Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Recorded Audio Alibi

 Recorded Audio Alibi
type
FeatureClass
 Recorded Audio Alibi
label
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi
page
RecordedAudioAlibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi
comment
Sometimes a character will need to sneak out without letting anyone else know that they have gone. One way of convincing others that they are still where they are supposed to be is to leave behind an audio recording of them doing something (talking, snoring, playing a musical instrument, etc.) so it sounds like they are still there.
This tends to only work if no one bothers to check on them visually, although clever characters can sometimes work around this. Other issues can arise if the recording goes on far longer than the activity logically should, thereby raising suspicions, or if they are gone so long that the recording runs out.
More comedic works may apply The Tape Knew You Would Say That.
Subtrope of Fake Alibi. Overlaps with Fooled by the Sound when it successfully deceives someone. Compare Camera Spoofing and Sleeping Dummy.
As a trope frequently used in Mystery Fiction, examples will be unspoiled. You have been warned.
 Recorded Audio Alibi
fetched
2024-03-13T11:16:36Z
 Recorded Audio Alibi
parsed
2024-03-13T11:16:36Z
 Recorded Audio Alibi
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_148f217e
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_148f217e
comment
Nancy Drew: In the "The Final Scene", Nancy realizes Joseph is the culprit when she stumbles upon a recording of the sound check he supposedly did when Maya was kidnapped.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_148f217e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_148f217e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Nancy Drew (Video Game)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_148f217e
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1b7f57d
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1b7f57d
comment
Good Luck Charlie: "Baby's First Vacation" sees Teddy fake being sick so that she doesn't have to go on vacation with her family and can instead throw a party. To sell the illusion she claims to have set up a webcam so her mother can check in, then films a video with Ivy to make it look like she's sick. However, as the video is only fifteen minutes long Amy begins to get suspicious after prolonged watching prolonged.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1b7f57d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1b7f57d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Good Luck Charlie
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1b7f57d
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1f1beedc
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1f1beedc
comment
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has a variation. After killing Ackroyd Dr Sheppard jury-rigs a Dictaphone to an alarm clock to loudly play Ackroyd's voice later to make it seem like Ackroyd is still alive. He then uses a Phoney Call to get summoned to the scene, "discover" the body, and walk out with the Dictaphone in his doctor's bag.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1f1beedc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1f1beedc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_1f1beedc
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2a8943c0
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2a8943c0
comment
Miraculous Ladybug: Adrien Agreste sometimes plays recordings of classical piano music to make it seem like he's practicing the piano, thus allowing him to sneak out as Chat Noir.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2a8943c0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2a8943c0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Miraculous Ladybug
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2a8943c0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2b82b95f
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2b82b95f
comment
iCarly: In "iLook Alike, Carly and her friends want to watch an MMA match, but Spencer refuses to let them go. They decide to use their look-alikes that they met earlier in the episode and come up with a recording of 20 different responses they could use. Unfortunately, when Spencer comes up to talk to them, they fumble the responses and he catches on as soon as he sees their faces.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2b82b95f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2b82b95f
featureConfidence
1.0
 iCarly
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2b82b95f
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2c1809f5
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2c1809f5
comment
Totally Spies!: A variation is used by Tim Scam to sell his ruse that Jerry had retired in "The New Jerry", each time they tried to call him they received a short video of Jerry playing golf, claiming he couldn't help them as he was retired and then hanging up. Which this initially fools them, after watching several times the girls realise the video is exactly the same each time and thus it's fake.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2c1809f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2c1809f5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Totally Spies!
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_2c1809f5
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_3ccfa555
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_3ccfa555
comment
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations: Luke Atmey uses a captured surveillance photo of himself as Mask☆DeMasque stealing the Kurain Sacred Urn to establish an alibi for the murder of Kane Bullard. It turns out that the photo was actually taken days in advance and the time stamp was manipulated by Atmey, who was responsible for setting up the security measures at the museum.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_3ccfa555
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_3ccfa555
featureConfidence
1.0
 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (Visual Novel)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_3ccfa555
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4522bcaf
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4522bcaf
comment
Poker Face: In the episode "The Stall", Taffy and Mandy's plan to stage George's suicide involves Taffy pre-recording a long-winded diatribe about hot links, which buys him enough time to do the deed.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4522bcaf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4522bcaf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Poker Face
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4522bcaf
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4f1f3628
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4f1f3628
comment
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Parodied. Following being grounded by their mother in "Doin' Time in Suite 2330" Zack and Cody sneak out through the vents, leaving behind taped recording of them playing "Go Fish" on loop to convince her their still in their room. Said taped recording is only a few seconds long and thus amounts to same sentences being repeated over and over again for hours. Despite this, it completely fools their mother.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4f1f3628
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4f1f3628
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_4f1f3628
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_5320ab5e
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_5320ab5e
comment
Columbo: In the episode "Double Exposure" subliminal advertising expert Dr. Keppel hosts a screening where he shows a film to the businessmen who commissioned it. Since they may wish to revise the script later the film has no audio and is instead narrated live by Dr Keppel. At least, it seems like he's narrating it, but midway through he switches to a tape he made ahead of time so he can sneak off without anyone noticing.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_5320ab5e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_5320ab5e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Columbo
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_5320ab5e
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_6893ed4f
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_6893ed4f
comment
In The Ladykillers (1955), the gang pretend to be a group of musicians, and play music on a gramophone to allay the suspicions of their landlady.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_6893ed4f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_6893ed4f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Ladykillers (1955)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_6893ed4f
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_701bf5d6
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_701bf5d6
comment
In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, He uses an audio recording of him peeping on his uncle in the shower along with a blow-up novelty doll to trick hotel staff into thinking that his father is in the hotel room with him when he's actually there by himself. He also repeats the same trick from the first movie with another mobster movie in order to cover his escape from hotel staff.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_701bf5d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_701bf5d6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_701bf5d6
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8c05f749
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8c05f749
comment
Death in Paradise: In the two-part "Music to My Ears"/"Fake or Fortune", the Victim of the Week is a concert pianist who would sneak out of his house without anyone knowing by going into his music room to practice, putting one of his CDs on repeat, and then sneaking out the back.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8c05f749
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8c05f749
featureConfidence
1.0
 Death in Paradise
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8c05f749
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8d81f086
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8d81f086
comment
Monk: In "Mr. Monk and the TV Star", actor Brad Terry uses an old recording of his ex-wife screaming in a horror movie she had appeared in to make it seem like he was being interviewed by paparazzi at the exact moment she was being attacked.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8d81f086
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8d81f086
featureConfidence
1.0
 Monk
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_8d81f086
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9284ad43
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9284ad43
comment
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies: Professor Means is supposed to hold a public speech, but needs to step out for crimes. So he plays a recorded speech. It's caught because he mentions a statue that's been changed without his knowledge, and Athena notices that the fake death threat had white noise on it that was the same length of the speech.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9284ad43
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9284ad43
featureConfidence
1.0
 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies (Visual Novel)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9284ad43
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_92ef018a
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_92ef018a
comment
In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ferris rigs up a recording of himself snoring as part of his elaborate Sleeping Dummy, with the recording triggered if anyone opens the bedroom door to look in. He also sets up a prerecorded message to trigger when the doorbell is rung to trick outsiders into thinking he's sick in bed. Rooney catches on that Bueller isn't home the second time he rings the doorbell.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_92ef018a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_92ef018a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ferris Bueller's Day Off
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_92ef018a
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9a67b688
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9a67b688
comment
Case Closed: One perp-of-the-week used this to build her murderer alibi... which Kogoro actually manages to suss out on his own, because he used the same trick to cover up his bar crawls from his wife.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9a67b688
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9a67b688
featureConfidence
1.0
 Case Closed (Manga)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9a67b688
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9f78fda3
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9f78fda3
comment
In one episode of Murder, She Wrote, the murder is hatched by two rival doctors who hate the victim even more than each other. They use a tape-recorder to stage a blazing row in a closed office while one of them slips out to do the deed. Jessica demonstrates the scheme by walking up behind a group of hospital staff who think they're listening to her arguing with the police detective in the same office.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9f78fda3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9f78fda3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Murder, She Wrote
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_9f78fda3
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a04b0ca3
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a04b0ca3
comment
In the Tintin adventure The Castafiore Emerald, Tintin, scouting the countryside one day in search of the lost emerald, spots Wagner, Castafiore's pianist, heading into town by bicycle. However, the scales he practices endlessly for Castafiore are still emanating from Marlinspike Hall, which becomes less mysterious to Tintin when he and Snowy discover a ladder hidden underneath the window of the piano room and a running tape recorder on top of the piano. When Wagner returns, he is surprised to find Tintin having climbed into the piano room before him, and then surprised again by Castafiore, who opens the unlocked door and scolds him about practicing his scales. Tintin tells her that he's still playing them as the scales continue to issue from the tape recorder, and Castafiore fails her spot check and leaves satisfied with what she can hear.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a04b0ca3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a04b0ca3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Tintin (Franchise)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a04b0ca3
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a183d57f
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a183d57f
comment
Futurama: In "T: The Terrestial", Bender accidentally leaves Fry behind on Omnicron Persei 8. Feeling guilty for his actions, Bender uses an audio recording of Fry and some creative use of the fast-forward and rewind button on an answering machine to deceive the others into thinking he's still on Earth. It actually manages to trick everyone, with Fry even managing to become Employee of the Month.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a183d57f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a183d57f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Futurama
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a183d57f
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a8561ee9
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a8561ee9
comment
Young Dracula: Van Helsing does it in "Halloscream"; going into the bathroom and leaving behind a tape of himself whistling to convince Jono that he is still in there while he stages a Bathroom Break-Out.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a8561ee9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a8561ee9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Young Dracula
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_a8561ee9
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_aba1c7a5
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_aba1c7a5
comment
In The Case of the Bloody Iris, Professor Isaacs uses a tape recording of him playing the violin to make it appear he is still in his apartment when he is actually out committing the murders.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_aba1c7a5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_aba1c7a5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Case of the Bloody Iris
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_aba1c7a5
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b88460c9
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b88460c9
comment
Whodunnit? (UK): A variant is used in "The Q43 Experiment". The murderer kills the Victim of the Week while he is recording his lab notes on a tape recorder: ensuring that the murder is Caught on Tape. The killer—who is confined to a wheelchair—plays a recording of high-heeled shoes walking away, giving the impression that the killer is able-bodied and female. They slip up, however, and there are more footsteps than it would take to reach the door.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b88460c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b88460c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whodunnit? (UK)
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b88460c9
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b8d2ac56
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b8d2ac56
comment
In Live and Let Die, The Big Bad Dr. Kananga enters the San Monique consulate in New York and starts dictating a long-winded speech. A short way in, he switches on a tape recorder that continues the speech from where he left off. He and his entourage change into street clothes and exit through a Secret Passage, while the agents monitoring his office continue to listen to the speech; unaware that he has left.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b8d2ac56
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b8d2ac56
featureConfidence
1.0
 Live and Let Die
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_b8d2ac56
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_c43df4d8
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_c43df4d8
comment
Doctor Who: Forms part of Bennet's illusion in "The Rescue". Pretending to be unable to walk, he spends most of his time "resting" in his chambers. When he sneaks out to don his Koquillion disguise, he leaves behind a taped recording of his voice rigged to tell anyone who tries to enter to "go away."
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_c43df4d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_c43df4d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doctor Who
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_c43df4d8
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_d945b3e7
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_d945b3e7
comment
Only Murders in the Building: In Season 1, on the night of Tim Kono's murder, Jan's signature instrument (her bassoon) is heard playing across the courtyard of the Arconia, as she does with Charles later. She establishes that she practices nightly. But, on the night of Tim's murder, it was a recording to cover up the fact she killed him.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_d945b3e7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_d945b3e7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Only Murders in the Building
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_d945b3e7
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_da861da1
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_da861da1
comment
Veronica Mars: Mercer lies to Veronica and tells her that he couldn't be the Hearst College rapist because he runs a radio show that goes out at the same time, which clashes with several of the rapes. When Veronica hears Mercer's show skipping, she realizes that he lied to her about her show being live and it's actually pre-recorded - and then he's immediately revealed to be one Hearst College rapist.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_da861da1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_da861da1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Veronica Mars
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_da861da1
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_ddf46a82
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_ddf46a82
comment
Home Alone:
In Home Alone, Kevin uses the audio from a mobster movie to trick a pizza boy into leaving the pizza at the door.
In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, He uses an audio recording of him peeping on his uncle in the shower along with a blow-up novelty doll to trick hotel staff into thinking that his father is in the hotel room with him when he's actually there by himself. He also repeats the same trick from the first movie with another mobster movie in order to cover his escape from hotel staff.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_ddf46a82
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_ddf46a82
featureConfidence
1.0
 Home Alone
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_ddf46a82
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_e098e5ef
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_e098e5ef
comment
In Home Alone, Kevin uses the audio from a mobster movie to trick a pizza boy into leaving the pizza at the door.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_e098e5ef
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_e098e5ef
featureConfidence
1.0
 Home Alone
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_e098e5ef
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_eef69f10
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_eef69f10
comment
Sherlock Holmes: "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" contains what is probably the Ur-Example and Trope Maker. Holmes offers the villainous Count Negretto Sylvius and his helper, boxer Sam Merton, freedom if they give up the eponymous jewel, or jail if not. He invites them to discuss the deal while he plays violin in the next room. When the Count decides to double-cross Holmes and takes the stone from his secret pocket to show Sam in window light, the detective springs from the chair in place of his replica and grabs the £100K jewel. His bedroom has a gramophone and secret passage to behind the curtain.
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_eef69f10
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_eef69f10
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sherlock Holmes
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_eef69f10
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_fa00b130
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_fa00b130
comment
Used for a brief gag in Spongebob Squarepants episode "Pressure", where Spongebob readies a record-player in the second Sandy takes her eyes off him to give himself a head-start in their impromptu race ("I'm already halfway there... Halfway there... Halfway there...!")
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_fa00b130
featureApplicability
1.0
 Recorded Audio Alibi / int_fa00b130
featureConfidence
1.0
 SpongeBob SquarePants
hasFeature
Recorded Audio Alibi / int_fa00b130

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Recorded Audio Alibi
processingCategory2
Infauxmation Desk
 Recorded Audio Alibi
processingCategory2
Insecurity System
 Recorded Audio Alibi
processingCategory2
Mystery Tropes
 A View to a Kill / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Ferris Bueller's Day Off / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Home Alone / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Live and Let Die / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 The Case of the Bloody Iris / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 The Ladykillers (1955) / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Case Closed (Manga) / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Death in Paradise / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Good Luck Charlie / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Only Murders in the Building / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Poker Face / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Veronica Mars / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Whodunnit? (UK) / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Nancy Drew (Video Game) / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (Visual Novel) / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi
 Totally Spies! / int_f3a56ba4
type
Recorded Audio Alibi