How to record a podcast remotely : 10 Best Tools

With the COVID 19 situation all around the world , travelling has become very difficult. If you are a podcaster who loves to have guests on your show then really you need to know how to record a podcast with a remote guest . In this post we will see 10 best tools to record podcast remotely.

How to record a podcast remotely ? .. Following are the ways to record podcast online

1. Record podcast remotely with Skype. This is still the best way to do a podcast remotely.
2. Online remote podcast recording for MAC : ECAMM Call Recorder
3. Online podcast recording for Windows: TALK Helper Call recorder
4. Using Standalone remote Podcast Recording tools such as Zencaster , Zoom , Anchor , Ringr

We will see all these in detail.

Do you really need online remote podcast recording?

Recording in the same location will always yield the best audio quality and better interaction with guest but the technology is advanced so much today that you can put together a nice sounding podcast even if your guest is coming to your show online from anywhere in the world.

If you really want to make your show location independent and cover a wider audience by involving guests from all over the world then you need to know how to record a podcast online.

With online podcast recording you can have multiple guests from various locations recording simultaneously to produce a great interactive podcast.

Online podcast recording is a good thing to learn , invest in for any serious podcaster.

How can I remotely record a podcast for free? .. Following are the 3 ways ..

1. Skype is most preferred way for windows users
2. Zencastr also has a free version for upto 2 guests
3. Anchor is also a free platform though supported by a different business model !!

Online podcast recording: How to record a podcast remotely ?

Let’s get the most obvious one out first. The Skype.

Online remote podcast recording with Skype.

How do I record a remote podcast interview ? .. Skype is the answer !! lets see in details below.

Skype and podcasting coexist for a very long time. Though many new alternatives have arrived on the scene recently, Skype still remains the most obvious choice to record an online interview with guests anywhere in the world. It makes remote podcast recording very easy.

All you need is internet access and Skype. Skype comes with its own call recording tool which is super simple.

The audio quality is not the best as you are recording an internet phone call, but it is still better than nothing!

Pros and Cons of Skype remote podcast recording

PROS :

• The most difficult part of recording a remote podcast is you are not face to face with your guest. The conversation can be a bit awkward sometimes as you are not able to connect with your guest. Because Skype is a video call service it can help in that regards and you may be able to strike the chord with your guest as the exchange of emotions is limited but still possible.
• Skype has been a popular software and most people know hoe to use it. You will not have to spend a lot of time teaching your guest how to use it.
• This also means that your guest is less likely to face any technical challenge in getting connected and having a conversation with you. The guest will be less intimidated, and you can have a relaxed conversation.
• With so many shows getting recorded using Skype over the years, the users are well aware about this type of audio quality and where it comes from and do not consider it as a deterrent to listen to your show.

CONS:

• The audio quality is average to say the least. With the default program one person will be recorded at a lower quality than the other. You need to ensure that the person in focus gets the better-quality audio, which should be guest in most cases.

Using Skype Call Recording : Best way to record remote podcast

You can start call recording any time during a Skype call on both the desktop and mobile devices.

To start call recording on the desktop, at the bottom of the screen click the More options button, then select Start recording.To start call recording on mobile, tap the More options button and then tap Start recording.

On both desktop and mobile, a banner appears in your Skype screen letting everyone know you’ve started recording the call.

After the call, the recording is finalized and then posted to your chat where it is available for 30 days. You and everyone on the call can save the recording locally or share the recording to your contacts any time during the 30 days.

To save a call on desktop, go to your chat and click the More options button, and then select Save to Downloads to save to your downloads folder. You can also select Save as and navigate to the folder where you want it saved. The recording will be saved as an MP4 file.

On mobile, just tap and hold the recorded call in the chat. When the menu is displayed, tap Save. The recording will automatically download and save to your device’s camera roll as an MP4 file.

You will have to use a simple tool to extract the audio from this MP4 video file for your podcast.

You can read about this in greater detail on Skype official Blog. The credit for above image is from the same blog.

Best way to record remote podcast on MAC : ECAMM Call Recorder

With ECAMM Call Recorder you get high-quality, HD recordings. You can record your Skype video sessions, podcasts and interviews as you see them, or in our unique side-by-side and split-screen modes.

You can convert your calls into MP3 files for podcasting and the ECAMM’s multi-track recording feature lets you split tracks after a call.

Calls are automatically organized in Ecamm’s Movie Tools for easy export and sharing.

Cost: $39.95 (At the time of writing this post)

Online remote podcast recording for Windows: TALK Helper Call recorder

TalkHelper Call Recorder for Skype is a well-designed, reliable utility to record your Skype calls in high quality on Windows. You can record Skype video calls as well as screen shares in AVI file format. Its a very good way for recording a remote podcast.

Skype audio calls can be saved in MP3 or WAV format with stereo or mono option supported.

TalkHelper Team has been working closely with the Skype development team, they generally make sure that the Skype call recorder always works with the newest Skype for desktop and Skype for business.

Cost: $49.95 (At the time of writing this post)

There are many other tools also available, you can check the below list.

• Pamela For Skype
• MP3 Skype Recorder
• Amolto Call Recorder for Skype
• Dvdvideosoft Free Skype Video Recorder
• iFree Skype Recorder
• Evaer Skype Recorder
• Vodburner For Windows
• Callnote For Skype

Standalone Online Remote Podcast Recording tools

Let’s take a look at standalone podcast recording tools. These works independent of skype and do offer a lot of features depending on which one you choose.

Zencastr

It is one of the most popular apps for online podcast recording with following features.

• A Separate Track Per Guest: Zencastr records each voice locally
• Record in Lossless WAV 16-bit 44.1k quality
• Soundboard for Live Editing
• Built-in VoIP (Voice over IP): No need to use a third-party service like Skype or Hangouts. You can voice chat with your guests directly through Zencastr.
• Automatic Postproduction
• Cloud Integration: Your recordings can be delivered automatically to your Dropbox or Google Drive account

Cost : $20 per month , a free version is also available for Up to Two Guests and 8 Hours per Month

Ringr

In case of Ringr an email invitation needs to be sent to all participants with a link, all participants have to join the call using the link. Ringr records high quality audio locally and uploads it to cloud. It also does the sync, balancing and merging to produce one file for downloading. An email is also sent to the host with more options to download separate tracks and additional formats for editing.

Cost:

BASIC: $7.99/month or $79.99/year        

PREMIUM: $18.99/month or $189.99/year

Cleanfeed

Cleanfeed is also a popular service with following features.         

• Built in recording
• Connect to anyone: only the host needs to have the account, any number of users on Windows, Mac or even Android can connect.
• Separate track for all guests
• Lot of high-quality audio codec options.

Cost: $34 or $22 depending on what you choose, a free version is also available with certain limitations.

Zoom:

Zoom is a conferencing app where number of people can join the call and it can be recorded at a decent quality. They need to have the link to join the call. It is available on both MC and PC . Separate tracks for each guests are also available.

Cost:

Pro – $14.99 per month

Business – $19.99 per month , They also have a basic free version.

Anchor:

Anchor is a popular podcast making application. Anchor makes it easy to invite anyone to record with you – multiple people can join at a time, and they can be in any country in the world, they need to have the Anchor app installed.

Anchor is a completely free podcasting platform. It may sound impressive to provide this kind of service free but there are many limitations and you may lose the control of your show if you are not careful. Please check online reviews before subscribing. 

Cast

Cast is a great online system for making and publishing high-quality podcasts. It’s a true one-stop shop. It offers recording, editing, mixing, hosting and publishing. It’s well thought out, well designed and dead easy to use

Cost – Hobby – $10 per month / Pro – $30 per month

SquadCast

The SquadCast Platform connects podcast hosts, co-hosts, & guests to record studio quality audio from anywhere. No installs, plugins, or extensions are required. Works for MAC and PC both , you only need a chrome browser and internet access. Independent channels for guests are also possible. Audio is available in MP3 and WAV formats.

Cost: Up to 2 hours free. / $5 per Hour/ $ 20 per Month

Conclusion

If you have been using Skype, then stick to it and use one of the call recording addons for skype. It is still the most preferred and well-known service for conducting interviews.

If you have not worked with Skype before and open for standalone choices, then you should checkout the other options. Be sure to use the free trials to check the service/ features and sound quality for different services before making your choice. Zencastr and Ringr are popular and worth a try.

If you found this article useful then you can read our other articles about Podcasting basics , Podcasting Tips and Tricks here.