DJI Neo 2 Audio: How to Embed Voice Directly Into Your Drone Footage

One of the standout features of the DJI Neo 2 is the ability to embed audio directly into your video using your smartphone and the DJI Fly app. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to set it up, the different noise reduction modes, and several ways to improve your audio quality for vlogging and content creation.

The DJI Neo 2’s audio embedding feature eliminates some of the background noise and drone hum, giving you usable audio right out of the camera. There are two different levels of noise reduction you can choose from, and I’ll explain when to use each one.

How Audio Embedding Works on the DJI Neo 2

When using your smartphone and the DJI Fly app to capture audio, the sound gets embedded right into the video recorded to the drone. The system automatically reduces background noise and drone propeller hum.

The only catch is that you need to be holding your phone since the audio is picked up from your phone’s built-in microphones. While recording, you have to keep the phone in hand, which isn’t always convenient depending on your activity. I’ll show you a few ways to work around that limitation.

This audio capture ability works in any of the intelligent flight modes. Whether you’re doing a Circle, Follow, or Dronie, the Neo 2 will pick up your voice and embed it directly into the footage.

Enabling Audio Recording in the DJI Fly App

To enable the feature, connect your Neo 2 to the DJI Fly app. You’ll see a microphone icon with a line through it, indicating audio capture is disabled. Tap that icon to turn the feature on. Once enabled, it automatically records audio into all your videos.

To adjust noise reduction settings, tap on Settings and look for the App Recording option. Here you can enable or disable the feature and choose between two modes: Natural and Pure.

Natural Mode vs. Pure Mode

Natural mode removes propeller noise and drone hum while preserving ambient background sounds. If you’re filming outdoors in nature, you’ll still hear birds chirping, water flowing, and other environmental audio. This is great for capturing the atmosphere of your location.

Pure mode eliminates all background noise and only preserves human voice. However, be careful with this setting. The audio gets heavily processed, which can cause distortion. The closer you are to the drone, the more processing is required to remove the noise, and the more distorted your voice will sound.

Most of the time, I use Natural mode. It provides a good balance between noise reduction and audio quality.

Previewing Audio on the DJI Neo 2

When you preview videos captured with embedded audio, I’ve found that sometimes the audio doesn’t play during the preview. The audio is there, but you need to download the file first to hear it. I’m not sure why this happens. Some video files play with audio during preview, and some don’t.

If you’re streaming a preview directly from the drone and don’t hear any audio, just hit the download button to transfer the file to your device. The audio should be there once downloaded.

Using an External Microphone for Better Audio

You can pair an external microphone to your smartphone to improve audio quality. More importantly, this allows you to put your phone away in a pocket or camera bag while still capturing audio.

If you’re only using your phone’s built-in microphones, you always have to hold it so it can pick up your voice. But with a paired microphone like the DJI Mic 3, DJI Mic Mini, DJI Mic 2, or even Bluetooth headsets, you can stow your phone and move freely.

You can connect wirelessly via Bluetooth or plug a receiver directly into your phone, whichever you prefer. Either method works with the Neo 2’s audio embedding feature.

Using Audio Embedding With the RCN3 Controller

When using the RCN3 controller with your smartphone mounted inside, the audio embedding feature works exactly the same way. You can still capture audio and have it embedded into your video.

Go to Settings, then Camera, and you’ll see the App Recording option just like when the Neo is connected directly to your smartphone. You can enable or disable it and choose between Natural and Pure modes.

When you tap record, a small microphone icon appears under the record button. This indicates the system is picking up audio and embedding it into your footage.

Important: This feature does not work with the RCN2, the controller with the built-in screen. You’ll need the RCN3 with a mounted smartphone for audio embedding.

Recording Separately to the DJI Mic 3

Another option is recording directly to something like the DJI Mic 3 or Mic 2, which have built-in internal recording. The advantage here is you don’t need to connect to your smartphone at all.

If you’re doing quick run-and-gun filming and want to capture audio for your videos, just press record on the microphone. You can add the audio to your footage later during editing.

To sync the audio in post, you can use visual cues like clapping your hands. Alternatively, you can still record audio to the video using the embedding feature, giving you audio cues to match up the tracks.

Recording separately to a dedicated microphone will give you the best quality audio, though it requires a few extra steps in post-production. You can also enable noise reduction on the DJI Mic 3 itself for cleaner recordings.

Audio Sample Results

I tested several configurations to compare audio quality:

Natural mode with phone microphones: You get some ambient background noise and might hear the drone slightly, but voice comes through clearly. Great for capturing the atmosphere of outdoor locations.

Pure mode: Isolates human voice and removes all drone and background noise. Voice can sound distorted, especially when close to the drone. Works well in some environments but not every situation.

DJI Mic 3 via Bluetooth: Better audio quality and you can put your phone in your pocket. Perfect for vlogging and activities where you can’t hold your phone. You still have access to Natural and Pure modes.

DJI Mic 3 with internal recording: Best quality audio overall, with optional noise reduction on the microphone itself. Requires syncing in post but delivers professional results.

Final Thoughts

The DJI Neo 2’s audio embedding feature is a great way to capture content for vlogs and social media. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and sharing adventures online, this lets you add commentary directly to your drone footage without complex post-production.

The audio quality is definitely usable straight out of the camera. If you connect an external microphone, you’ll improve quality even further while gaining the freedom to move without holding your phone.

Hopefully you found this guide helpful. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Photo/Video: Shawn from Air Photography