Ultimate Riverside.fm Review 2021: The new best podcast recording platform?
By: Jonathan Carson
Tags: Podcasting

Let’s take a closer look at Riverside.fm’s core features.

I won’t cover everything here, but in my opinion, these are the things that make Riverside awesome.

Studio quality audio 🔉

Riverside allows you to record uncompressed crystal clear audio (48kHz WAV, if that means anything to you) from your browser.

You can hear an example of Riverside’s audio quality here.

This is pretty impressive for a remote podcast recording service.

There are a few podcast recording platforms (SquadCast, Zencastr) that can record to the same (or similar) quality, but I’m yet to find anything that’s better.

4K video recording 👨‍💻

This is an example of what Zoom cloud recording looks like with a poor internet connection compared to Riverside’s local video recording.

Riverside.fm’s video recording feature will be enough for some people to say, “Sign me up!”

While other podcast recording services are scrambling to release a video recording feature, Riverside.fm quietly delivered it.

And it’s not just some half-hearted effort at strapping on video capability to an audio-first service.

It’s a high-quality 4K video, which is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to recording video online.

And by some miracle, they’ve figured out how to deliver 4K video without requiring a super-fast internet connection. That miracle is called ‘local recording’ and while I don’t quite understand how it works, it just works.

However, minor caveat, the quality of the video does depend on the quality of your (and your guest’s) webcam.

If you’re wanting to release your podcast in video format in 2021 and don’t want to fork out for a multi-camera set-up, then Riverside is probably your best bet.

Reliability 😌

The number one thing I look for in a remote podcast recording service is reliability and stability.

I’ve had a few bad experiences with another platform where connections would drop mid-recording. There was even one time that I lost an entire one-hour recording 🤦🏻

I haven’t had any issues with Riverside.

I think this comes down to two things:

1. Progressive Upload

This means your audio and video are being uploaded in the background in real-time. You don’t have to wait until you’ve finished and hit ‘Stop’ for the files to upload. Therefore, if your wifi cuts out or your computer crashes, most of your recording will still be saved automatically.

2. Local Recording

Your audio and video files are being recorded locally, which means on your (and your guests’) computers, rather than in the cloud. This is typically much more reliable than cloud-based recording.

I have heard that some people have had problems, but I’d recommended trying Riverside out for yourself to see how smoothly it runs for you.

Extra features 🔥

Riverside’s comes with screen sharing functionality.

The thing that really sets Riverside.fm apart is how quickly they’ve delivered extra features.

While most podcast recording services have struggled to master the basics, Riverside has rolled out a bunch of awesome tools that can help make your show more interactive and boost your audience.

Let’s take a look at a few of them.

1. Screen sharing

Screen sharing has become an important tool for business meetings on Zoom and other video calling platforms. But it can also help to enhance podcast recordings.

Imagine if you’re talking to a co-host or guest about something they haven’t seen and, rather than just trying to describe it to them, you can share it with them in real-time 🤯

It’s like having your own “Yo, Jamie, pull that up” experience at your fingertips (Joe Rogan fans will know what I’m talking about).

Currently, what you’re sharing on your screen isn’t captured in the video recording, but hopefully Riverside is working on that.

2. Live audience call-in

This feature allows you to let listeners ‘ call in’ to a live recording, just like an old-school radio show.

You can simply send a link out to your audience and they will be prompted to enter their name and ask a question or leave a comment.

You still have the power to approve or decline call-ins.

I think this is an exciting way to interact with listeners and build a loyal following of true fans.

3. Streaming to social

We all know that most podcast audiences live on social media.

What if you could reach them directly by live-streaming your podcast to the world’s biggest social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch?

Riverside lets you do that.

I think this is a huge deal. If you’re running a podcast that doesn’t require a lot of post-production, this is a great way to take your show straight to your listeners.

Social platforms love live-streaming right now and I’m sure the algorithms will reward you generously.

Live-streaming on Riverside is super easy to set up through the ‘Settings’ cog at the bottom left of the studio screen.

Host multiple guests 🤝

While most podcast recording platforms limit you to one or two guests, Riverside lets you record with up to seven (1 host + 7 guests).

That’s incredibly generous. I can’t think of any podcast that would need that many people, but it’s nice to know you can throw a podcast party if you want to.

Trusted by big names 😎

Just a few of the brands that use Riverside.fm

This may not mean much to you, but quite a few big brands use Riverside.fm for their podcasts — Spotify, Disney, Microsoft and Shopify to name a new.

Hilary Clinton even gave them a shoutout 🤷🏻‍♂️

The reason why I think this matters is that big brands — especially big tech companies — have massive budgets for this kind of stuff and they only want to use the best.

The fact that Spotify is using Riverside when they have their own podcast recording platform (Anchor) kinda speaks for itself.

Riverside.fm pricing 💰

Riverside’s monthly pricing plans. You’ll get a better deal if you pay yearly.

So how much is all this gonna cost ya?

Riverside has three core plans. The only difference between them is how much audio and video you can record each month.

I think the ‘Standard’ plan would be sufficient for most podcasts.

Basic — $9/month ($7.50 paid yearly)

Record 2 hrs/month of audio and video

Separate audio and video tracks

Live stream to Twitter/YouTube/Facebook

Accept live call-ins

Standard — $19/month ($15 paid yearly)

Record 5 hrs/month of audio and video

Separate audio and video tracks

Live stream to Twitter/YouTube/Facebook

Accept live call-ins

Pro — $29/month ($24 paid yearly)

Record 20 hrs/month of audio and video

Separate audio and video tracks

Live stream to Twitter/YouTube/Facebook

Accept live call-ins

What more could you ask for?

If you’re creating a podcast in 2021, you’ll find everything you need and more with Riverside.fm.

I can’t think of anything more I’d want from a podcast recording platform.

As a quick recap, with Riverside.fm you’ll get:

Studio quality audio

4K video (depending on webcam capabilities)

Reliable connection (progressive upload and local recording)

Screen sharing

Live audience call-in

Social live streaming

Up to 7 guests

I think all of this makes Riverside one of the best podcast recording services in 2021. And at the rate they’re going, they may leave everyone else in their dust.

If you’re ready to give Riverside a go, you can sign up below.

Full disclosure: I’m currently using SquadCast as my primary podcast recording service. I paid a year upfront, but I’m seriously considering moving to Riverside when the year’s up.

Ps. I’ve included affiliate links for Riverside.fm in this review, which means I’ll get a small cut if you sign up. Just being real with y’all.