So many people need remote recording for co-hosts and guests. Yet in the 20+ years of podcasting once we get a solid solution, they upgrade the software and we're back to always having a backup "Just in case." So I reached out to my audience to see what they used and they chimed in.
The History
Blog Talk Radio (now gone) was an EASY choice but sounded like the phone. There was Skype (also gone), but everyone needed an account, and for the technically challenged, it was intimidating. Squadcast came on with a winning strategy with a firm understanding of what podcasters needed. Make it simple. Make it reliable.
Then Video Entered the Picture
Then tools like Squadcast added video, and while I never had an issue I know people who spoke of "Drift" where the audio didn't line up with the video (making it look like a bad Godzilla movie). There are tools like Evmux (browser based), Ecamm (Mac Only), Descript (browser based), and Streamyard (brwoser based).
Text Based Editing
When Descript entered the picture with text based editing (you edit the transcript, and it edits the audio) it became impressive after a few years. They purchased Squadcast, but haven't implemented all the tech from Squadcast (like being able to schedule a future episode in their "Rooms.").
All in One Solutions
This is one of the symptoms of a "All in one" solution. They do most things about 75%, but the details in that last 25 is what makes the difference. Riverisde started as remote recording, added text based editing, clip generation, and recently podcast hosting (the podcast hosting is very basic see video as of May 2026).
It May Not Be All Riverside's Fault
I wrote a blog post about all the things podcasters could do to be ready to make great recordings with Riverside.
If you want Riverside to work, don’t overcomplicate it:
- Solid internet
- Updated browser
- Decent computer
- Enough disk space
- Don’t rush the upload
That’s it.
Do those things, and suddenly Riverside becomes “magically reliable.”
What I Use For Live Streaming and Recording
Before moving to a Mac computer, I use Streamyard, and loved it. When I got a Mac Mini, I switched to Ecamm. It's amazing and much you have more control over how things look. If you have a Streamdeck, you can do some pretty magical things. Worth that said, I'm considering going back to Streamyard even though it's $5 more a month (I used Ecamm for making recording for the School of Podcasting, but I now do those in Tella).
What is The Most Reliable?
For me, after talking with the School of Podcasting members and now hearing from the audience I would say Ecamm (mac only) and Streamyard (browser based).
That doesn't mean Riverside, Evmux, Squadcast are not reliable, but I feel Ecamm and Streamyard are more reliable. They also are primarily focused on one thing RECORDING (although streamyard just added clip generation).
So What If I Don't Want an All In One?
Then you record with something like Ecamm or Streamyard, if you need clips, there is Opus Clip. There is free video software like Davinci Resolve, and free audio editing like Audacity.
Thanks to The Contributors
Frank Bravo From Your Tech Makeover
Todd the Gator from Gaurdian Downcast
Chris From Cool Cars with Chris
Ed from the Days Dumpster Fire
Tim from My Solo MS Journey
Mentioned In This Episode
Streamyard
Ecamm
Riverside
Descript
EvMux
Cleanfeed
Zencastr
OBS Project
VDO Ninja
Podtrack P4Next
Zoom H6
Samson Q2U Microphone
Opus Clip
Boomer Bunker
War Room Online Journal
Takeaways:
- Remote recording can be a total pain if you don't have solid internet; trust me, I know.
- Zoom works great for audio-only shows but struggles with video quality when the internet hiccups.
- Streamyard's simplicity makes remote recording a breeze; just send a link and boom, done!
- Clean Feed is solid for high-quality audio, especially for those who want to keep it simple.
- For video, Riverside sounds fancy but can be hit or miss; make sure it meets your needs first.
- Discord is free and surprisingly powerful for remote recordings, even if you're not a gamer.
Mentioned in this episode:
Where Will I Be?
I love meeting you when I'm out at events. Here are some of my next events:
Podcast Movement September 17-18
Podindy November 7th (use the coupon pacer at podindy.com)
Where Will I Be?
Question of the Month: The Smallest Amount of Downloads
We all want a bigger audience. We all put a lot of work into our shows. With this in mind, what is the smallest amount of downloads you would do the show for? If it drops below a number would you stop, or put effort into finding out why?
Does the size of your audience matter?
Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/question by August 28th (and don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the notes)
School of Podcasting
Podcasting Six Weeks
Ready to start your podcast? Podcasting in Six Weeks gives aspiring podcasters a proven, step-by-step system to launch with confidence. Stop overthinking and start publishing. Enroll today and your podcast could be live in just six weeks. Classes start August 19th
Podcasting in Six Weeks
Podpage is Now Included with Blubrry Hosting
Blubrry Podcasting — one of the longest-running podcast hosting platforms in the industry — has chosen Podpage to replace their built-in website tool entirely. That means every Blubrry hosting customer gets a professional, automatically updated podcast website powered by Podpage, included with their hosting plan.
For Podpage, this is more than a partnership announcement. It’s validation that podcast websites deserve dedicated website tools built specifically for podcasters.
Podpage
