Riverside
Episode 64 marks a new era for the Full Stop podcast
It is recorded in specialist podcast software called Riverside.fm. Let’s explore why it’s important and how it will help the Full Stop.
Sarah: Let’s talk about why Riverside.fm works for us.
Michael: We’ve got YouTube for the Full Stop (and I’ve got my own account, you all know I love filming my trips!) but we’re not using them enough. I started exploring and Riverside kept being mentioned. I realised that we can great audio but it also captures each person speaking in video form and it makes editing so much easier. I’ve been trying it out for my YT channel and I knew enough to test it for the Full Stop podcast and went for it on episode 64.
Sarah: How is it different to Zoom?
Michael: Riverside.fm functions very similarly to Zoom. But its interface is more intuitive and modern. It truly blows Zoom’s audio and video quality out of the water.
Berenice: It was very popular at The Podcast Show and seems very stable too.
Michael: Yes! You know when Zoom disconnects or you get those weird noises?
Berenice: Like a ‘boing’ sound?
Michael: Yes, that’s the one! Riverside.fm has solved this issue by using “local recording” that save to your computer, rather than over the internet which means that recordings don’t drop out when an internet connection is poor. That’s why Riverside records full-fidelity wav files and HD video files.
Riverside calls this “progressive uploading” which means that files are recorded and pulled from your computer and are sent in real-time to Riverside’s cloud. They get continuously uploaded in chunks. The end result is a high-quality audio wav file and a synched HD video file.
It’s easier to edit too, if anyone says a word or wants to remove something it’ll update the audio and the transcript.
Sarah: What can guests expect?
Michael: Less worry about wifi connections as Riverside accounts for that. It’s still helpful if guests can use a good microphone or the best settings for the device they’re using. A space with carpets or curtains to damped down any echos and of course, if pets can be in a different space.
They’ll get a link to Riverside and that is only for guests. They must be on Google Chrome to use Riverside.fm. It won’t function properly with Mozilla or Safari.
Sarah: And it’s important that guests know we’ll be using video in social media. But you can opt out if you prefer not to. In case you rock up in pyjamas or prefer some privacy. Just let me know when I’m booking you into the podcast.
What to expect
If you request to be a guest or we contact you to be a guest, then Sarah will support you on this so it’s a great experience for you and our audience.
Once we’ve agreed on a date to record, then a link will be sent to you from our Riverside account.
Check you’re using Chrome or the Riverside app and follow the instructions on as a Guest.
When you sign in, Michael, Sarah and Berenice will be online to meet you. If you get stuck then you can pop any one of us an email (firstname@thefullstoppod.com) as we have emails open on the day in case!
We invite our welcoming childless online community to the space too. They will use the chat feature to ask questions which we’ll ask you.
When we start to record, your computer will record your audio and video. When we stop, you may need to leave your computer and window open for a few minutes to allow Riverside to collect the recording. Michael will let you know when it’s complete. The length of time that takes depends on the quality of the broadband connection.
These helpful guides from Riverside.fm walk you through what to expect if you are a guest or audience member and troubleshooting tips.
Checklist for joining a recording as a Guest on our podcast
Joining as a guest using your computer browser, or the Riverside iOS app or on Android
Joining us in the audience
A helpful video made by Riverside.
