Video recording with music on Xiaomi Redmi 8: Guide to tune the sound

Video content creation on a mobile device has gone from being a rare entertainment to a daily necessity for millions of users. Xiaomi Redmi 8 smartphones, despite their budget segment, are equipped with fully functional cameras capable of capturing important moments of life with decent quality. However, the standard approach to video recording often limits creativity, especially when it comes to working with a sound series. Many owners face a situation when it is necessary to capture a performance, dance or just a party atmosphere, where background music plays a key role, but the standard camera writes only a quiet sound from the microphone, interrupting the melody of the wind or conversation.

The solution to this problem lies not so much in the hardware limitations of the device, but in the right choice of software and understanding how the Android system manages audio streams. MIUI built-in tools offer basic functions, but professional results often require access to third-party tools or hidden settings. It is important to understand the difference between recording ambient sound through a microphone and direct recording of system audio played by a player. Direct recording of system sound on Android is possible only through special APIs or third-party applications with access rights, since the standard camera by default blocks internal audio stream to avoid echoing.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to create video content with high-quality music on your Redmi 8. We will look at the capabilities of the standard Camera application, the nuances of the voice recorder in the background, and turn to proven third-party solutions that allow you to bypass software limitations. You will learn how to configure microphone settings to avoid wheezing, and which file formats are better to choose for later editing.

Limitations and capabilities of the standard MIUI camera

Before we get to the tricky methods, we need to objectively evaluate the capabilities of the regular Camera app, which is preinstalled on every Xiaomi Redmi 8. By default, the MIUI algorithms are set to prioritize voice recording, automatically suppressing background noise and music to make the speech on the video legible. This creates a situation where, with loud music on the frame, only a quiet, distorted hum will sound on the final video, and the melody itself will almost disappear. The standard application does not have a built-in “mixing” function that would allow you to add tracks from the library right at the time of shooting.

However, there are certain settings that can improve the situation when using only regular tools, primarily for choosing a video mode. Switching to video mode and manually adjusting audio settings (if such an option is available in your firmware version) can give a minimal increase in quality, and you should also pay attention to the “Short Video” or “Clips” mode, where basic filters are sometimes available and the ability to overlay music after the fact, although this is no longer a live recording.

For those who prefer not to install extra apps, there is a workaround associated with the physical location of the sound source. If you are filming a concert or event, try to be closer to the speakers, but not directly in front of them, to avoid overloading the microphone with bass. The audio codecs used by the system are better at handling a clean signal, so minimizing extraneous noise around is your first priority.

It's important to note that some MIUI shell updates may have different camera functionality. If you don't find certain settings, it doesn't mean your device is malfunctioning. The manufacturer often changes the interface and available features depending on the regional version of the firmware. So if standard methods don't work, the next logical step is to use more specialized tools, which will be discussed later.

Use of a voice recorder in the background

One of the most effective and underrated ways to record video with high-quality sound on the Xiaomi Redmi 8 is to use the Dictophone app in parallel with the camera. The essence of the method is that the recorder captures audio from the device's microphone while the camera is engaged in the video sequence. When synchronized correctly, this allows you to get a separate high-quality audio file that then easily connects to the video during editing, but there is a caveat: some versions of Android allow the recorder to work in the background without interrupting the camera.

To implement this method, you need to run the Dictophone app (usually located in the Tools folder). Before you start recording, go to the voice recorder settings and select the maximum recording quality, such as HD or 320 kbit / s, if such options are available. Then start recording the sound and, without stopping the recorder, fold it and open the Camera app. Start shooting the video. After the process, you will have two files: a video without good sound and a separate audio file with clean sound.

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For accurate synchronization of sound and video, clap your hands right in front of the camera at the beginning of the recording. The sharp jump in the sound wave on the tape track and the visual moment of the cotton will help to perfectly combine the files in the editor.

However, consider the limitations of the hardware of the Redmi 8. The smartphone processor may not be able to handle the simultaneous processing of high-definition video stream and high-quality audio recording, which will lead to a freeze or stop one of the processes. In this case, try to reduce the video recording resolution to 720p to unload the system. Also make sure that the recorder has permission to work in the background, otherwise the MIUI system can “kill” the recording process after a few minutes to save battery power.

This is ideal for recording lectures, interviews or talks where the purity of the voice is important, not the background music from the speakers. If your goal is to record music that is played on the phone itself, this method is not suitable, since the recorder will record only what the microphone hears, not the internal signal.

Third-party applications for video recording with sound

When built-in features are not enough, third-party developers come to the rescue, who have created powerful video tools. Apps like Open Camera, Footej Camera 2 or Camera FV-5 provide access to hidden microphone settings and allow more flexible management of audio streams. Open Camera, being a completely free and open app, is a favorite among Android users. It allows you to choose the source of sound: a microphone, an external microphone (via USB-OTG), or, in some cases, an internal audio stream.

To install a third-party camera on Xiaomi Redmi 8 you will need to download APK-file from a trusted source or find the app in the Google Play Store. Once installed, be sure to provide all the permissions requested, especially access to the microphone and storage. In Open Camera, go to Video settings and find Audio source. Experiment with options like Defult, Microphone, Camcorder. Choosing the right source can dramatically change the way a microphone records music.

Another advantage of third-party apps is the ability to manually adjust microphone levels (amplify) in a standard camera, these settings are often hidden or automated, which leads to distortions when loud sounds. Using the Camera FV-5, you can visually track sound levels in real time and adjust them to prevent the appearance of "clipping" (when the sound becomes hoarse due to overload).

Also worth mentioning are the screen recorder apps like XRecorder or AZ Screen Recorder. While they are designed to record what's happening on the screen, many of them have a feature to record from the front or main camera in "Picture-in-Picture" mode or just as an overlay. In the settings of such programs, there is often an option to "Record internal sound" (Internal Audio), which allows you to capture music playing in any other application (for example, in Spotify or Yandex.Music), and save it along with the video stream. This is the ideal way to capture the reaction to a track or make video without losing quality of the background.

Customization of the microphone and elimination of noise

The quality of the final video is 50% audio-dependent, and the Xiaomi Redmi 8 is no exception. It uses one primary microphone at the bottom and an additional noise-cancelling microphone at the top. Understanding their work helps avoid typical errors. When shooting videos, try not to palm the bottom of the smartphone, as this is guaranteed to lead to a deaf, illegible sound. Also avoid touching the area around the microphones with your fingers.

To improve the quality of recording in windy weather or in noisy places, you can use homemade windscreens. A regular foam piece or a special case with protruding sidebars can significantly reduce the amount of low-frequency noise that “clogs” music. Software noise cancellation in MIUI sometimes works too aggressively, cutting out not only the wind noise, but also the bass of the music track. In such cases, it is better to turn off any “improvers” of sound in the camera settings, if they are available.

If you plan to shoot music videos often, consider buying an external microphone.The Redmi 8 features a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a huge plus in the era of its disappearance. BY-M1), You can pin it closer to the sound source or on your clothes, and you can get a studio quality record. USB-junction will require an adapter OTG, which is also supported by the device.

Editing and adding music after filming

Often the best way to get the perfect music video is to separate the filming and overlaying. Take a video sequence with your attention to the composition and light, and add the music in the post-processing phase. There are many powerful video editors on Android, such as CapCut, InShot or KineMaster. These applications allow you to import a video file and add an audio track from your phone library to the frame accuracy.

Using editors has the undeniable advantage of adjusting the volume of the original sound and the added music separately, such as making the background music quieter to make speech, or completely drowning out the wind noise, leaving only a clean track. The synchronization algorithms in modern editors work automatically, suggesting that the video be adjusted to the rhythm of the music, which is especially important for creating dynamic videos for TikTok or Instagram Reels.

When exporting finished video, pay attention to the audio bitrate. The optimal value for social networks is 128 kbit / s or 192 kbit / s in AAC format. Higher values will only increase the file size without a noticeable improvement in quality on mobile speakers. Also remember to check the final file on different devices to make sure that the music sounds as you intended.

⚠️ WARNING: When using free versions of video editors, make sure they don’t add watermarks to your video, or find a way to remove them, as this may violate the rules of some social platforms and spoil the viewing experience.

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