Type here to search
Search
Plan & launch
Produce & edit
Present
Grow & monetise

How to Record a Podcast Remotely: 8 Best Call Recorder Apps

article featured image

 

It truly is the halcyon days for creators looking to record a podcast remotely. There have never been so many brilliant online call recording options out there, and many go beyond simple recording.

In this roundup, you’ll find options for every use case, need, and budget. So, let’s explore the best platforms for remote podcast recording.

How to Record a Podcast Remotely: What’s the Best Call Recording App?

A quick heads up that we use affiliate links for some of the tools mentioned here. This means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself. Affiliates help to support all the free content we put out. On top of that, we only set up partnerships with services we’ve used and liked ourselves.

And remember, recording software is just one part of the bigger picture. To see the overall landscape, check out our main Podcast Software article for everything from recording, to editing, to scheduling, to planning.

If it’s how to record a podcast remotely you’re after right now, though, here are our picks for the best call recording apps and software options…

Record a Podcast Remotely With Alitu

Alitu is a podcast maker app with a built-in call recorder. It has all the features needed to run a podcast, including intuitive editing and production tools, auto-generated transcription, and hosting.

  • Mac/PC – Both (it’s a browser app)
  • Cost – $38 per month, or get two months free with a yearly payment of $380. Your Alitu subscription gives you access to ALL of its editing, production, and publishing tools, as well as unlimited call recording.
  • Files – MP3 (published directly to Alitu’s built-in hosting)
  • Guest Requirements – Google Chrome
  • Video – Alitu doesn’t record video but can create a video version of your episode, combining static image with dynamic soundwave.
  • Split-track? Not yet, but it’s on the way!
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – Yes, including text-based editing
  • Podcast Hosting – Yes

👉 Try Alitu

Record a Podcast Remotely With Cleanfeed

Cleanfeed enables anyone to send, receive and record live audio using only a browser. It’s one of the best options out there for folks looking to record calls for free.

  • Mac/PC – Both
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment
    • Starter – Free
    • Pro – $34, which includes separate track recording. Discount available for charities, schools, etc.
  • Files – WAV for all recording types, including multitrack.
  • Guest Requirements – None
  • Video – No
  • Split-track? Yes, on Pro tier
  • Transcription – No
  • Editing – No
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉 Try Cleanfeed

Record a Podcast Remotely With Iris.fm

Iris is an up-and-coming call recorder with some great offerings for podcasters looking to record multi-channel audio and video. With Iris, you’re not encouraged to use Chrome or any specific browser, either – it works on them all.

  • Mac/PC – Both (browser app which works on any browser)
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment
    • $9 for 2 hours of recording time
    • $19 for 5 hours of recording time
    • $29 for 10 hours of recording time
  • Files – WAV, MP4, MP3
  • Guest Requirements – None
  • Video – Yes
  • Split-track? Yes. You can have up to nine people in a recording room simultaneously.
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – No
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉Try Iris

Record a Podcast Remotely With Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm are one of the biggest and most popular call recorder platforms on the planet, offering an impressive range of features for podcasters.

  • Mac/PC – Both, along with a mobile app!
  • Cost
    • Free – Record up to 2 hours total of watermarked files
    • $19 Standard – Record up to 5 hours per month
    • $29 Pro – Record up to 15 hours per month
    • You can save up to $120 a year if you sign up for an annual plan.
  • Files – WAV/MP3/MP4
  • Guest Requirements – Preferably using Google Chrome if on computer
  • Video – Yes
  • Split-track? Yes, one host and up to seven guests.
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – Yes, text-based editing and video layout tools.
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉 Try Riverside

Record a Podcast Remotely With Ringr

Ringr is an app that enables you to record calls on your mobile or desktop. It’s a good option if you want to podcast with your smartphone, and aren’t fussed about video.

  • Mac/PC – Both
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment. Save by paying yearly.
    • Basic – $7.99 per month
    • Premium – $18.99 per month
  • Files – MP3/OGG/FLAC
  • Guest Requirements – Google Chrome or Firefox
  • Video – No
  • Split-track? Yes, with one host and up to four guests (Premium package).
  • Transcription – No
  • Editing – No
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉 Try Ringr

Use the coupon code podcraft when you sign up for a paid plan for 10% off monthly or 25% off annually! 

Record a Podcast Remotely With SquadCast

SquadCast is another of the big popular call recorder platforms. It has some cool AI tools, too, including filler word removal, overdub, and “AI-eye contact”, which means you’ll never look away from the camera again.

  • Mac/PC – Both (it’s a browser app)
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment. You can save on all of these tiers by paying yearly.
    • Free (an hour of recordings per month)
    • $15 (10 hours of recordings a month)
    • $30 (30 hours of recordings a month)
  • Files – WAV/MP3/MP4
  • Guest Requirements – None
  • Video – Yes
  • Split-track? Yes, with one host & up to nine guests
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – Not directly, but Squadcast integrates with Descript.
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉 Try SquadCast

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zencastr

Zencastr was the first multitrack call recording tool I ever used, and it’s still going strong to this day. They have an iOS app, a handy AI clip highlights tool for video podcasters, and you can host your podcast there, too.

  • Mac/PC – Both
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment with annual savings available
    • Professional – $20 per month
    • Growth – $49 per month
  • Files – WAV, MP3, MP4
  • Guest Requirements – None
  • Video – Yes
  • Split-track? Yes, one host and eleven guests
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – Video-focused editing tools
  • Podcast Hosting – Yes

👉 Try Zencastr

Use coupon code THEPODCASTHOST for 20% off the first three months of a monthly pro subscription with Zencastr. 

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zoom

Zoom is the conference call app that helped the world run during the pandemic. One of Zoom’s big pluses is that almost everyone has used it. The trade-off, however, is that the audio quality can sometimes be poor. There’s also a time limitation of 40 minutes with recordings on their free tier.

  • Mac/PC – Both
  • Cost – Tiered monthly payment
    • Basic – Free
    • Pro – $14.99 per month
    • Business – $19.99 per month
  • Files – M4A or MP4
  • Guest Requirements – None
  • Video – Yes
  • Split-track? Yes, though it can be tricky to find the setting.
  • Transcription – Yes
  • Editing – No
  • Podcast Hosting – No

👉 Try Zoom

What Remote Call Recorders CAN’T Do

As you’ve no doubt learned by now, these tools can do A LOT. From cloud recording, backup, and storage to HD video, editing and production tools. Some can even host your podcast for you.

But, remote recording tools alone can’t make you sound good. The quality of any recording depends largely on equipment, environment, and mic technique.

You could use state-of-the-art call online recorder software, and it would still sound terrible if your guest were recording on a laptop mic in their bathroom.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master audio producer to get this right. Or, to coach your guests to get optimal sound quality from them.

Check out some of the best entry-level recording kit for podcasters, our guide to mic technique, how to optimise your recording space, and our free online microphone test resource. That’ll help get you set up on that front!

Summary: What Online Call Recording App Should I Use for My Podcast?

Sometimes, too much choice is worse than no choice at all. If you’ve found all of this overwhelming, then let’s look at some top-level takeaways.

Going Free

If you need to go free, it’s hard to see past Cleanfeed. You might also consider the alternative “double-ender” option discussed below.

Multi-Track Options With Video

For the top video and multi-track recording options, Zencastr, Riverside and SquadCast are the current big three Zoom alternatives. They record audio and video locally and upload separate speaker files to the cloud. This allows you to manually edit and clean up each speaker and avoids any potential call connection issues.

All-In-One Package at One Flat Rate

If it’s pure simplicity and more of an “all-in-one” solution you’re after, then opt for Alitu. On top of remote recording, it’ll allow you to do audio cleanup, volume levelling, editing (including text-based editing), add music, produce your final episode, and create transcriptions, all in one user-friendly interface.

Alitu also includes podcast hosting, so you don’t need to sign up for a separate account to upload and distribute your show to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

With Alitu, you can easily clean up, edit, and sync calls recorded with any other tool mentioned here, too!

An Alternative Option – “The Double Ender” for Remote Recording

podcaster recording their own audio remotely

Participants Record Their Own Audio

If you’d like to know how to record a podcast without extra software, then let’s look at the ‘double-ender’.

In this method, each guest or co-host takes responsibility for recording their own audio at the source.

That might be opening up their recording/editing software and running that to record their voice as they talk to their fellow participants.

Or it might be using a completely separate mic and digital recorder to eliminate the risk of loss of audio due to computer issues.

In any case, with all being well, the producer will have quality recordings of each participant on independent tracks to work with in post-production.

This is a good way to record if one (or both) of you struggle to maintain a stable internet connection.

If you’re doing this, just remember to run a backup recording on something like Zoom. That way, if someone forgets to hit record, all isn’t lost!

Hardware Vs Software for Remote Calls

If you prefer physical equipment to software, there are a few great options for recording podcasts remotely. Check out the Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rode Rodecaster Pro II.

Other audio interface and digital recorder options are available, but those two have built-in call recorder features, so you don’t need to knock up some elaborate setup to make them work in this way.

What Next?

Hopefully you found a tool that works for you. Or, maybe you decided that remote call recording platforms aren’t a good fit for your podcast. If that’s the case, fear not. We have some more handy guides to help you on your way.

If you’re still at an early stage, we also have a full guide on how to start a podcast, which walks you through everything you need to know. And, if you’d like the help, support, and friendship of those in a similar boat, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community.

From idea to legendary podcast...

Plan & launch

From idea to recording

Explore

Produce & edit

Gear, software & tips

Explore

Presenting

Be the best show host

Explore

Grow & monetise

Promote and earn

Explore

We’ve got every step covered.