How to Record a Podcast Remotely (4 Useful Methods)

Recording a podcast remotely saves time and money but requires careful planning and execution. Without the right tools and practices, your remotely recorded podcast will suffer from poor quality and become unusable.

This Cleanvoice article will teach you how to record a podcast remotely while achieving professional-quality results.

Why Record Podcasts Remotely?

  • Flexibility: Remote podcasting allows hosts and guests to participate from anywhere. This makes it easier to secure high-profile guests with busy schedules and enables hosts to maintain consistent content creation while traveling or working across time zones.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Recording remotely eliminates travel and studio rental expenses. This benefits new podcasters by reducing startup costs while still enabling professional-grade production. Lower overhead allows for more resources to be allocated to marketing or post-production.
  • Convenience: You and your co-hosts or guests can record without extensive preparation. Everyone can quickly set up their recording device, microphone, or camera and start podcasting. This ease helps maintain a consistent release schedule and meet episode deadlines.
  • Diversity: Without physical meetup requirements, you can invite participants from around the world. This allows for more diverse voices and perspectives, enriching your content and appealing to a wider audience.

Essential Tools for Remote Podcast Recording

Microphone

A quality microphone is essential for capturing crisp, professional audio. While USB microphones like the Blue Yeti or Rode NT-USB are popular for their simplicity, a dynamic microphone like the Shure SM7B offers superior sound isolation by rejecting ambient noise.

For podcasters who need more control over their sound, XLR microphones paired with an audio interface provide greater flexibility and professional audio depth. USB mics for accessibility, XLR setups for scalability and control.

Headphones

Headphones are important because they stop your mic from picking up feedback during the recording session.

Closed-back headphones such as the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO provide better sound isolation. However, you also need to make sure to choose headphones with a flat frequency response so that you get the most accurate representation of your recording.

Pop filter

A pop filter doesn’t just protect against plosives (like “p” and “b” sounds)—it can also extend the lifespan of your mic by blocking saliva and dust particles before they reach the microphone diaphragm.

Investing in a durable, metal pop filter can save you money over time compared to cheap foam ones that degrade quickly. Plus, if you’re looking for more sound reduction, consider pairing your pop filter with a windscreen for extra protection against outdoor elements.

Computer and Internet Setup

Set up your computer and internet properly. Double-check all your cables and settings so you don’t find that you didn’t hit record after hours or minutes of talking. Or worse, that the final audio is unclear and filled with lags.

Camera (if podcast includes video format)

For video podcasts, clarity is key. A good webcam like the Logitech Brio works for most setups, but using a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a capture card—like the Elgato Cam Link—can significantly enhance video quality.

4 Methods of Recording a Podcast Remotely

1. Use Video Conferencing Software

Using video conferencing software like Zoom, Skype, Teams, or Google Meet is a popular and accessible way to record a podcast remotely. Though not specifically designed for podcasting, these tools can still deliver good audio quality at little to no cost.

Here's how to use this method:

  1. Choose a reliable video conferencing platform (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Skype, Google Meet).

  2. Use external microphones and headphones for better sound quality than built-in devices.

  3. Optimize audio settings within the platform.

For example, enable "Original Sound" in Zoom to preserve microphone quality and prevent aggressive noise suppression.

  1. Record in a quiet environment to minimize background noise. Use simple soundproofing techniques like positioning soft materials around your recording area to reduce echoes.

Note that this method, while affordable, often produces suboptimal sound quality without additional steps.

To improve sound quality, consider using an AI podcast editing suite like Cleanvoice . Our tool automatically scans your audio tracks for imperfections (background noise, stuttering, etc.) and cleans them up, resulting in a professional-sounding podcast.

2. Record a Phone Call

Recording a phone call is one of the easiest and fastest remote podcasting methods. Aside from the call credit or data you and other participants will spend on the call, it's also free.

Here are specific steps to remotely recording your podcast via a phone call:

Step-1. Get your mobile devices ready.

Ensure all participants have phones or tablets with strong cellular or Wi-Fi signals.

Step-2. Use an app or external device to record.

Apps like Rev Call Recorder or TapeACall allow you to record conversations directly.

Step-3. Test before recording.

Always do a test call to ensure everything is functioning properly and that the recording app is picking up the audio clearly.

Step-4. Record in a quiet environment.

Both the host and guest should be in quiet locations to avoid interference.

As good as this option seems, it tends to deliver low-quality audio due to the poor microphone setups on most phones. You can partially address this issue by finding a third-party microphone that works with your phone, but this will need to be done for all participants.

As a cheaper and more convenient alternative, Cleanvoice can clean up and polish your recorded calls with the click of a button.

3. Use Remote Podcast Software

Remote podcast software like Riverside, Squadcast, or Zencastr is specifically built for recording podcasts with participants in different locations.

These platforms prioritize high-quality, uncompressed audio, ensuring each speaker’s audio is recorded locally on their device and then uploaded to the cloud for post-production. Since poor internet connections don’t affect the quality, it’s a more reliable way to record remotely.

Here’s how it works:

Step-1: Choose the right platform.

Software like Riverside and Squadcast is designed to capture high-quality, uncompressed audio and video locally.

Step-2: Participants record locally.

When the session starts, each participant’s audio (and video, if needed) is recorded directly on their device.

Step-3: Real-time upload to the cloud.

As each participant speaks, the software begins uploading their local recordings to the cloud in real-time or immediately after the session.

Step-4: Multi-track recording for flexibility.

Each participant’s audio is saved as a separate track, allowing for easier post-production editing.

Step-5: Edit and polish.

Once the recordings are uploaded, you can download the files for post-production in your preferred software (e.g., Audacity or Adobe Audition).

Sounds great, right? While this method does work really well, the one downside is the cost. These kinds of tools tend to be expensive ($29/month for Riverside Pro), and if you’re not willing to invest that much, you’ll need to consider other options.

4. Record a Podcast from Two Locations Via Double-Ender Recording

Double-ender recording is widely considered one of the most reliable methods for capturing high-quality audio when recording podcasts remotely. The principle is the same as that used by remote recording tools, but the price tag is much lower—in fact, it can be completely free!

Double-ender recording software captures each participant's audio locally rather than relying on a single remote recording session.

Here’s how it works:

We have provided steps for you to record your podcast with a double-ender recording tool.

Step-1: Set up recording equipment for each participant.

Each participant needs a high-quality microphone and headphones connected to their own recording device (e.g., Cleanvoice’s web-based “Live Recording” tool).

Step-2: Record locally.

Start the recording with a clap—this will be important in the editing stage. During the conversation (typically over a call through Skype, Zoom, or another video conferencing tool for real-time interaction), participants record their audio on their device in a high-quality WAV or MP3 format.

Step-3: Sync the recordings afterward.

Once the recording is complete, each participant sends their local audio file to the podcast editor. The editor then syncs the tracks using the audio cue you left.

Step-4: Post-production and editing.

Since each audio track is recorded separately, the editor can adjust sound levels, reduce background noise, and improve the overall clarity of each participant.

Polish Your Remote Podcast Audio With Cleanvoice

While remote podcast recording provides flexibility for all participants, the audio often requires professional editing to sound its best.

This is where Cleanvoice comes in. Our tool leverages AI to help turn your podcast audio into studio-quality outputs in minutes, no matter where or how you recorded it. It also seamlessly integrates with popular podcasting platforms and your favorite audio editors like Audacity and Adobe Audition, allowing for more control over the edits and easy import and export of recordings.

Ready to take your podcast episodes from zero to a hundred? Try Cleanvoice today.