The Ultimate Guide For Recording Your Podcast Remotely
With the COVID-19 outbreak and global social distancing becoming the new normal, many podcasters have been forced to restructure the way they record and deliver content. The idea of remote interviewing is hardly a foreign concept, with many successful podcasts being built entirely on the foundation of remote recording.
But suppose you’re used to face-to face interviews or have recently set up a podcast. These may be daunting times and you’ll likely have a few questions about how to record a remote guest. If this sounds like you, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we tackle everything from setting up a space in your home to remote video recording.
✴ The Essentials for Remote Recording
Before you take the plunge and begin remote recording, make sure you have the basics covered. Sound quality, for example, is probably one of the most important aspects of podcasting. No matter how interesting your content is, not many people will sit through a bad recording and they may never come back for seconds. The following essentials will help you develop high-quality content for your audience.
✴ The Ideal Home Recording Space
First things first, there’s no need to get carried away with professional soundproofing, especially if your budget doesn’t immediately allow for this. To start, a small, quiet space with minimal disturbances will get the job done.
By implementing some of the helpful tips below, you’ll be able to keep your audio clean in order to achieve the best remote recording.
Try to use a carpeted room where possible. Carpet absorbs sound and dampens harsh reflections. If you have tiled floor, simply add some rugs
Soften the walls in your room to allow for better sound absorption. You can make this as inexpensive or professional as you like. Some budget friendly options include blankets and curtains. You could even put those empty egg cartons to good use to enhance sound quality
Avoid rooms that are street facing
If you are fortunate enough to have a walk-in closet, you may have a winner. Closets are perfect as the surrounding clothes protect your audio from outside noises
It goes without saying that you’ll need to shut down or remove noisy items such as fans and TVs. If you have children, try to make sure they are occupied. You don’t want any surprise speakers stumbling into your recording.
It may take some trial and error, but you’ll learn as you go along. Try making short recordings as you add or take away elements to your room. By taking this approach, you’ll be sure to soon find that coveted sweet spot.
✴ The Value of a Good Microphone
You could be running your audio through the best recording software on the planet, but without a good microphone, you'll struggle to salvage anything worth putting out to your listeners. In the world of podcasting, an internal laptop mic won't get the job done to a high standard.
There is an abundance of easy to use and affordable USB microphones. But while these USB mics will do the job for new-starters and low-cost operations, they will never match the crisp recording capacity of XLR microphones. XLRs are built for the studio environment and bring a seamless, professional sound to even the cheapest podcast set-up.
Taking it a step further, investing in a directional mic could also be worthwhile. These are designed to capture sound from a specific area and in so doing, minimize background noise.
✴ Microphone Accessories
So now you’ve got the right mic. But there are still a few extra tools that can make your life easier. Microphone accessories, for one, offer the unique benefit of maximizing the quality of your production.
Below are a few accessories to consider for your home studio space:
Pop Filters/Shields – Whether you're using a foam filter, metal screen, or elasticated fabric, the humble pop filter is a staple of studio recording. Simply put, it eliminates the ‘popping’ sounds produced by the impact of air on the microphone, particularly with ‘P’ and ‘B’ sounds. Your audience will appreciate it.
Portable Vocal Booths – When recording in a more intimate space, it might be wise to invest in a portable vocal booth (PVB). Designed to stop sound escaping past the mic, PVBs prevent the harsh reflection of audio from surrounding surfaces.
Desktop Mic Stands – This one is in the name. No one wants to hold their mic in just the right position for the entirety of their recording. There will be way more important things to worry about on the day. The role of a mic stand is a basic, yet fundamental aspect of recording a podcast.
Top Quality Mic Cables – It’s not advisable to place all your faith in a budget cable to record your audio. Not only will your sound quality reduce dramatically, but there's also a chance that the cable could short-out mid-recording. The best solution for podcasters is to have a collection of reliable, top-quality mic cables on hand to record your audio.
✴ Finding the Right Headphones
Both you and your guest need to wear headphones to prevent feedback ruining your audio. However, the need for quality microphones outweighs the standard of your headphones. A simple pair of earbuds or basic headphones will suffice until you can set aside the budget for a more expensive, dedicated set.
The better your headphones, the more control you have over your sound. Not only do they allow you to hear ambient background noise, but they also let you listen to yourself in the context of your recording, so you can make better audio adjustments.
✴ Finding the Right Guest
Finding engaging interview guests is an art-form that can be challenging for podcasters. Your production value and questioning prowess won’t mean a thing without an engaging interviewee and you’ll soon struggle to get the most out of your conversation. Several websites facilitate communication between podcasters and their ideal guests.
The most popular of these sites is MatchMaker.fm, which allows you to find an expert speaker from thousands of unique profiles. By cataloging professionals in everything from education to sports marketing, platforms such as Match Maker simplify the search process for great podcast guests who can record remotely.
✴ Recording Audio and AV
Now that we’ve covered the basics, the next thing to consider is how to record a guest remotely. For optimal sound, just recording the audio will be best. However, if you wish to publish your podcast on MP4 (video) oriented websites, go ahead and record the video as well.
✴ Recording Podcast Audio
Cleanfeed
Cleanfeed is a free Google Chrome browser extension that allows podcasters to record premium audio from multiple guests. All you need to do is create an account and you can immediately start sending call invites to your guests. The guest will receive an email with a link to join the recording and you’re all set to go!
Although Cleanfeed has various subscriptions, there’s no need to upgrade right away. The free version is sufficient for most intermediate podcasters and most importantly, offers the same crisp remote audio recording as other subscription types.
Bear in mind that the application only works with Google Chrome, so don’t forget to give your guests a heads up when you invite them to interview.
Double-Ender Recording
Producing double-ender audio can be a painstaking task but is highly rewarding. You would conduct your remote interview as normal with the caveat that you and your guest will need to record your audio separately on each end. This can be recorded to your computer, or a portable recorder, for example. Once complete, the guest can send their audio to you, to thereafter be combined into one cohesive episode.
By recording each section locally, you can bolster the quality of your remotely recorded audio. This more direct recording method removes unwanted audio compression, while also removing the threat of connection errors.
To employ a double-ender recording, you will need to use more comprehensive recording software. Audacity, Garageband, and Adobe Auditions all feature the tools you need to successfully produce a double-ender.
✴ Recording Audiovisual Podcasts
Riverside.fm
Riverside.fm is a new face on the audiovisual remote recording market. Unlike Cleanfeed and other audio recording systems, Riverside.fm is unique in that it allows you to capture both audio and video for multiple guests.
One highlight of their remote recording services is the ability to live-stream your episodes directly to YouTube. This means you can widen the reach of your podcast by appealing to the vast user base that YouTube has to offer.
It's important to note that Riverside.fm is a paid service, costing between $29 - $39 per month (depending on the subscription package you choose). However, they do offer a free trial for new users to ‘test-drive’ before coming to a final decision.
Squadcast
Squadcast is one of the newest web-based platforms and has received high praise since first being introduced. Why? Well, Squadcast is one of the only platforms that records both high-quality audio and video – an excellent option for those who prefer to see their guests and co-hosts while recording. Squadcast will also display what camera, microphone and headphones each participant is using before you hit record.
During your recordings, you can see key information on-screen about each participant including time zone and Wi-Fi signal strength. Like other platforms, Squadcast uploads your audio as you record. It then stores the lossless audio files in a cloud server ready to download in your chosen editing software. Squadcast also has a “Green Room” feature where you, your guests and co-hosts can check your equipment and chat before recording.
Pricing starts from $9/ month for 2 hours of recording time. $17 /month grants you 5 hours of recording time and $38/ month gives you 12 hours.
Skype
As one of the most popular remote conferencing platforms on the market, Skype brings a level of familiarity to most users. That paired with their constantly-evolving business model, makes Skype a viable option for podcasters at all levels.
Remotely recording your Skype interview can be done with the click of a button. Once complete, it'll appear as an MP4 file in the text section of your dashboard. Although there is no audio option available to download directly from Skype, you can easily convert your MP4 into an MP3 thereafter.
While the platform is incredibly useful, Skype calls are infamous for losing connection and temporarily cutting off. Bear this in mind and ensure you’re using high-speed Internet to help mitigate the issue.
✴ Editing Your Audio
Once you have finished your episode and graciously thanked your guest, it's time to edit your audio. There's a sea of audio editing software, with each one offering different formats and features. If you have some podcasting experience under your belt, consider using Garageband and Audacity, which are fairly advanced tools that are simple to master.
✴ Editing Your Audiovisual
Unlike with your audio, you don't always need to edit your audiovisual content. Most podcasters tend to upload the raw footage, with others only making minor adjustments to their remote video recording. In any case, you can still use video editing software to take snippets of your recording, which can then be used to promote your latest podcast episode.
✴ Remote Recording May Well be the Future of Podcasting
Though it may appear daunting at first, switching to remote recording doesn’t have to be complicated. It certainly opens the door to creative potential by allowing guests from anywhere in the world to take part in your show. The effectiveness of this approach will likely see its use continue to rise even after the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us.
Think about which methods will be the most suitable fit for your podcast and audience then take it from there.
For additional tips on how to pull off the perfect recording, grab our free complete production checklist here.
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