Glossary
What is call recording?
Definition
Call recording is the practice of capturing and storing audio of a phone conversation for later playback or analysis. Businesses record calls for quality assurance, training, dispute resolution, and compliance. Because recording involves capturing people's voices, it is governed by consent laws that vary by jurisdiction.
01How call recording works
The phone system or a connected service captures the audio of a call and saves it as a file, often tagged with details like the phone number, time, and agent. Recordings can be stored for a set retention period and retrieved through an admin interface. Modern systems may pair recordings with transcripts generated by speech-to-text for easier search and review.
02Common uses
Recorded calls are used to monitor and coach agents, verify what was said in a dispute, and document verbal agreements. They also feed analytics that surface trends, keywords, and customer sentiment across many calls. In regulated industries, recording can be a compliance requirement.
03Consent and legal considerations
Laws differ on whether one party or all parties must consent to recording, so businesses commonly announce that a call "may be recorded" to obtain consent. Requirements also cover how long recordings can be kept and how they must be secured, especially when they contain personal or payment data. Organizations should follow the rules of every jurisdiction their callers are in.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need consent to record a call?
It depends on the jurisdiction—some require only one party's consent while others require all parties—so many businesses announce that calls may be recorded to be safe.
Why do businesses record calls?
Common reasons include quality assurance, agent training, resolving disputes, meeting compliance requirements, and feeding call analytics.
See also
Related terms
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