Show Notes
We use 2 key standards when evaluating software. Does it provide us with great quality audio and is it easy to use? In this episode we review the 4 recording software options we recommend and explain how each measure up to these standards.
Zoom This is popular because it’s familiar and easy to use. It has a free and a low-cost version. It is web-based but does require use of their app on your phone or tablet, or you’ll need to download a bit of software on your laptop. Your guests will need to do that as well, which is a consideration if they haven’t used it before. Zoom is collaborative meeting software and it’s very good at that, but audio quality isn’t always the best.
There are a few adjustments to the standard settings that you can change that will help you maximize audio quality. The most important is recording separate tracks for each person. Follow our video for step by step instructions. These settings are a must if you want to use Zoom to ensure you get good quality audio.
Zencastr They also have a free and paid version. If you want to have more than 2 people, you’ll need the paid tier, otherwise the free version is fine. This works well and is great for single and 2 person podcasts. It provides great audio quality and is simple to set up. It’s web-based and very easy for guests. They don’t have to download any software and the dashboard is the easiest to use. It connects to Dropbox or Google Drive for storage which is a plus for file sharing.
Audacity If you are doing a single person podcast, this is our favorite option. It isn’t web based; you will need to download it the software to a laptop or desktop, but it’s free and it’s really easy to work with. You can even do edit with it. We use it for all our single person recordings when we are in the office. Huge fans of this software.
Squadcast It’s the newest and best in our opinion. They don’t have a free version, but they do offer a free trial. If you are going to do multiple person podcasts, this is the way to go. They make it easy to manage multiple people and multiple tracks. The provide you with a great scheduler and their support is amazing. They have a video component so you can see each other, but it’s not recorded. The audio quality is great, it is easy to work with.
No matter what software you use it’s important to be familiar with the software. Practice with a friend if you are going to do interviews. Get comfortable logging in, setting it up and hitting record. When you are ready to record, we want the recording process to be automatic. That way your focus and energy is on your content and the person you’re talking to, not on the technology.
We’ll continue to keep you up to date on any changes or new software options that become available. It’s never been easier and less expensive to record great quality audio and that’s a plus no matter what style of podcast you want to create.