Zoom.us
Zoom is probably the most common tool to conduct a remote podcast interview. It’s a fantastic teleconference solution that has helped countless businesses conduct virtual meetings. The service is free for two people and $15/month for more.
Pros of Zoom.us
Easy to use. Zoom works with any platform. iPhones, Android, Mac, and Windows. Your guest is prompted to download a small program when you send them a link and they can easily connect directly to your meeting room. There is a recording feature built-in. With the click of your mouse, you can easily record the interview. Zoom gives you the option to record to the cloud or to your computer and offers video and audio files for you to use as you need.
Cons of Zoom.us
Subject to bandwidth dropouts. If you’ve even been on a video chat, you know what I’m talking about. Whenever the person you talking to starts to glitch out and sound like a robot. It’s fine when you’re chatting with your mom but it’s not great for your podcast. Lower audio quality. Zoom is, first and foremost, a teleconference tool. It’s designed to make it easy to communicate remotely without hassle. To achieve this, they will lower the sample rate so that there is less data to send back and forth. The result is noticeably lower audio quality.
How to get the most out of Zoom
Click for demonstration
Record on separate tracks. Zoom records each participant on the same track by default. However, you change this by going into your audio settings and check the box to record on separate tracks to make for easier editing. Just make sure you record locally as this isn’t an option if you record to the cloud. Click on the image to see where to find that setting.
Reduce internet usage. Since Zoom is highly affected by your bandwidth, try to reduce as much usage as possible. Make sure no one is streaming a video and that Dropbox and other filesharing apps are paused.
Do you want to make sure your guest is ready for the interview? Sign up for my newsletter and you will get my 6 Tips to Better Guest Podcasting that you can send to your guest before the interview to help them prepare.
Additional Reading
Record a Remote Podcast Interview with Squadcast
Squadcast is the best option for an online service if you’re looking to conduct a remote podcast interview.
Double-Ender: The Best Solution to Record a Remote Podcast Interview
This is the best way to record a remote podcast interview. You’ll get the best possible audio quality and have complete control over everything. However, this method requires some technical ability from your guest. In this post I explain how to do it.
Using Zencastr to Record a Remote Podcast Interview
Zencastr was the first remote podcast recording solution I learned about that really solved the ease-of-use issues. Before, the main solution was using different software to record Skype calls. Zencastr made it possible to record remotely without a lot of hassle.
