Audio evidence and EVP checklist

Audio is persuasive because voices feel personal, but it is also one of the easiest evidence types to misread. Buildings talk, people whisper, and brains search noise for meaning.

Treat every EVP-style clip as a question. The job is to preserve context and reduce contamination before anyone decides what the sound resembles.

Before recording

Say the date, time, location, room, people present, device, and known noise sources at the start of the recording.

Capture a baseline silence sample. Note traffic, wind, pipes, animals, other visitors, electrical hum, nearby music, and whether anyone is moving.

During review

Listen once without subtitles or suggestions, then mark timestamps. Avoid telling reviewers what phrase to hear before they listen.

Compare the clip with the full recording. A mysterious second is weaker if the surrounding minute contains footsteps, whispers, or equipment handling.

When sharing

Share the short clip and, where safe, the longer context. Include timestamp, device, room, who was present, and what normal causes you considered.

Do not clean the audio so aggressively that it creates artefacts. If you enhance a copy, keep and label the original.