What does prerecording mean?
A prerecording is a recording made before the event in which it will be presented. It is especially common in radio, television, film, and online broadcasting, where a programme or segment may be recorded, edited, and quality-checked before transmission. This arrangement allows production teams more time than they would have during a live broadcast, often enabling the correction of mistakes, the addition of effects, and more careful editing. The word can also refer to the material itself, as in a programme described as a prerecording. Its principal contrast is with a live recording or live broadcast, which is captured and transmitted as the event unfolds. The closely related adjective and verb forms are “prerecorded” and “prerecord.”
nounA recording made before the event or broadcast in which it will be used, especially for radio, television, film, or online media.
- A recording prepared before a broadcast, screening, performance, or other event at which it will be played.
"The interview was filmed as a prerecording so that it could be edited before the programme was broadcast."
"The drama used a prerecording of the concert rather than presenting the performance live."
"Viewers were told that tonight's episode was a prerecording and had been recorded several weeks earlier."
The plural is used when referring to multiple separately prepared recordings.
"The producers reviewed all the prerecordings before selecting the final programme."
A prerecording can be edited, polished, and checked before audiences ever see or hear it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prerecording come from?
The word combines the prefix “pre-,” meaning “before,” with “recording.” “Record” comes through Old French from Latin recordari, a term associated with recalling or putting into memory. The modern sense of capturing sound or images developed later, while “prerecording” arose with scheduled broadcast media and the need to distinguish material prepared in advance from material transmitted live.
Related word forms
How prerecording is actually used
The spelling is usually hyphenated as "prerecording" when it functions as a noun or adjective. In broadcast contexts, it commonly contrasts with a live performance or broadcast.
Easily confused with prerecording
A prerecording is made in advance of its presentation or release, whereas a recording may be live or made beforehand.