The world isn’t nearly as vast as it once was, thanks to the internet and the software that makes recording a podcast remotely easier than ever before. It’s possible to make a podcast without ever leaving your home, let alone being in the same room as your co-hosts and potential guests.
The question is – what does it take to make that happen? If you have ever been curious about how to record a podcast remotely, this is the post for you!
From equipment to software and everything in between, we’re breaking it all down below.
Why Should You Learn How to Record a Podcast Remotely?
There are several benefits of recording podcasts remotely. From the standpoint of a podcaster, it gives you more flexibility and more options for where to record your podcast.
For your guests, it means they have more opportunities to be on your show.
Here are some more benefits of remote recording:
Freedom
You can go where you want and record when you want. In fact, with an internet connection and quality software you could record from home, in a rented podcast space, or even while traveling the globe.
Saves time
Scheduling sessions and booking studio time can be a huge pain, especially if you’re juggling other things like running your business or family.
Even if you’re recording at a friend’s house or inviting others to your space, remote recording can save the time and energy of getting in the car and driving to a destination.
Saves gas and travel expenses
The commute to a podcast recording space is not only a drain on time, it can drain your bank account.
Some people might not be able to make the trip! And, if your guests are in other states or other countries, it can be impossible to make a trip happen!
Speaking of which, recording a podcast remotely opens you up to interview possibilities with people all over the world!
No studio space needed
With the remote recording options available these days, you don’t even need a recording studio. While having a nice backdrop and quality camera can be beneficial for videos, you really just need a solid podcasting microphone and a computer to record.
Gives a you video you can repurpose
If you do decide to use the video option with recording software, you can repurpose it into video content for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media outlets. With every repurposed element, you give potential listeners more ways to find you.
What Do You Need to Record a Podcast Remotely?
Even though you can record a podcast anywhere and you don’t have to book studio time, you must have decent equipment and recording and editing software to achieve the best possible sound.
At a minimum you need:
- A high-quality podcasting microphone
- A computer and internet connect
- Scheduling software, and
- Video recording software
A high-quality podcasting microphone
What is the best podcasting microphone? This is a question podcasters have debated about for years, but the answer depends on your needs and budget.
For about $70 you can get the Samsung Q2U which is a quality starter microphone. If you have a little more room in your budget you can upgrade to the Blue Yeti for about $130, and when you’re ready for a crisp sound with less editing required you get the Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone for around $400.
Why does the microphone matter so much? Essentially, it all boils down to one thing – editing time. The higher quality microphones typically require less audio editing.
You’ll need a computer with high-speed internet to record a podcast remotely.
Computer
Pro Tip: Test your internet speed and make sure you have enough memory on your hard drive before you record!
It’s also a good idea to ask your guests and/or co-hosts what speed they have. Lag can cause distorted sound and imaging when recording.
Scheduling software
There are several options out there, but just three that have free plans available are Calendly, Doodle, and Taggg. Each of these software can sync to your Google or Microsoft Calendar to book meetings easily.
Video recording software
The top three options podcasters we’ve interacted with choose Riverside, Zoom, and Google Meet.
Riverside: This software allows you to record a podcast far more easily than other similar programs. It has some great presets for things like voice levels, high pass filters, and others that make it easy for you to start recording your podcast. And if you have a Mac or PC, this can also double as an editing tool.
While Riverside has a free plan, it’s important to note there will be watermarks on exported files, and you’ll be limited to 720p on your videos and 44.1 kHz audio quality.
Zoom: Zoom is another very popular recording software app that’s perfect for beginners because it’s very easy to
use. It’s also more affordable than other recording software options since you can record for up to 40 minutes for free with up to 100 attendees. Zoom also doesn’t watermark your videos, and you can easily edit and upload them to YouTube.
The caveat with Zoom is that the audio and video quality isn’t as high as Riverside’s plans.
Google Meet: The software doesn’t have as many preset editing options as Zoom or Riverside, but a lot of beginner podcasters choose it because of its free plan for individuals. It’s a great option for when you don’t have a lot of money to spend on software. Again though, you might need to spend additional time editing your audio if you use it for recording your episodes.
Challenges Of Recording A Podcast Remotely
Recording a podcast remotely comes with a lot of challenges that you need to overcome to maintain the quality of the podcast. Here are some challenges that you should be prepared for in advance when recording a podcast remotely:
- The first thing you need to make sure of is that you and your guests on the podcast have a strong internet connection. Once you find a spot with a strong internet connection, make sure you stay there and don’t move until you finish recording your podcast.
- Finding a room where the outside noise is very less or minimal.
- Make sure that there is no audio bleed from your side and your guest’s side. Always wear earbuds or headphones to eliminate any outside noise and record clear audio for your podcast.
- Find a better recording space to record your podcast, and if you can’t find it at home, then it would be best to find a local recording studio and rent it.
Bonus Tip: Here are some of the tools that would help you record and edit podcasts remotely using AI.
Conclusion and Next Steps
To close things out, we’ll wrap up this post with some of the best practices for how to record a podcast remotely.
- Turn off all of the notifications on your computer. This is a huge help so you don’t get interrupted or hear random noises in your recordings.
- Schedule your recording in advance so have plenty of time to reschedule if anyone backs out on recording day.
- Make sure to turn off any applications that may be running in the background, like antivirus software and others that could cause a computer reboot while recording.
- Turn off your phone to prevent feedback and sound interruptions.
- It’s also a good idea to turn off air conditioning units, and remove any background noise you possibly can.
- Finally, try to set things up in advance so you can test out equipment before it’s time to record.
Hopefully, this post inspired you to try recording a podcast remotely. With the right equipment and software, you can start interviewing guests from anywhere in the world.
FAQs
Yes, it is possible to record a podcast remotely for free because you won’t need to spend on renting a studio or spend on travel to go to some other place to record your podcast. You can do it from your home. But if you want the sound quality of your podcast to be good, then you should invest in the best quality podcast equipment.
There is plenty of remote podcast recording software that can help you record a podcast with ease, but the issue is that it can’t make your surroundings better. You will have complete control of your surroundings when you’re recording a podcast in a studio. But there are plenty of ways to improve your surroundings when you’re recording a podcast remotely.
Yes, recording a podcast with people from different locations is possible. All you will need is good podcast recording software or recording software like Zoom or Skype. You can also invest in a long-distance podcast recording software such as Ringr to get better audio quality from everyone’s side.
The best way to record a podcast remotely is to improve your surroundings. There should not be any outside noise, and you should have recording software like Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom to talk to your guests.
There is plenty of remote podcast recording software available, but I personally like Riverside, Alitu, Spreaker, Ringr, Zencastr, Audacity, Zoom, SquadCast, etc.
