Recording interviews under the GDPR, without the guesswork

Who is responsible for what

In most interview recordings you, the host, are the controller: you decide why and how the interview is recorded and what happens to it. A tool provider that only stores the file on your instruction is a processor. That split matters, because it decides who writes the consent notice and who answers a deletion request.

• You (the host) usually decide the purpose, the retention period and who can access the recording.
• A tool provider that stores files on your behalf usually acts as a processor.
• If you use several tools, each one you send personal data to needs a clear role.
• Airtape records locally on each participant's device and stores the files on EU servers on your instruction; it does not resell or analyse your recordings.

Local recording as data minimisation

Data minimisation means collecting no more than you need. Recording locally on each participant's device is a practical form of it: the audio is captured on the machine it comes from, as its own track, instead of being streamed through a third party to be re-encoded.

• Each speaker is recorded as a separate local track at 48 kHz / 24-bit.
• A weak connection affects the live call, not the quality of the local file.
• Fewer intermediaries touch the raw audio between capture and storage.
• Separate tracks make later deletion or redaction easier than a single mix.

Hosting in the EU

Where a recording is stored decides which legal regime is easy to satisfy. Airtape stores recordings on servers in the European Union and is operated from Germany, so transfers to third countries are not part of the default path.

• Recordings are stored on EU servers.
• The service is operated by Montazeri Ventures GmbH in Leimen, Germany.
• There is no third-party tracking on the pages.
• Airtape deliberately ships no AI features, so recordings are not fed into model training.

Retention and deletion

The GDPR asks you not to keep personal data longer than necessary. For interviews, that means deciding a retention period up front and being able to delete on request. Free Airtape recordings are kept for a defined, limited window; paid plans keep them as long as you need.

• Decide a retention period before the interview, and write it into the consent notice.
• Make sure you can delete a recording when a guest withdraws consent, unless a legal duty says otherwise.
• Keep a short note of when and why you deleted a file.
• Do not keep a personal-data recording in a place you cannot reach quickly.

Legal basis and consent

Consent is one legal basis, not the only one. Some interviews rest on consent, others on a contract, a legal obligation or legitimate interest. The point of the recording notice is to be honest about what happens, whichever basis applies.

• Tell participants before recording starts that the session is recorded.
• Use a written consent line where the interview touches personal data — there is a free template on this site.
• Name the purpose, the storage location and the retention period.
• Offer a simple way to withdraw consent and explain the consequence.

A short compliance checklist

1. Decide the purpose and the retention period before the interview.
2. Send or read a recording notice, and keep proof of consent.
3. Record locally, per participant, to keep the data footprint small.
4. Store the files in the EU and limit who can access them.
5. Delete on request and note the deletion.
6. Check whether your context needs a legal basis beyond consent.

Frequently asked questions