Comparison

Lived vs StoryCorps

Two different ways to capture the stories of the people you love. One creates a cinematic video film. The other preserves audio for a national archive. Here's how they compare.

What is StoryCorps?

StoryCorps is a nonprofit organisation that records, preserves, and shares the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. Founded in 2003 by Dave Isay, StoryCorps has collected over 600,000 interviews, making it one of the largest oral history projects of its kind.

StoryCorps is best known for its recording booths — the first was installed in New York's Grand Central Terminal in 2003. They also operate a mobile recording booth that travels the country, and a free StoryCorps app that lets anyone record a conversation on their phone.

All StoryCorps recordings are audio only. Conversations are archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, creating a permanent public record. StoryCorps has also produced animated short films for PBS, bringing selected stories to a wider audience.

StoryCorps' mission is powerful and important: that every voice matters, and that listening to one another can change the world.

What is Lived?

Lived is a cinematic video interview platform for families. You sit down with someone you love, Lived guides the conversation with thoughtful questions, your phone captures the video, and we edit it into an 8-12 minute documentary film. $79, delivered a few days later.

Lived is designed to be done at home, with no special equipment and no appointments. Lived adapts to what the storyteller says, following interesting threads with follow-up questions and managing the pace like a documentary director.

The result is a privately owned, professionally edited video — not a raw recording. Lived handles the editing: removing dead space, cleaning the audio, adding captions and beautiful background music, and shaping the conversation into a film that feels like a documentary. Your film lives on a private lifetime viewing page, and you also receive a shareable highlight clip.

Learn more about how Lived works

Side-by-side comparison

	Lived	StoryCorps
What you get	Edited documentary film	Unedited audio recording
Format	Video	Audio only
Where	Your home, anywhere	Recording booth or app
Editing	Professionally edited into a film	Raw, unedited
Questions	Guided, adapts to conversation	Self-guided or facilitator-led
Price	$79	Free (app) / by appointment (booth)
Privacy	Private unless you share	Archived in Library of Congress
Output length	8-12 min film from about an hour of conversation	Full unedited recording
Best for	Families who want a polished film	Preserving stories for a public archive
Availability	Worldwide, anytime	US-focused, limited booth availability

When StoryCorps is the better choice

StoryCorps is an excellent choice if any of these apply to you:

You want to contribute to a public archive. StoryCorps recordings become part of the Library of Congress collection, preserving voices for future generations of researchers, historians, and listeners. If contributing to a shared cultural record matters to you, StoryCorps is purpose-built for that.
Budget is the main concern. The StoryCorps app is free. If you want to record a conversation and don't need video or editing, the app is a simple, no-cost option.
You want the full, unedited conversation. StoryCorps preserves everything. There's no editing, no shortening, no selection. If the complete, uncut recording is what matters most, StoryCorps gives you that.
You want the in-person booth experience. Recording in a StoryCorps booth is a meaningful ritual — stepping into a dedicated space to have a conversation that matters. If you're near a booth location and can book a time, it's a unique experience.
You value StoryCorps' mission. StoryCorps has spent over two decades demonstrating that every voice matters. Their animated shorts, podcast, and community work have brought storytelling to millions. Supporting their mission is a reason in itself.

When Lived is the better choice

Lived is the better fit if any of these resonate:

You want video, not just audio. Seeing someone's face, their expressions, the way they pause before saying something important — video captures a dimension that audio alone cannot. Lived records video and delivers a film you can watch together.
You want a finished, polished film. Lived doesn't give you a raw recording. We edit the conversation into an 8-12 minute documentary film with clean audio, captions, beautiful background music, and documentary-style pacing. Something you'd want to share with your whole family.
You want guidance during the conversation. Not everyone knows what to ask or how to keep a conversation flowing. Lived guides the conversation with thoughtful questions that adapt based on what the storyteller shares, drawing out richer stories with follow-up questions.
You want to do it at home, on your schedule. No appointments, no travel, no booths. Lived works from your living room, kitchen table, or garden. A quiet afternoon and a phone are all you need.
Privacy matters to you. Lived films are private by default. You decide who sees them. Nothing is archived publicly or shared without your permission.
You're outside the US. StoryCorps is primarily US-focused. Lived works worldwide — anywhere you have a phone and an internet connection.
You want to give it as a gift. Lived was designed as a gift. You buy a story for someone you love, sit down with them, and together you create something meaningful. The film becomes a keepsake for the whole family.

A shared belief

Both Lived and StoryCorps exist because of the same conviction: every person's story matters.

StoryCorps has championed this idea for over two decades, building a remarkable archive and bringing storytelling into the national conversation. Lived takes a different approach — private, cinematic, video-first — but the underlying belief is the same.

The best choice depends on what you want the experience to be and what you want to have when it's over. A public audio archive and a private family film serve different purposes, and both are worthwhile.

Summary: key differences

Format: Lived produces video; StoryCorps produces audio. If seeing the person matters to you, Lived is the only option that delivers a watchable film.

Editing: Lived professionally edits your conversation into a documentary film. StoryCorps preserves the raw, unedited recording. One gives you a finished product; the other gives you a complete archive.

Guided conversation: Lived provides real-time question guidance that adapts to what's being shared. StoryCorps offers question suggestions, but the conversation is self-directed or facilitator-led.

Location: Lived works from home on any device with a camera. StoryCorps booths are in specific US locations with limited availability; the app works anywhere but is audio-only.

Privacy: Lived films are private and owned by you. StoryCorps recordings are archived in the Library of Congress as part of a public collection.

Price: Lived costs $79 for a one-time guided interview and edited documentary film. The StoryCorps app is free; booth recordings are by appointment.

Everyone has a story worth telling

Give someone you love the chance to share theirs — on film.

Give the gift of a story