How to record a podcast on Zoom

Covid-19 has raised issues that we might not have even suspected before the pandemic. With no way to interview their guests face-to-face, podcasters wondered how to record their episodes remotely. Zoom is one of the answers to this problem.

In this article, we will see how to use the Zoom application to record your podcast remotely and the advantages of this tool over other alternatives.

What is the Zoom application?

With the pandemic, Zoom came to the forefront. This video conferencing application has become one of the most used in the world 🌏 and one of the most popular among professionals. With Zoom, you can communicate with anyone on the planet and interact virtually with that person.

The advantage of Zoom is that you can create discussion spaces with several people. This makes it ideal for work meetings or conversations with friends and family when you are far away from each other.

Zoom is also equipped with a chat area so you can easily interact with the speaker(s). You can also react to what people say during your video conference with emojis. You can join a Zoom conversation with video and audio or just with audio.

Zoom: an ideal tool for podcasters

The professional world has quickly taken possession of this audio tool, and podcasters aren’t farbehind. Zoom has become one of the key podcast tools for many creators. 🎙️

With the lockdown, podcasters had a lot of difficulties interviewing their guests face to face. So they chose to use remote recording tools like Zoom, Skype or Zendcastr.

With Zoom, you can record your video conference in several tracks (one per guest) and then edit each audio track in post-production. This will make your editing much easier to do. 🚀

All your guests need to do is download the application to join you on the call. It’s easy!

How to download Zoom?

On desktop, the Zoom application is available on Windows and on Mac. If you want to install it on your smartphone, it is available on Android and iOS. Just keep in mind that the mobile version of the application offers fewer features than the desktop version.

To download the Zoom app for free, you need to go to your Play Store or App Store. That’s it!

If you are invited to join a conversation, you don’t need to create a Zoom account. You just have to download the application and click on the link sent to you, or enter the login information given by the organizer beforehand.

How much does Zoom cost?

Zoom is a freemium application. This means that there is a free version of the tool and a paid version which, of course, offers more features than the free version.

Free users 😁

Using Zoom for free is very easy. Just download the app to your computer or mobile phone and create a new meeting, or enter the information of the existing meeting that you want to join.

With the free version of the app, you can create a new meeting, schedule meetings, share your screen, join an existing meeting and invite people to join your video conference.

The biggest weakness of the free version of Zoom is that you will only be able to have meetings that last a maximum of 40 minutes long. Also, if you want to record a podcast episode from the Zoom application, you have to upgrade to the premium version.

Paid users 💰

If you have a Pro, Business, or Enterprise account, you have access to more features. You can synchronize your Zoom meetings with your Google or Outlook calendar. This is very useful for planning your meetings by inviting external participants.

Another very practical thing for podcasters: from the “Pro” plan, you can record your conversations directly with the application since you have 1GB of storage.

And if you increase your Zoom subscription, you can have your recordings transcribed. This can be very useful if you want to write a blog post on your website in addition to your podcast episode.

Just like with the free version of the application, you can share your screen, join an existing meeting and invite participants to join your video conference if you are the organizer.

• The PRO subscription is $14.99/month/license.
• BUSINESS and ENTERPRISE subscriptions are $19.99/month/license.

How to record a podcast on Zoom?

You can use Zoom to record a podcast remotely. It’s very easy! 💪 To do this, go to the “Settings” of your profile and then to “Recording” and you will find the option that will allow you to record the video conference.

The guests must also do the same in order for you to be able to start recording the meeting. Be careful though: if this is their first time, they need to allow Zoom to access their audio settings, and they will have to restart the application for this to work. So plan for a few extra minutes before you start recording your podcast episode.

Once the “Record” option is authorized on your side and on the side of all your speakers, all you have to do is click on the “Record” button ⏺️ in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Zoom will ask you if you want to record only the audio (useful for recording a podcast!) or also the video.

How do I record a Zoom call with separate tracks?

In settings, you can choose to record your video conference on a single track or to have each participant recorded separately. We suggest you record your meeting in several tracks to facilitate your editing.

Once your recording is complete, Zoom will send you an email with a cloud link 💌. to your different audio tracks. You will find a universal file with your audio and video recording as well as the transcription of your conversation if you have the subscription that allows it.

Inside this main file, you will find another file called “Audio recording” with your audio tracks in .m4a format for each of your speakers. It is then on these audio tracks that you can edit your episode recorded remotely via Zoom!

What are the advantages of Zoom for recording a podcast?

As you can see, Zoom is a very useful tool to record a podcast remotely. To summarize, here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Zoom application for podcasters.

The advantages of Zoom for a podcast 💪

• Zoom has a good connection.
• You can share your screen with all of your speakers which can be very practical to interact about a particular theme, like cinema for example, or art.
• Zoom is very easy to understand and it is very easy to start recording a conversation on the application.
• When you receive your files, the audio is automatically extracted from the video (.m4a file).
• You can record each participant separately but you have to configure it in the recording settings before.

The inconvenients of Zoom for a podcast 🙅‍♀️

• In the free version of the application, meetings are limited to 40 minutes, you have to upgrade to Pro at $14.99/month to go to a 24hour time limit.
• The guests must download the application and understand that they have to click on the link of your invitation that you sent by email or SMS before the meeting.
• The guests must have configured their account to allow you to record, if it’s not the case, you will spend a few minutes explaining how to authorize it…

Alternatives to Zoom for recording a podcast remotely

Of course, there is not only Zoom! To record your podcast remotely, there is other podcast recording software that is more, or less expensive.

Skype

You all know this free application. With Skype, you can also record your conversation and share your screen. The undeniable advantage of Skype is that it is a safe bet that everyone knows. Your guests can easily understand how it works and, most of the time, they have already used it before your meeting. 

However, beware of two things: Skype is so widely used and so popular that it sometimes suffers from an unstable connection. In addition, unlike Zoom, Skype sends you a single file with video + audio in .mp4 format. It is then up to you to separate the two files.

To learn more about remote recording via Skype. See our article dedicated to “How to record a podcast on Skype”

Zencastr

We don’t know much about this solution and yet it is very very useful for podcasters who want to record an episode remotely. Zencastr is an online tool that you don’t need to download. The basic version is free but if you want to have access to all the features, you have to upgrade to the paid version.

As with Zoom, your guests are recorded on a separate soundtrack. However, if you have the free version of the application, you can only record a maximum of 2 people. If you want to record an unlimited number of participants, you need to upgrade to the paid version of Zencastr.

Be careful, at the end of the session you have to ask your guests not to close the session while the files are loading in the platform, otherwise, you risk losing them!

Riverside

Another noteworthy platform for remote podcast recording is Riverside. Riverside has been gaining popularity among podcasters for its high-quality audio and video recording capabilities. What sets Riverside apart is its ability to record each participant’s audio and video locally in full HD, ensuring top-notch quality regardless of internet connection. This feature is particularly valuable for podcasters who prioritize audio and video quality.

The platform is also user-friendly and does not require participants to download any software, as it operates directly in the web browser. Riverside offers a seamless experience with features like automatic backup, which ensures that recordings are not lost even if there’s an interruption in the connection. The platform also provides live-streaming capabilities, allowing podcasters to broadcast their recordings live to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch.

While the basic version of Riverside is free, it comes with certain limitations on recording time and the number of participants. For access to unlimited recording and more advanced features, Riverside offers paid plans. These plans make Riverside a versatile choice for both amateur and professional podcasters looking to produce high-quality remote recordings with ease.