The Ultimate Guide to Capturing Live Events for Small Businesses

Section 1: The iPhone Setup That Gets Results

Can You Really Film a Live Event on an iPhone? Yes — Here’s How

Filming with an iPhone is a smart, cost-effective way to capture quality content—especially when you're just starting out. You don’t always need a full production team to create compelling event footage.

A few tips to get the most out of your setup:

  • Battery: Bring a portable power bank or battery grip—recording in 4K drains fast.

  • Stabilization: Use a tall, sturdy tripod that can shoot over the crowd, plus a second angle close to the panel or speaker for tighter shots. Expect foot traffic—plan around it.

  • Storage: Record in 4K and offload directly to an external drive for editing flexibility.

  • Editing: Use free tools like CapCut or iMovie—or send us the footage, and we’ll cut it into polished content.

🎤 Audio: The Most Important Element

If you take away just one thing from this guide, let it be this: good audio is more important than good video. You can salvage bad footage with photos and b-roll, but poor audio can kill your content. Sometimes, just pairing crisp audio with still images is enough to create high-quality social clips or reels.

🎧 Recording Options

  • Bluetooth LAV Mics: Small wireless mics like the DJI or RØDE Wireless GO are great for quick setups.
    Pro tip: Use these mic sleeves to make them look cleaner and reduce wardrobe rustling if the speaker already has a handheld mic.
  • Mic as Prop: Even without a PA system, place a mic on a stand in front of speakers. Let the host know to instruct speakers to use the mic anyway—it gives you better audio, and people naturally avoid it if they don't hear their voice amplified.
  • Room Audio Backup: Always set a centrally placed iPhone or recorder capturing the room. You can later run the audio through Adobe’s free AI enhancement tool for surprisingly usable quality.

🔌 If There's a PA System…

This is your best-case scenario. You can often pull clean audio directly from the sound system using:

  • External Recorder: Plug into the PA’s output (often labeled “Mix Out” or “Rec Out”). Use a device like a Zoom H5, Tascam DR-40, or anything with XLR/line-in support.
  • Audio Interface: For more control, use a USB interface connected to a laptop running recording software (GarageBand, Logic, Audacity, etc.).

🛠 Pro Tips

  • Always record backups. Mic fails happen. Room noise happens. Never trust one source.
  • Show up early. Give yourself time to run a quick test on each audio path—especially if pulling from the venue's PA.
  • Use quality cables. A $10 cable can ruin a $1,000 shoot. Invest in well-shielded, low-noise XLR cables.