How to Record a Podcast Remotely: Best Call Recording Apps: At-a-Glance
- Remote call recorder software and apps let you run remote recordings with co-hosts or guests around the world.
- These apps can offer a wide range of flexibility, and the capability to record studio-quality audio
- A good remote call recorder alone won’t make your audio sound professional. Your equipment, mic technique, and environment are still key factors here.
- You don’t necessarily need an online call recorder to run a remote recording. There’s a DIY alternative, known as a “double-ender”.
- Read on for the full details…
- OR, TLDR, jump straight to our picks
Editor’s Note
Our ‘How to Record a Podcast Remotely’ guide was originally written in 2017. We update this post periodically to reflect changes in technology, our recommendations, and because we’re always learning new things!
Whether you host an interview show or have an online co-host, you need to know how to record a podcast remotely.
In bygone days, Skype was the go-to online call recorder. But a few dedicated online call recording apps have appeared on the scene this past couple of years, and they’ve really taken off.
The big issue with Skype was that podcasters needed their guests to log in to join in on a call. The remote recording tools we cover here take a much simpler approach – you share a link with your guest, they click it, and they join the session. No setups, logins, or installs needed.
Things like multitrack recording and local file storage with cloud backup have become popular demands amongst podcasters nowadays, too. And some of the newer online call recorders on the market are offering these features, and more.
As remote recording apps compete to become the top choice in their field, we’ll undoubtedly see more innovative features and capabilities unveiled soon.
Before we get to the roundup though, it’s important to qualify an important point.
What Remote Call Recorders CAN’T Do
The quality of any recording depends largely on equipment, environment, and mic technique.
You could use state-of-the-art call online recorder software, and it would still sound terrible if your guest were recording on a laptop mic in their bathroom.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master audio producer to get the above things right. Or, to be able to coach your guests to get optimal sound quality from them.
Check out some of the best entry-level recording kit for podcasters, our guide to mic technique, how to optimise your recording space, and our free online microphone test resource. That’ll help get you set up on that front!
Want to Record Your Podcast Remotely?
Alitu is a tool that makes or takes your recording, polishes it up, adds your music, and publishes the episode, all automatically.
Learn more about Alitu
How to Record a Podcast Remotely: What’s the Best Call Recording App?
So what are the best remote recording options for podcasting online right now? Obviously, things change fast in technology, so we’ll be updating this post whenever necessary.
A quick heads up that we use affiliate links for some of the tools mentioned here. This means we may earn a small commission if you were to buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself. Affiliates help to support all the free content we put out. On top of that, we only set up partnerships with services we’ve used and liked ourselves.
And remember, recording software is just one part of the bigger picture. To see the overall landscape, check out our main Podcast Software article for everything from recording, to editing, to scheduling, to planning.
If it’s how to record a podcast remotely you’re after right now, though, here are our picks for the best call recording apps and software options…
Record a Podcast Remotely With SquadCast
SquadCast is probably the most popular remote recorder app on the market today. Like most of the apps and software mentioned here, there’s no setup or installation needed for hosts or guests. Audio is recorded locally while uploading progressively and backups are recorded in the cloud (you can even integrate it with Dropbox). Squadcast has video recording capabilities, too!
- Mac/PC – Both (it’s a browser app)
- Cost – Tiered monthly payment. You can save on all of these tiers by paying yearly.
- $20 (5 hours of recordings a month)
- $40 (12 hours of recordings a month)
- $80 (25 hours of recordings a month)
- Files – WAV/MP3/MP4
- Guest Requirements – None
- Video – Yes, video recording is available from $40 per month
- Split-track? Yes with 1 Host & up to 3 Guests (5 guests from $40 per month)
- Transcription – No
- Editing – No
- Podcast Hosting – No
Record a Podcast Remotely With Alitu
Alitu is a podcast maker app, originally designed to do your audio cleanup automatically, add your music and edit your podcast in a really simple way. But then, it added call recording, and now it’s an all-in-one solution to record calls, edit and produce them, and publish them directly to its built-in hosting, or, your hosting provider of choice.
On the remote recording front, there are no time limits on calls made with Alitu, so you record multiple hours of audio if you need to. On top of that, the call link you send to guests never changes, which makes it easy to share if you’re using a scheduling tool. With that in mind, there’s also a ‘Lock’ feature you can activate during calls to make sure you don’t get any random cameos from previous guests!
You can access all of Alitu’s features for one flat rate, accessible in its easy-to-use intuitive interface.
- Mac/PC – Both (it’s a browser app)
- Cost – $32 per month, or get two months free with a yearly payment of $320. Your Alitu subscription gives you access to ALL of its editing, production, and publishing tools, as well as unlimited call recording.
- Files – MP3 (published directly to your hosting provider, or Alitu’s built-in hosting)
- Guest Requirements – Google Chrome
- Video – Alitu doesn’t record video, but it can create a video version of your episode, combining static image with dynamic soundwave.
- Split-track? Not yet, but it’s on the way
- Transcription – Yes
- Editing – Yes
- Podcast Hosting – Yes
Get a 7-day free trial with Alitu
Record a Podcast Remotely With Riverside.fm
Riverside.fm has an impressive range of features for podcasters. You can run a show with up to 8 people and get separate audio and video tracks for everyone involved. You can also run live streams on Twitter, Youtube, or Facebook live, as well as accept live call-ins from listeners. They also have a dedicated mobile app.
For the podcaster who’s looking to take their remote recordings to the next level as well as incorporate video and live content, it really is hard to see past them!
- Mac/PC – Both, along with a mobile app!
- Cost
- Free – Record up to 2 hours per month
- $19 Standard – Record up to 5 hours per month
- $29 Pro – Record up to 15 hours per month
- You can save up to $120 a year if you choose to sign up for an annual plan.
- Files – WAV/MP3/MP4
- Guest Requirements – Preferably using Google Chrome if on computer
- Video – Yes
- Split-track? Yes, both audio and video. 1 host and up to 7 guests.
- Transcription – Yes
- Editing – Top & tail, post-processing, and video layout tools available.
- Podcast Hosting – No
Record a Podcast Remotely With Ringr
Ringr is an app that enables you to record calls on your mobile or desktop. One of the best options out there if you want to podcast with your smartphone.
- Mac/PC – Both
- Cost – Tiered monthly payment. Save by paying yearly.
- Basic – $7.99 per month
- Premium – $18.99 per month
- Files – MP3/OGG/FLAC
- Guest Requirements – Google Chrome or Firefox
- Video – No
- Split-track? Yes. with 1 Host & up to 4 guests (Premium package).
- Transcription – No
- Editing – No
- Podcast Hosting – No
Use the coupon code podcraft when you sign up for a paid plan for 10% off monthly or 25% off annually!
Record a Podcast Remotely With Cleanfeed
Cleanfeed enables anyone to send, receive and record live audio using only a browser. It’s one of the best options out there for folks looking to record calls for free.
- Mac/PC – Both
- Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- Standard – Free
- Pro – $34 for commercial use, $22 for non-commercial use
- Files – WAV for all recording types, including multitrack.
- Guest Requirements – Google Chrome. Guests just need to click a link either sent via email, or sent directly by the studio operator.
- Video – No
- Split-track? A variety of available recording and routing options available in both the standard and Pro tiers.
- Transcription – No
- Editing – No
- Podcast Hosting – No
Record a Podcast Remotely With Iris.fm
Iris are a newer platform on the market with some great offerings for podcasters looking to record multi-channel audio and video. They’re one of the few remote recording options that don’t need you to be using Chrome as your browser, too.
- Mac/PC – Both (browser app which works on most browsers)
- Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- $9 for 2 hours of recording time
- $19 for 5 hours of recording time
- $29 for 10 hours of recording time
- Files – WAV, MP4, MP3
- Guest Requirements – None
- Video – Yes
- Split-track? Yes. You can have up to 9 people in a recording room at one time.
- Transcription – No
- Editing – No
- Podcast Hosting – No
Record a Podcast Remotely With Zoom
Zoom is the conference call app that helped the world run during the pandemic. One of Zoom’s big pluses is that almost everyone has used it before. The trade-off, however, is that the audio quality can be poor at times. There’s also a time limitation of 40mins with recordings on their free tier.
- Mac/PC – Both
- Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- Basic – Free
- Pro – $14.99 per month
- Business – $19.99 per month
- Files – M4A or MP4
- Guest Requirements – They just need to click a link and download the Zoom Launch application.
- Video – Yes
- Split-track? Yes, though it can be tricky to find the setting.
- Transcription – Yes
- Editing – No
- Podcast Hosting – No
Summary: What Online Call Recording App Should I Use for My Podcast?
Sometimes, too much choice is worse than no choice at all. If you’ve found all of this overwhelming, then let’s look at some top-level takeaways.
Going Free
If you need to go free, then it’s hard to see past Cleanfeed or Riverside.fm. You might also consider the alternative “double-ender” option discussed below.
Multi-Track Options With Video
For the top video and multi-track recording options, Riverside and SquadCast are the current big two Zoom alternatives. They both record audio and video locally and upload separate speaker files to the cloud. This allows you to manually edit and clean up each speaker and avoids any potential call connection issues.
All-In-One Package at One Flat Rate
If it’s pure simplicity and more of an “all-in-one” solution you’re after, then opt for Alitu. On top of remote recording, it’ll give you the ability to do audio cleanup, volume levelling, editing, add music, produce your final episode, and create transcriptions, all in one user-friendly interface.
Alitu also includes podcast hosting, so you don’t need to sign up for a separate account to upload and distribute your show around the web.
With Alitu, you can easily clean up, edit, and sync calls recorded with any other tool mentioned here, too!
Want to Record Your Podcast Remotely?
Alitu is a tool that makes or takes your recording, polishes it up, adds your music, and publishes the episode, all automatically.
Learn more about Alitu
An Alternative Option – “The Double Ender” for Remote Recording
Participants Record Their Own Audio
If you’d like to know how to record a podcast without extra software, then let’s have a look at the ‘double-ender’.
In this method, each guest or co-host takes responsibility for recording their own audio at the source.
That might be opening up their recording/editing software, and running that to record their voice as they talk to their fellow participants.
Or it might be using a completely separate mic and digital recorder, to eliminate the risk of loss of audio due to computer issues.
In any case, with all being well, the producer will have quality recordings of each participant on independent tracks to work with in post-production.
This is a good way to record if one (or both) of you struggle to maintain a stable internet connection.
If you’re doing this, just remember to run a backup recording on something like Zoom. That way, if someone forgets to hit record, all isn’t lost!
How to Record a Podcast Remotely: FAQ
We get a lot of questions about how to record podcasts remotely. Let’s take a look at the most common ones.
Is There a Best Microphone for Remote Interviews?
Definitely not. The standard of your average USB microphone is very good these days, so equipment is a low barrier to entry, here. Your mic technique, remote recording software, and recording environment will impact your audio quality much more than your gear.
Should I Record in a Studio?
Remote recording platforms can do a lot for you, but they can’t make your environment sound good. Fortunately, you don’t need to hire a studio to make a high-quality recording. You can turn even the worst-sounding rooms into decent podcast home studios with a bit of know-how.
Should I Brief My Guest Before Remote Conversations?
Most people these days are familiar with “getting on a call”, but that doesn’t automatically make them sound good. Work meetings on Zoom have little in common with podcast recordings.
In an ideal world, you’d create a comprehensive list of do’s, don’ts, and best practices for remote interview guests. They’d study it enthusiastically before putting into practice all of your expert advice. The outcome would be pristine audio tracks on both you and your guest’s side.
The reality is, the more info you send in advance, the less likely they are to read. If your guest is new to podcasting, just give them the bare essentials, for starters.
- Minimise the chance of being interrupted (by humans, pets, or technology)
- Record in the quietest and softest-sounding environment you can
- Stay close to your microphone throughout the conversation
Of course, you can still try to sell the benefits of making them sound their best. It could be a good option to send them our How to Be a Great Podcast Interviewee guide for a full suite of tips and techniques.
Do I Need to Pay a Fee Each Month to Record My Podcast Remotely?
Not at all, no. There are a number of free options including Cleanfeed and Zoom, or, you can run a double-ender recording. As for paid options, any service charging a monthly fee will tend to let you pay annually at a discount.
Hardware Vs Software for Remote Calls
If you prefer physical equipment to software, then there are a few great options out there for recording podcasts remotely. Check out the Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rode Rodecaster Pro II.
Other audio interface and digital recorder options are available, but those two have built-in call recorder features, so you don’t need to knock up some elaborate setup to make them work in this way.
Can I Play Music & Effects During Remote Podcasting?
The Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rode Rodecaster Pro II recorders both give you the ability to play music and sound effects during your recording, so you can run your podcast episodes “as live”. This is opposed to adding them in during the editing process.
What File Format is Best to Download My Remote Interviews?
On the audio file front, it’s ideal if you have the option to download WAV files. This is assuming you’d still like to do some editing and production afterwards. If you’ve recorded your full episode in one take and don’t need to do any work to it, then an MP3 download would be better. You can publish this directly to your podcast hosting platform of choice.
If you plan on running a video podcast or putting your podcast on YouTube, then a common format for video files is MP4.
Editing a Remote Recording With Alitu
We’ve already talked about Alitu as a podcast recording software option. You can also use Alitu to edit and produce your audio if you’re using one of the other options in this roundup, though.
Alitu is really simple to use, and will take care of the track merging, processing, editing, and publishing of your podcast, without the need for any actual production software. You can also record the solo parts of your episode in there, and it’ll auto-generate an episode transcription for you.
You can even host your podcast on Alitu, so this keeps costs down by running one single account, rather than three for recording, editing, and publishing.
Editing a Remote Recording With Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is one of the top Digital Audio Workstations out there. It has a tonne of advanced features, though these are overkill for most beginner podcasters.
In our Adobe Audition review, we run through its best tools and features which can work great with remote recordings. Recording on separate tracks can mean differences in sound from end to end. Audition has the flexibility for you to tailor each of these tracks, bringing them as close together as possible. The learning curve can be pretty steep, though.
Other Editing Options
There are loads of other good audio editing software options out there. The editing phase is often called “post-production”, and this is where you chop out mistakes, clean and level everything up, and sync them all together.
If you’d like to explore your options beyond Alitu or Audition, be sure to check out Audacity, Reaper, and Garageband.
Let Alitu Take Care of Your Podcast Editing
Alitu is a tool that takes your recording, polishes it up, adds your music, and publishes the episode, all automatically.
Learn more about Alitu
Need More Help With Your Podcast?
Finding the perfect remote call recording app for your podcast is great. But it’s still just one piece in a very large jigsaw.
There are other considerations too, like how do I actually conduct a good interview? Or how do I hone my skills as a host or presenter?
Then there’s stuff like equipment and editing. And once your podcast sounds good, you’ll want to think about promotion, audience growth, and monetisation.
Inside Podcraft Academy, you can get help with all of this and more. We have dedicated courses for each of these areas, and on top of that, run weekly live Q&A sessions too.
It’s the one-stop-shop place for launching and building a successful podcast!