Great sound can be captured over the internet.
Everyone has heard of Zoom.us, but the audio quality is sub-par and not suitable for a podcast episode.
In this video I share my Top 4 recommendations for recording podcast conversations over the internet.
My Top 4 recommendations for recording audio for podcasts over the internet:
1. Riverside.fm
- Very clean sound
- Records locally
- Easy-to-use interface
- Up to 8 people on a call
- Separate tracks per guest
- Records video
- Livestream option
- Only works on Chrome
- No mobile app/support
- No free plan
Riverside.fm is the new kid on the block. I'm hearing lots of great things about Riverside.fm.
2. Squadcast.fm
- Very clean sound
- Records locally
- Avoids “drift” issues
- Up to 4 people on a call
- Separate tracks per guest
- Cloud backup
- Records video too
- Interface is a little complicated
- If one person drops off the call, the recording stops
- No free plan
- Limited use on mobile
The files clients send me that were recorded with SquadCast.fm are fantastic!
3. CleanFeed.net
- Very clean sound
- Easy-to-use interface
- Unlimited guests on a call
- Separate tracks per guest
- Free
- No video option
I have only been a guest when using CleanFeed. The experience was great – and the audio quality is MUCH better than Skype and Zoom.
4. Zencastr.com
- Very clean sound
- Easy-to-use interface
- Unlimited guests on a call
- Separate tracks per guest
- Option to record video too
- Cloud backup
- Free plan
- Occasional “drift” issues
- No mobile app/support
- Only works in Chrome, Brave, and Edge browsers
Of the four I am recommending, this is the service that has been around the longest.
But wait, there's one more…
Bonus: Double-ender recording
The absolute best audio quality can only be captured locally.
What that means is the audio is recorded in the same room as the microphone. No internet is involved.
The way to accomplish a “double-ender” is for each person involved to begin recording themselves on their own computer/device.
You still need to connect with your guests over the phone or VOIP service (like the ones mentioned above), but those services can be used to record a backup.
Tip: Have everyone start recording, then count down from 3-to-1. End with a CLAP so it will be easier to line up all the recordings for post-production.
Pros and cons of recording Double-enders:
- BEST sound quality possible
- No compression or internet glitches
- You can record video locally too without any concern about audio glitches in your final product
- It's absolutely FREE!
- If one person fails to record or their computer crashes, there is no recovering.
- Someone is going to have to collect all the recordings and sync them together for editing
Explaining a double-ender to a novice can be difficult. However, it gets much easier once they have done it a couple times.
There are many other services like OBS and Skype that record podcast interviews over the internet, but these are my top recommendations.
I hope it helps!