technical. But in reality, it isn’t. In fact, with modern smartphones and free apps, it’s something anyone can do in just a few minutes.

You don’t need to understand anything advanced to get started—and once you’ve tried it, you’ll likely find it’s the single biggest improvement you can make to your recordings.

Even better, you may already have everything you need.

The Simple Idea

I often hear from people who are frustrated with their audio quality—even after buying a good smartphone microphone such as the MV88 or MV88+ which I’ve talked about here.

In most cases, the problem isn’t the microphone itself—it’s where it’s placed.

To get good sound, a microphone needs to be relatively close to the instrument.

You can see this clearly in other situations. For example, a drum kit in a professional recording setup will have multiple microphones—one for each drum and cymbal—because each sound needs to be captured close up.

It’s the same idea with podcasts, where each speaker has their own microphone positioned right in front of them.

The problem for us is that when we use a single device to capture both audio and video, we’re forced into a compromise. The best position for video is almost never the best position for sound.

To get a good camera angle, the device needs to be some distance away—but that means the microphone is also too far from the piano.

What we really want is simple:

👉 A camera in the best place for the picture
👉 A microphone in the best place for the sound

What You Actually Need

You might be surprised by how little you need—and if you already have a separate microphone, you may not need to buy anything at all.

First, you need something to record video. A smartphone is more than enough.

Next, you need something to record audio. This could be:

• A plug-in microphone (like the MV88/MV88+) connected to a second phone

• Or a standalone audio recorder

• Finally, you need something to combine the audio and video afterwards.

Again, your phone can do this perfectly well using free apps. You could also use a tablet or laptop if you prefer.

Add a couple of tripods—or even just stable surfaces—and you’re ready to go.

The Process

The process itself is very straightforward.

First, choose the best position for your camera.  This might be a wide shot, a view of your hands from above, or a side angle—whatever looks best to you.

Next, position your microphone or recorder.  The key difference now is that you’re free to place it wherever it captures the best sound—inside the piano, just outside it, or nearby.

Once everything is set up, simply start both recordings and play as normal.

Before you begin, there’s one very helpful tip:

👉 Give a single loud clap

This little trick makes lining them up incredibly easy as we’ll see now.

When it comes to combining everything, apps like iMovie make this very straightforward.

Import your video first, then add your audio file underneath it.

You’ll see a waveform (a wavy line) for both. At the start of each, there will be a clear spike—this is your clap.

Simply drag the audio until the two spikes line up.

That’s it.

You can then trim the start and end if needed, mute the original video audio, and export your final video.

Why This Makes Such a Big Difference

The difference this makes is immediately noticeable.

Your audio will be clearer, more detailed, and more natural. With a bit of experimentation, you can also reduce unwanted sounds such as background noise or mechanical noise from the piano.

At the same time, your video improves because you’re no longer constrained by microphone placement.  You can even experiment with multiple camera angles if you wish.

What’s striking is that all of this comes from a very simple change—placing your camera and microphone independently.

What This Unlocks

This approach also opens the door to further improvements.

You can enhance your sound using reverb or EQ, or edit out small mistakes if needed.

These might sound more technical, but they follow the same pattern—simple steps that become easy once you’ve tried them.

I’ve covered these in more detail here:
Adding Reverberation

Adding Equalisation

Editing out Mistakes

I have also created a course on how Classical Musicians can use GarageBand to great effect yet in a reassuringly simple manner.

Common Concerns

Is this difficult?
Not at all. It adds one small step before recording (placing the microphone) and one small step afterwards (lining up the audio). In practice, this takes a minute or two.

Do I need expensive equipment?
No. You can get excellent results with relatively inexpensive gear—or even with equipment you already own.

Does it take longer?
Only slightly. Most people find that once they’ve done it once, the process becomes second nature.

Give it a try

The best way to understand how simple this is is to try it yourself.

If you don’t yet have a separate microphone or recorder, that’s the first step. I’ve linked some simple options here to get you started.

Once you have your setup, spend a little time getting comfortable with it—just as you would with your phone camera.

If you’d like a more structured guide, I’ve also created a course that walks through the process step by step and shows what’s possible even with a basic setup.

Give it a try—and let me know how you get on.