What you could record
A session for every kind of story
Choose a style as a starting point. Every session is shaped around the person taking part, from life story and oral history recording to Desert Island Discs style interviews. I'm based in Northamptonshire and happy to travel anywhere.
Also available
Podcast recording
Got an idea for a show, or one already running? I can bring the same professional setup to you, record your episodes and edit them ready to publish. Message me for details.
Why it matters
Hear their voice for years to come
We keep photographs for a lifetime, but hardly anyone keeps a voice. The way someone laughs at their own joke, the pause before the best part of a story, the words only they would use.
I always wished I had recorded the conversations I had with my grandad. He had stories about his life and his wartime service in India, and told them in a way that nobody else could. Even a cheap microphone and a tape recorder would have kept his voice and his memories, but at the time it never crossed my mind. I was young, and I thought he would be around for much longer than he was. Since then, I've spoken with friends and family who feel the same, wishing they could hear a loved one's voice again, or share it with the next generation.
That's why I started Snug Sessions: to make it easy to do what I never did. No studio, no travel, no fuss. Just an unhurried few hours, in a familiar room, to ask the questions you have always meant to ask. You come away with something that will be around for generations.
At a glance
- Where
- Your home, theirs, or anywhere comfortable, across Northamptonshire and further afield
- The chat
- Usually one to three hours, with as many breaks as needed
- Me in the room
- Your choice: I can guide the conversation, or listen in on headphones from another room while I keep an ear on the sound
- Getting started
- Conversation cards emailed to you after booking
- Editing
- Professionally edited so it sounds clear, warm and natural
- You receive
- A digital audio file, with an optional transcript, photos, keepsake USB, CD or vinyl
- Ready
- Within 14 working days
- Price
- Day Package £325, travel free within 15 miles
The Independent Interviewer
Sometimes the best person to ask the questions is someone who has never heard the answers.
A second person comes along to lead the conversation. Family members often hold back the hardest and most interesting questions without realising it, out of an instinct to protect each other. An independent interviewer has no history with your loved one, so nothing is assumed and nothing is off limits. They can ask what you would never dare to, and your loved one can often answer more openly to someone with no relationship at stake.
Especially worth considering for life story and wartime or service sessions, where the most meaningful material often sits behind the questions families don't ask.
Why it helps
- Fresh ears. The familiar stories get told in full rather than skipped over.
- Room for the hard years. Freedom to ask about the difficult times as well as the happy ones.
- You get to listen. Sit back and simply enjoy the session with them.
- A calm guide. An experienced interviewer who keeps things relaxed and on track.
How it works
Simple, gentle and done at your pace
Five easy steps from a first chat to a keepsake you can play for years.
Start with a chat-
Before the day
A quick chat
A short call to talk through what to cover and who is taking part. Once you've booked, I'll email you conversation cards to get you started.
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On the day
Setting up
I set up quietly in a comfortable space of your choosing.
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On the day
The conversation
A relaxed, guided chat, with prompts and steering where needed, and as many breaks as anyone needs. I can stay in the room to guide it, or run the cables through to another room and listen on headphones from there, so the sound is still looked after while it's just you in the room.
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Afterwards
Careful editing
The recording is professionally edited so it sounds clear, warm and natural.
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Within 14 working days
Your keepsake
The finished piece is delivered to you, ready to keep, share and play for years to come.
Pricing
One clear package, no surprises
The Day Package
£325
Travel within 15 miles included
- Up to six hours of combined work: setup, recording and editing
- A short planning call before the day
- Recorded wherever you're comfortable, with professional equipment
- A professionally edited digital audio file of the finished piece
- Delivered within 14 working days
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About editing time
Professional voice editing usually takes two to four hours for every hour recorded, depending on pauses, retakes and background noise, so it is hard to predict exactly. The Day Package covers up to six hours of combined work. If more is needed, extra editing is £35 per hour and I will always tell you before going over.
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Travel
Included within 15 miles of Pitsford. Further afield, £1.20 a mile for each mile beyond the first 15, there and back. I'll confirm the cost up front.
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Gift vouchers
Give a Snug Session as a present. The person receiving it books their own date when it suits them. How vouchers work
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Extras
Add a printed transcript, photos, or a keepsake USB, CD or vinyl. Portable acoustic treatment for rooms that need it, and other extras on request, are charged separately.
Gift vouchers
Give someone a Snug Session
For a birthday, Christmas, an anniversary, Mother's or Father's Day, or just because. The person receiving it books their own date when it suits them.
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Step one
Message me
Tell me who it's for, the occasion, roughly where they live and any message you'd like on the voucher.
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Step two
Pay for the voucher
I'll send you payment details. Any travel is included in the voucher price, so they won't have anything to pay.
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Step three
Your voucher
A printed card in an envelope, posted to you or straight to them, or an emailed PDF for last minute gifts.
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Step four
They book their date
They message me with their voucher code and we arrange a day that suits them.
Gift voucher
A Snug Session for someone special
Your own message goes here.
Code
SS-0039
Valid for
12 months
- Valid for 12 months. It just needs booking within that time.
- Price protected. The voucher covers one Day Package session, even if prices go up.
- Transferable. If plans change, it can be passed on to someone else.
- Extras such as a keepsake USB, CD or vinyl are agreed with them beforehand.
- Changed your mind? Full refund within 14 days of buying.
FAQs
Things people often ask
How long does a session take?
Most conversations last somewhere between one and three hours, depending on how much you'd like to cover, with breaks whenever they are needed. Setting up and packing away takes a little time either side. The Day Package includes six hours of combined work, and if a longer session needs more editing time, I will always tell you before going over.
What if they are nervous?
That is completely normal, and most people forget about the recording within ten minutes. I keep things gentle and conversational, there are no wrong answers, and anything they would rather not keep can be taken out in the edit. If it would help them feel more comfortable, I can listen in on headphones from a different room, keeping an ear on the sound while it's just you and them.
Where do you record?
Wherever the person being recorded feels most comfortable. That could be your home or theirs, a care home, or another quiet space such as a friend's house or a village hall. I cover Northamptonshire and further afield, including Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough, Corby, Daventry, Towcester, Rushden and Brackley. A comfortable living room is usually perfect. If the room is echoey, portable acoustic treatment is available as an optional extra.
Can several people join in?
Yes. Couples, siblings and whole family roundtables all work well. Let me know who is taking part when we have our planning call so I can set up for everyone.
What do I receive?
A professionally edited digital audio file of the finished conversation, ready to keep, share and play for years to come. You can also add a printed transcript, photos, or a keepsake USB, CD or vinyl.
How long does editing take?
Editing usually takes two to four hours for every hour recorded. You will normally receive the finished piece within 14 working days of the session. If the edit needs more than the time included, it is £35 per hour and I always check with you first.
Can I give it as a gift?
Absolutely. Gift vouchers are available, and the person receiving it books their own date. Popular for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and Mother's and Father's Day.
About
Hello, I'm Adam
I'm an audio engineer and editor based in Northamptonshire. I've worked in studio and theatre sound, and still do, and I spend much of my time making voices sound clear, warm and true to life. Snug Sessions brings that care to wherever people feel most at home.
I keep it simple. I bring good equipment, set up quietly, and help the conversation flow. Then I edit it properly, so what you get back sounds just like them on a good day.
Enquire
Let's have a chat
Tell me a little about who you would like to record and I'll get back to you, usually within a couple of days. No pressure and no obligation.
- 07442 124171
- Based in
- Northamptonshire, and happy to travel further afield
- Price
- Day Package £325
- Travel
- Free within 15 miles