Export Voice Diary Audio While Keeping Its Recording Date
To export a voice diary without losing track of when it was recorded, copy the recorder’s original files to a clearly named computer folder, preserve their filenames and formats, and record the date separately when it is known. Keep four dates distinct: the recording date (and, separately, the date of an event being described), any date embedded in the audio file, the computer file’s creation or modification time, and the date you exported it. They describe different things; a computer timestamp alone does not establish when the recorder captured the sound.
Before copying, check the recorder’s clock
If the diary is still on the recorder, first check its displayed date and time. On the Sony ICD-PX370, Sony instructs users to set the clock before recording; it also says the date/time screen can reappear after batteries are removed or replaced, and that the displayed prior time may need correcting. This illustrates why device-clock accuracy matters, but the procedure and reset behavior vary by model. Check the exact model’s guide and correct its clock for future recordings; changing it now cannot prove or repair the capture time of older files. ([Sony ICD-PX370: Setting the clock](https://helpguide.sony.net/icd/p37/v1/en/contents/TP0001155434.html))
Copy the original file and leave it intact
Connect the recorder as its manual specifies, then copy the recording file or its containing folder to a computer folder. Sony’s ICD-PX370 transfer instructions describe copying files or folders from the recorder’s storage to a local disk, then disconnecting the device. Use the corresponding steps for your own model; some recorders expose internal storage or a memory card differently. ([Sony ICD-PX370: Copying files to a computer](https://helpguide.sony.net/icd/p37/v1/en/contents/TP0001272016.html))
Name the destination folder for retrieval, for example `Voice diary/2026/2026-09-29 – morning walk`, but put a date in the name only when you have a reason to trust it. Preserve the recorder’s original filename in the copied file. If the event date is uncertain, use a neutral label such as `date-unknown` or a known date range rather than guessing. A small text or spreadsheet log can hold the original filename, event date as known, source of that date, and export date.
Keep four kinds of date separate
**Recording date** is when the audio was captured. If it describes an earlier event, record that event’s date separately. A reliable contemporaneous diary note or a correctly set recorder clock may support it. **Embedded metadata** is information stored inside a file, if that format and recorder put it there. Its presence and meaning depend on the device and file type; don’t assume an audio file contains a trustworthy capture timestamp. **Filesystem creation and modification times** belong to the computer’s file record. For Windows, Microsoft documents that filesystems record these times when files are created or written, and that filesystem behavior and time handling differ. A creation time on your computer may therefore describe when that copy was created; a modified time concerns file writing. Neither proves the original recording date. ([Microsoft: File Times](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/file-times)) **Export time** is when you transferred the recording. Write it in your log, ideally with the time zone if the time matters. Don’t substitute it for the event date.
If a date lacks a known time zone, retain that uncertainty. Record “local time, zone unknown” or just the date when that is all you can support. Don’t convert an ambiguous clock reading into a precise UTC timestamp. Keep the original recorder and computer timestamps available as observed; add a separate explanatory note if the recorder clock was known to be wrong.
Preserve a master and make listening copies separately
Treat the copied recorder file as your master: don’t edit it or convert it in place. NARA’s audio guidance recommends organizing digital files, tagging or embedding metadata, using structured directories, and naming directories with dates and events to aid later identification. ([NARA: Ensuring Digital Files Will Be Usable in the Future](https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/audio-future-usability.html))
If a file is inconvenient to play, make a separate listening copy using software that supports the source format. Label it as a derivative, note the conversion date and format, and keep it alongside or linked to the master—for example an original `REC_0042.mp3` and a separately labeled listening copy. Check which metadata your conversion software retains; the preservation copy lets you return to the recorder’s exported file. Test playback on the copy and retain both files.
Check the result before clearing the recorder
Open several copied files, including the oldest or most important entries, and confirm they play. Compare filenames and file counts with the recorder’s folder, and check that the log identifies originals and any derivatives. Keep a second backup in a separate location; NARA recommends multiple copies on different media and regular refreshes. A few successful playback checks do not prove that every file transferred intact. Keep the recorder’s originals until you have checked the complete transfer and an independent backup to the level you need; copying does not require erasing the recorder. ([NARA: Ensuring Digital Files Will Be Usable in the Future](https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/audio-future-usability.html))