User generated recordings (UGRs) are common in audio forensic examination. The prevalence of handheld private recording devices, stationary doorbell cameras, law enforcement body cameras, and other systems capable of creating UGRs at public incidents is only expected to increase with the development of new and less expensive recording technology. It is increasingly likely that an audio forensic examiner will have to deal with an ad hoc collection of unsynchronized UGRs from mobile and stationary audio recording devices. The examiner’s tasks will include proper time synchronization, deducing microphone positions, and reducing the presence of competing sound sources and noise. We propose a standard forensic methodology for handling UGRs, including best practices for assessing authenticity and timeline synchronization.
