What is the Great Listen?
The Great Listen encourages people of all ages to create an oral history of our times by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire. This year, we invite you to join the annual Great Thanksgiving Listen — an opportunity for people to honor someone in their lives by preserving their story for future generations.
Everyone can be a part of the Great Listen!
The magic of The Great Listen is right at your fingertips
with these five simple steps.
with these five simple steps.
Fast Facts & FAQs
The Great Listen encourages people of all ages to create an oral history of our times by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire. These interviews become part of the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, creating a valuable resource for future historians.
Educators across the country often include The Great Listen in their curriculum, but anyone 13 or older can participate. Each year, thousands of individuals record StoryCorps conversations with loved ones over the holidays using our free tools: the StoryCorps App and StoryCorps Connect.
Take a moment to learn more.
Educators across the country often include The Great Listen in their curriculum, but anyone 13 or older can participate. Each year, thousands of individuals record StoryCorps conversations with loved ones over the holidays using our free tools: the StoryCorps App and StoryCorps Connect.
Take a moment to learn more.
In 2015, StoryCorps launched The Great Thanksgiving Listen, a national initiative encouraging young people — and people of all ages — to help create an oral history of our country by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire.
Since 2015, hundreds of thousands of people have participated in The Great Listen — and you can too.
Recording Tips & Troubleshooting
To participate in The Great Listen you’ll need:
• an interview partner
• time to plan your questions
• a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted
• a smartphone, computer, or tablet with a microphone, and reliable access to the internet
• an account on archive.storycorps.org
• the StoryCorps App (if you plan to record with it) from the App Store or Google Play
While some participants use external microphones, no special equipment is required to record, and most smartphones and computers will provide reliable sound quality. For class assignments, we don’t recommend students use a shared classroom device, and the StoryCorps App is not available on iPads.
• an interview partner
• time to plan your questions
• a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted
• a smartphone, computer, or tablet with a microphone, and reliable access to the internet
• an account on archive.storycorps.org
• the StoryCorps App (if you plan to record with it) from the App Store or Google Play
While some participants use external microphones, no special equipment is required to record, and most smartphones and computers will provide reliable sound quality. For class assignments, we don’t recommend students use a shared classroom device, and the StoryCorps App is not available on iPads.
Both the StoryCorps App and StoryCorps Connect are free to use. The right tool depends on your technology and whether you and your interview partner will be together in person.
The StoryCorps App. Download to your smartphone or tablet. It cannot record phone calls or long-distance conversations.
StoryCorps Connect Use for remote conversations, using video conferencing. No installation needed— works through your web browser on desktop computers or mobile devices.
To learn more, watch our brief tutorials on the StoryCorps App and StoryCorps Connect.
The StoryCorps App. Download to your smartphone or tablet. It cannot record phone calls or long-distance conversations.
StoryCorps Connect Use for remote conversations, using video conferencing. No installation needed— works through your web browser on desktop computers or mobile devices.
To learn more, watch our brief tutorials on the StoryCorps App and StoryCorps Connect.
Under StoryCorps’ terms of use, children under 13 may not participate in The Great Listen, and those under 18 need parental consent to register for an account on the StoryCorps Archive. Learn more here.
After recording with the StoryCorps App or StoryCorps Connect, you can upload your interview to our online archive. You can choose to share it publicly or keep it private. Your interview will also become part of the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Learn more about privacy options and the archive in our Help Center.
To share your interview online, publish it to the online archive and select the “public” privacy setting. You can then share it on social media, by email, or embed it on your own website. For step-by-step sharing instructions, check out this article from our Help Center.
To help others find your interview as a part of the Great Listen, use the keyword TheGreatListen.
To help others find your interview as a part of the Great Listen, use the keyword TheGreatListen.
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Stories to Inspire Your Great Listen.
