So you’re starting a podcast! That’s great news, because your voice is unique and you have something interesting to say to the world. There’s a lot to look forward to as you start to explore the world of home recording, and there are a lot of great tools that can help you make your podcast happen.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the tools designed to help you make your podcast, so you can get your thoughts, ideas and stories into the ears of your listeners.
These are 7 great podcast recording tools you should check out as you get your show started! They are all easy to use, packed with great features and very affordable.
The 7 Best Podcast Recording Tools
Iris – Best Platform Designed for Podcasts
Compatibility: Iris is browser based, so it will work on any computer that will run Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, Opera or Safari.
Price: Starts at $9 per month to record audio and video
Iris is a really neat tool, because it was designed specifically FOR recording podcasts remotely. It includes a number of great features, such as HD video recording, separate audio tracks, team member features and much more.
You can have up to 9 people recording together, so it’s a great option if you want to interview a large group or have a roundtable or panel discussion. The software is designed to back up your files while you are recording, so you never have to worry about losing an interview.
Plus, the platform also offers you several options for downloading your audio and video files. You can download them locally from each guest for the highest quality file, or quickly share and publish a composed version.
Zoom – The Easiest Podcast Tool to Use
Compatibility: Windows, macOS
Price: Host groups calls of up to 45 minutes for free, Unlimited plan starts at $14.99 per month.
Zoom is not really designed to be a podcasting tool. It’s a video conferencing tool, but it will allow you to record both audio and video from your calls. If you already have Zoom and you don’t want to download other podcasting software, it might be worth a try!
It can be a great option, because most people have already used it before and are familiar with how it works. When you are interviewing guests, it can be nice to use a tool they already know – especially if they are not very technologically adept.
You can simply invite your guests to a Zoom meeting and record the conversation, then download the audio file. There are no audio editing features, so you’ll need to use another program if you want to edit your audio afterwards.
If you want to give it a try, we have a handy article with some useful tips on using Zoom to record your podcast.
Read next: How to Record a Podcast on Zoom (Step-by-step guide)
Krisp – The Essential Tool for Clean Audio
Compatibility: Windows, macOS
Price: Free version of Krisp comes with a set number of free Noise Cancellation minutes and Pro version provides unlimited noise cancellation. Learn more about Krisp plans.
Imagine you put all the effort into researching and preparing a great podcast. You email an important guest and the agree to be on your show. After taking the time to record the interview – you listen back to the finished product.
You realize with horror that you can hear your dog barking and horns honking in the background, making the audio distracting and unprofessional. Instead of listening to your great ideas or intriguing guests, your audience will be focused on the interruptions instead.
How do you avoid this happening? You can use a tool like Krisp to make sure your audio is always crystal clear and perfect.
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Krisp works by using a highly sophisticated AI to determine the difference between your voice and background noise, then intelligently filter it out. It’s easy to use and integrates with a wide range of audio recording and podcasting software.
Riverside.fm – The Best for Live Podcasting
Compatibility: Works only with Chrome on laptops or desktops, or with the Riverside.fm iPhone app on the iPhone.
Price: From $19 per month
If you record your show live, Riverside.fm is a great option for you. It allows you to do live podcasting, with integrations for Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and more. This opens up a lot of possibilities for podcasting! Imagine hosting a live sports or arts event commentary, or a special event podcast. When you record live, your podcast becomes an event in itself and your listeners have a chance to interact.
Riverside.fm allows you to record up to 8 people, and it will record video as well as audio. Plus, you will even be able to accept live call-ins from listeners. This will enable you to turn your podcast into a dialogue and have conversations with your audience.
It’s a highly rated app that has been used by several big names, including Fox Sports, Microsoft, Disney and Spotify.
Adobe Audition – The Best for Efficient Editing
Compatibility: Windows, mac OS
Price: $20.99 per month as a single app, free trial available
Adobe Audition is part of the “Creative Cloud Suite” released by Adobe, so if you already have this suite you might have access to it. If not, you can pay a monthly fee to use it as a single app.
It’s designed for recording and editing podcasts, and it has a lot of great advanced tools to help you make your audio sound professional. For example, you can apply noise-reduction, advanced compression and much more.
One great time-saving feature is batch processing, which will allow you to apply certain audio editing effects to one file, save it, then apply those same edits to a “batch” of other files. This will save you a TON of time if you have multiple podcast episodes to edit.
GarageBand – The Easiest to Use
Compatibility: macOS, iOS
Price: Free
Garage Band is a great option for beginner podcasters, because it is very easy to use. It has a very intuitive interface and you’ll get the hang of it in a short amount of time. It’s great for combining multiple audio tracks into a single audio recording, such as separate recordings from a remote interview.
Plus, it’s free to download – so you don’t need to invest a lot of money when you get started. Also, your GarageBand software comes with a bunch of pre-recording sound bites, synths, loops and jingles you can use to add background music and make your podcast more layered and interesting.
Unfortunately, GarageBand is only available on mac computers. So, if you use a PC it won’t be an option for you.
SquadCast – Great for Group Interviews
Compatibility: SquadCast is browser based, so it will work on any computer that will run Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, Opera or Safari.
Price: From $10 per month for 2 hours of audio recording per month, or $20 for 5 hours of audio.
This recording software allows you to record up to 3 people at the same time, so it’s really helpful for recording a group podcast. For example, if you host a podcast with a co-host, and you regularly have one guest – then SquadCast might be just right for you.
This software also allows you to see the other people when you are recording audio, which is helpful because it gives you visual queues so you don’t talk over one another. It’s also very simple to use, so it’s great for beginners. Companies such as ESPN and Shopify use Squadcast, so you know it’s a professional app with a great experience.
SquadCast doesn’t have as many features as Riverside.fm. For example, you can see the video but you aren’t able to record it. However, it is cheaper than Riverside.fm, so if it suits your needs it might be your best bet!
Which Podcast Tool is Right For You?
These are just a few of the many excellent podcast tools available for those who want to start their own podcast show. These days it’s easier than ever to create a podcast, and you can produce a high quality finished product with the right software and a few pieces of equipment.
Find the tools that work best for you and develop a process for recording your remote podcast. It will be tricky at first, but the longer you stick with it the more you’ll develop your unique voice. Plus, with every episode you’ll get more efficient at the recording process, so you can focus more on the content!
