Remote interviews are the backbone of most interview-format podcasts. You don't need to be in the same room as your guest to get great audio. But you do need the right tools and a few strategies to avoid the pitfalls that make remote episodes sound amateur. This guide covers platforms, gear, and backup plans.
Why Local Recording Matters
When you record a Zoom call, you're capturing a compressed audio stream that traveled across the internet. Every network hiccup, packet drop, and bandwidth fluctuation degrades the signal. The result is audio that sounds noticeably worse than what each person heard in real time.
Local recording solves this. Instead of capturing the compressed stream, each participant records their own audio locally on their device at full quality. The recordings are synced afterward. Your listener hears studio-quality audio from both sides of the conversation, regardless of what the internet connection looked like during the call.
This is the single most important concept in remote recording. Every platform recommendation below prioritizes this feature.
Recording Platforms: The Best Options
Riverside
Riverside is purpose-built for podcast and video recording. It records each participant's audio and video locally in high quality, then uploads the files when the session ends. Even if someone's internet drops mid-sentence, the local recording captures everything.
The interface is clean, guests join via a browser link (no downloads), and it supports up to 8 participants. It also offers AI-powered editing tools, transcription, and automatic highlight clips. Plans start at $15/month.
Best for: Podcasters who want the most reliable remote recording with minimal guest friction.
SquadCast
SquadCast (now part of Descript) records progressive uploads — your audio is backed up to the cloud in real time as you record, so even a browser crash won't lose your session. Audio quality is excellent, and the platform supports separate audio tracks per participant.
The integration with Descript means you can go from recording to text-based editing in one workflow. Plans start at $10/month.
Best for: Podcasters who use Descript for editing and want a seamless recording-to-editing pipeline.
Zencastr
Zencastr was one of the first platforms to offer local recording for podcasters. It records each participant's audio track separately, supports automatic post-production (leveling, noise removal), and has a free tier that covers basic recording needs.
The free plan includes up to 2 guests and 8 hours of recording per month. Paid plans ($20/month) add more guests, video recording, and live editing. The interface is straightforward, though not as polished as Riverside.
Best for: Budget-conscious podcasters who want local recording without a monthly fee.
Zoom (with Caveats)
Zoom is not a podcast recording platform, but it's what many guests already know and feel comfortable with. If you use Zoom, enable "Record a separate audio file for each participant" in settings. This gives you isolated tracks you can mix and edit independently.
The catch: Zoom still records the compressed stream, not true local audio. Quality is good enough for many shows, but noticeably below Riverside or SquadCast. Use Zoom when guest comfort is the priority and audio perfection is secondary.
Best for: Episodes where the guest's willingness to show up matters more than pristine audio — high-profile guests, quick segments, or casual conversations.
Microphone Recommendations for Guests
You can't control your guest's recording environment, but you can nudge them toward better audio. Here's a tiered approach:
- Best case: Ask if they own a USB microphone or headset with a boom mic. Even a $30 gaming headset sounds dramatically better than a laptop's built-in mic.
- Good alternative: Wired earbuds with an inline microphone (like the ones that ship with phones). These sit close to the mouth and reject room noise surprisingly well.
- Minimum ask: Use headphones of any kind. This prevents echo from speakers feeding back into the microphone. Even if they use the laptop mic, headphones eliminate the worst audio artifact — the feedback loop.
If you frequently interview guests who don't have gear, consider keeping a spare USB mic to ship ahead of time. A Samson Q2U at $70 is a small investment that pays for itself in audio quality. See our microphone recommendations for more options.
Your Side of the Setup
While your guest's audio is partially out of your hands, your own audio should be locked in. Use the best microphone, interface, and room treatment you can. A well-built home recording studio makes your half of every remote interview sound consistent and polished, episode after episode.
Wear closed-back headphones during recording to avoid audio bleed. Set your gain levels before the session starts, not during. And test your setup with a quick solo recording before your guest joins — catching problems before you start is always easier than fixing them in post.
Backup Recording Strategies
Lost recordings are the nightmare scenario of remote podcasting. Technology fails. Internet drops. Software crashes. The only real protection is redundancy.
- Record locally on your machine. Use Audacity, QuickTime, or your DAW to capture your own audio independently of the platform. If Riverside or SquadCast fails, you still have your side.
- Ask your guest to record locally too. On a Mac, QuickTime Voice Memo takes ten seconds to set up. On Windows, the built-in Voice Recorder app works. Walk them through it at the start of the call.
- Run Zoom as a backup. Even if you're recording on Riverside, keep a Zoom session recording in the background. The quality won't be as good, but a mediocre backup beats no recording.
- Check recording status mid-session. Glance at your recording software every 15-20 minutes. Make sure it's still running and levels look normal. A quick visual check prevents discovering a silent file after the guest has hung up.
Pre-Session Checklist
Send this to your guest 24 hours before recording:
- Use Chrome or a Chromium-based browser (best compatibility with recording platforms)
- Close bandwidth-heavy apps — video streaming, file syncing, large downloads
- Find a quiet room and close the door
- Use headphones (any kind)
- Plug in your laptop — low battery mode throttles CPU and can affect audio
- Test your mic at the platform's link 10 minutes early
After the Recording
Remote interviews often produce some of the best podcast content — the diversity of guests, perspectives, and expertise makes for compelling episodes. They're also ideal candidates for newsletters because interviews are naturally structured around key insights and takeaways.
Once your episode is published, PodDistill can transcribe your remote interviews and generate newsletters that capture the highlights your audience cares about most.
Try PodDistill and turn your remote interviews into newsletters your audience will actually read.