Remote podcast recording. The setup we ask every guest for.
For remote podcast recording that edits well, record every person on their own track, on their own device, with headphones on. Riverside does this by default, and Zoom can save a separate audio file per person if you switch it on. The rest is the checklist below, which we send every guest before they join.
Why one track per person matters
When every voice is on its own track, the editor can lower one person's level, remove a cough or cut someone talking over the other, without touching the rest. On one mixed track, every fix hits everybody.
Riverside records locally by default: each person is recorded on their own device, and the files upload to the cloud while you talk. That is why a bad connection doesn't ruin the recording. Two things to know: the recordings take space on each person's drive, and you should wait until the upload has finished before anyone closes the session.
The checklist we send every guest
- Headphones on. Wired earbuds are fine. Without them, the other person's voice comes back through your microphone.
- Laptop on power, and a cable to the router if you can. Close other apps and turn off notifications.
- A small room with soft things in it, like curtains or a sofa. A big empty room echoes.
- Light in front of you, not behind you. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
- Camera at eye level. Put the laptop on a few books.
- Stay in the session after we stop, until the upload is done.
If you record in Zoom or a studio
In Zoom, switch on “Record a separate audio file for each participant” before the call. It is in the Recording settings, for local and for cloud recordings. From a studio, ask for each microphone as its own file, plus the video.
We take a link from Riverside, Zoom, Google Drive, Dropbox or an unlisted YouTube video. From Riverside, share the recording link and we download the high-quality tracks ourselves, without a Riverside account.
What happens after you press stop
Within 72 hours you get the edited episode from Cutter, 6 vertical and 2 horizontal clips, a media kit for your guest and the pages for your site, checked by a producer and ready for one approval. Starting a show from scratch? Start a podcast covers the setup, and our YouTube podcast guide covers what to publish. Or send us your next recording and we produce it for free.