Digital voice recorder is a small hand-held portable device, which is used to record voice memos into the memory chip, and play memos back. It can be used to record conferences, conversations or lectures. Any standard Digital Voice Recorder can not be used to record music as their sampling rate is lower than what is normally required for good quality musical reproduction.

Digital Voice Recorders are available in various capacities depending upon the length of recording time, which depends upon the internal memory. Another factor that effects the maximum recording time is quality setting of the recording. Digital Voice Records give a superior quality setting for absolute clear recording with lower quality setting. Lower setting uses lower sampling rate, and that's why less memory. This results in leaving more space for other recordings. As a result poor quality setting will permit maximum recording hours, while good quality setting will just allow few recordable hours.

Many Digital Voice Recorder companies advertise the maximum hours a device can record. At highest quality setting, this device will show poor results. So do not go with advertisements.

Digital Voice Recorders are extremely convenient and handy. You can go with them to any lecture hall, conference hall or even to a exhibition, it will help you recording all data. The memory of Digital Voice Recorder is fixed, means memory have no moving parts. In the case of cassette recorders, you need to rewind the cassette but with Digital Voice Recorder, you are free to listen just after you had completed your recording. Here rewinding is not required in Digital Voice Recorder. Upon finishing recording, you just need to press play to listen your recorded data immediately. Search, tracking, pause, and play through any recorded files are all general features.

Files in a Digital Voice Recorder are saved with a numbering form with a date-and-time stamp. Most of Digital Voice Recorders have four to five folders where you can store your messages and memories in a recorded voice format. Digital Voice Recorder can also include important functions, which will permit you to transfer messages from one folder to another, deleting messages and splitting messages.

Some Digital Voice Recorders include USB capacity to download a voice file to the computer. Latest models include software, which can automatically convert any voice file into text. This facility is very useful for easy transcribing. Some model can use flash cards (externally) to increase internal memory. This feature is known as expandable memory.

Digital Voice Recorders are generally powered by rechargeable batteries or 1-2 AAA batteries.