How to Prepare Source Files Before Any Editing Begins

Start with what you are actually allowed to use

Before a single file is opened in an editor, confirm that every recording in the folder is authorised for this project. That means the speaker knows the audio will be edited and published, and that you hold a note of that agreement somewhere you can find it later. It sounds like paperwork, but it protects the whole job. I have seen a finished explainer held up for a week because one interview clip had no clear permission attached to it.

Write the permission down next to the file, not in your memory. A short text file in the project folder is enough: who spoke, when it was recorded, who agreed to its use, and whether any part is off limits. If a recording is unclear on any of these points, set it aside and ask. Removing a doubtful clip early costs minutes. Removing it after the mix is balanced and the picture is locked costs far more.

• Keep a written note of who agreed to each recording being used
• Set aside any clip whose permission is unclear
• Store the note in the same folder as the audio

Check each file before you trust it

Play every recording from start to finish with decent headphones, even if it feels slow. You are listening for problems that editing cannot always repair: clipping on loud words, a mains hum that runs throughout, a phone buzz in the middle of a key sentence, or a take that stops short. Note each issue with its position in the file so you are not hunting for it later.

Then look at the technical details. Check the sample rate and bit depth of each file, because mixing recordings from different sources at different settings can cause quiet surprises further down the line. Confirm the file actually opens, has the length you expect and is not silently truncated. A corrupted file found now can be re-sent. Found at delivery, it becomes an awkward conversation with a producer who thought everything had arrived safely.

• Listen to every file in full before editing anything
• Record problems with a position in the file
• Compare sample rates and bit depth across all recordings

Label files so they explain themselves

A good file name tells you what is inside without opening it. I use the project name, the speaker, the segment and a take number, separated by underscores, so that a folder sorts into a sensible order on its own. Names such as final_new_v2 or recording 7 mean nothing to someone coming back to the job after a fortnight, and that someone is often you.

Be consistent from the first file. Decide on the pattern, write it at the top of your notes and follow it even when you are in a hurry. If a colleague or a client needs to find the second take of the closing line, they should be able to do it by reading the folder alone. Consistent labelling also makes it far easier to describe a revision precisely later.

• Use project, speaker, segment and take number in each name
• Avoid vague words such as final or new
• Write the naming pattern at the top of your notes

Match recordings to the approved script

The approved script is your reference for everything that follows, so confirm it is the version the producer signed off. Check the date or version marker, and ask directly if two copies are circulating. Editing a perfect performance of the wrong wording is a surprisingly common way to lose an afternoon.

Next, read the script while listening to the recordings and mark where each take sits. Number the lines or paragraphs in the script, then note beside each number which file and which take covers it. Where a line was read several times, mark your preferred take and say why: cleaner delivery, better pace, fewer mouth noises. This map turns the editing session from a search into an assembly job, and it gives you something concrete to show if the producer asks why a particular take was chosen.

• Confirm the script version is the signed-off one
• Number script lines and note which file covers each
• Mark a preferred take with a short reason

Build a folder structure you can hand to someone else

Organise the project so a stranger could pick it up. A simple layout works well: one folder for untouched originals, one for working copies, one for exports and one for notes and the script. Never edit the originals. Copy them first, and keep the untouched set exactly as it arrived, so that you can always return to the starting point if a decision needs reversing.

Add a short readme file listing what is where, the naming pattern, the sample rate you are working at and any known issues from your listening pass. It takes ten minutes to write and saves far longer when the job is reopened for a revision. If you are following this as a learner, treat the readme as part of the work rather than an extra, because tidy preparation is what makes the later modules feel manageable.

• Separate originals, working copies, exports and notes
• Never edit the original recordings
• Add a short readme describing the layout

A short routine for the first hour of every job

Put the steps in a fixed order and you will rarely miss one. Confirm permission, copy the originals to safety, listen through every file, record the issues, apply the naming pattern, then map takes to the approved script. Only when that list is complete should an editing window open. It feels slow at first, particularly when a deadline is close, but the routine stops small oversights from growing into large ones.

Over a few projects the routine becomes quick and almost automatic. You will notice that editing itself goes faster, because the decisions were made in advance and written down. Questions from producers get short, confident answers, and revisions stay within what was agreed. The first hour spent preparing is rarely wasted, and it is the habit I would most want any new editor to build early.