Riverside.fm Review: A Complete Guide

In today’s Riverside.FM review, we’re taking a comprehensive look at one of the most popular, and powerful podcast recording solutions available. Riverside.FM provides business leaders, entrepreneurs, and content creators with all the tools they need to start producing high-quality podcasts. It’s easy to use, convenient, and wonderfully flexible.

At present, the demand for podcasts is increasing at a phenomenal rate. These solutions for audio entertainment and education have taken the world by storm in the last few years. Around 62% of the population over the age of 12, have listened to a podcast as of 2022. What’s more, each week, there are more Americans listening to podcasts than investing in Netflix accounts.

As the popularity for podcasts increases, the range of platforms and resources available for recording, editing, and hosting this content has grown.

Riverside.FM is just one option among a huge selection of vendors. However, it has captured the attention of some major content creators. Already, the solution is trusted by leading names like TED, The Economist, Microsoft, Marvel, and many others.

Let’s take a look at what you can do with Riverside.FM.

What is Riverside.FM?

Let’s take a closer look at what the software actually offers. Riverside.FM is a dedicated podcast creation tool, packed with features to help you produce content, and share it online.

The technology was designed to simplify the process of creating amazing content, and was designed by two brothers in 2020, in Amsterdam. The business is now headquartered in Tel-Aviv.

Riverside is backed by some of the world’s leading creators, ranging from Guy Raz, to Gary Vaynerchuk. The solution supports all kinds of content creation, from video interviews to panel discussions, webinars, internal communications, keynote speeches, and podcasts.

You can record content and upload it to your audience with an easily accessible link. There’s also the option to livestream content directly to customers via Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and RTMP. Plus, you can access built-in scheduling, transcription, and screen recording tools.

As an added bonus, Riverside.FM offers a range of bonus tools on its website, such as microphone and webcam testing options, and a name generator for YouTube and Podcast channels. As one of the best podcast options around, Riverside.FM also makes it easy to upload your video and audio files directly to Amazon, Apple podcasts, and a range of other channels.

Riverside.FM Pros and Cons

If you don’t have time to read this full Riverside review, and you want to jump straight into the most significant benefits and disadvantages of Riverside.FM, we’ve got you covered.

Like most podcasting platforms and tools, Riverside has both advantages and disadvantages to consider. For most, the benefits of this platform will far outweigh its downsides, but here’s what you should know if you want to make an educated decision.

Pros 👍

Exceptional audio and video quality: Studio quality content production is one of the top selling points of Riverside.FM. With this technology, the quality of your recording won’t rely exclusively on your internet connection. You can record video and audio at an uncompressed level, to create 4K content, with seamless sound.
Reliable and stable connection: There’s nothing worse than a jittery connection when recording a podcast. Fortunately, Riverside goes above and beyond to ensure consistency, with a stable connection. The company is consistently investing in new ways to make sure you can produce the best content without compromise.
Budget friendly: For beginners, Riverside.FM offers some great, budget-friendly pricing plans. It’s an excellent starter tool, particularly when you consider the huge selection of features included with each plan. Plus, there’s scalability for enterprise-level brands.
Mobile app: If you want to record content on the go, Riverside.FM has you covered. There’s a dedicated iOS and Android app, so you don’t have to load up your laptop or computer. While the quality might vary depending on your device, it’s nice to have the option.
Flexibility: If you go above the hours allocated to you on your plan for recording on Riverside.FM, your stream won’t simply cut-off. You’ll simply be advised to upgrade to a different plan after you’re done recording.
Excellent support: There’s a live chat widget to help you connect with the support team whenever you have an issue to resolve. This can be faster and more efficient than waiting for email support, like you would with many other platforms.
Innovation: To stay ahead of the curve, Riverside.FM is constantly releasing new features and capabilities. This means you’ll always be on the cutting edge. Your software will automatically update when new features are introduced.

Cons 👎

Limited free plan: While access to a free plan is excellent, the options available on this package are quite limited. You’ll only be able to record for a small amount of time – much less than you’d get from competing platforms.
Plan options: While there are a variety of cheap plans to choose from, switching out of your membership to another package can be a little complicated.

Riverside.FM Ease of Use

One of the main reasons Riverside.FM has become so popular in recent years, is how simple it is for beginners to get started. You don’t need any prior technical knowledge to begin. Once you’ve chosen a plan and created an account, you’ll get immediate access to an intuitive dashboard.

Within the dashboard, you can click on the “New Podcast” option to start creating content immediately. Once you’ve chosen an episode name, you can pick which features you want to use, such as live call-in, audio, and video. You can also invite users directly to a recording.

Once you’ve finished recording, the audio and video you create will upload automatically to the cloud. You’ll then be able to find your recording files on the main dashboard. You can choose to download your tracks, or edit what you create with the “Magic Editor”. This automatically stitches together your video and audio content.

Throughout the recording process, you’ll also have access to various tools to make your life easier, like an AI speaker view system. Overall, Riverside.FM makes it straightforward and simple to produce content that speaks to your audience; however you like.

Audio and Video

Although Riverside.FM is advertised primarily as a podcasting tool, it doesn’t focus exclusively on audio. You can create both audio and video files with exceptional quality.

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From an audio perspective, Riverside.FM supports uncompressed audio with a 48kHZ Wav, which you can record directly from your browser or smartphone (iOS). From a video perspective, Riverside.FM is fantastic too. You’ll be able to create smooth, 4K quality videos, regardless of what your internet connection might be like at the moment.

What’s more, Riverside.FM supports continuous file uploading. This basically means all of your audio and video content is directly uploaded to the cloud as you create it. If your computer crashes when you’re recording a session, you’ll still be able to access everything you’ve created so far.

Once you’ve produced your content, you’ll also have the option to download separate audio and video tracks. This can be useful if you want to share your content both as a podcast and an all-in-one video.

Just keep in mind, the quality of your audio will depend somewhat on the hardware you’re using. You’ll still need a high-quality webcam and microphone to ensure you’re capturing content at the right quality if you want to produce 4K streams.

Riverside.FM Additional Features

Alongside the ability to record high-quality video and audio solutions, Riverside.FM also offers a wide range of extra features. These tools are intended to ensure you have everything you need to produce amazing content in one, easy-to-use environment.

Here are some of the most impressive additional features offered by Riverside.FM.

Content editor: A built-in content editor ensures you can adjust and optimize your content however you like before sharing it with anyone. You can add images, introduce your logo to your stream, and even choose a custom background. There’s also the option to change your speaker layout, remove parts of your content if it doesn’t deliver value to your audience, and more. Once you’re done, you can simply export your content however you choose.
Social media clips: If you want to generate excitement for an upcoming stream, or you’re looking for ways to expand your social media marketing efforts, Riverside.FM has you covered. Inside your editor, you can transform long-form content into a range of different short-form pieces. You’ll be able to upload everything to channels like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and Vemo, depending on your needs.
Smartphone apps: Initially, Riverside.FM only offered support for recording and editing your content on iOS devices. However, the solution has transformed recently, introducing a new solution for Android users too. This means anyone can record amazing content instantly from a range of different devices. You can find the apps on the Apple and Google Play stores, and start recording instantly, with your phone’s camera.
Screen sharing: If you need to deliver extra context with your podcasts and videos, Riverside.FM supports instant screen sharing. You can pull up useful information from your screen in seconds, and share as much as you like. Multiple team members can even share screens simultaneously if you’re working with a group of creators. This is a great way to make your content more engaging.
Live call in: The live call-in capabilities allow listeners and other members of your team to simply “call in” to a recording or live streaming session. All you need to do is send a link to the person you want to engage in your podcast or video. You’ll have the freedom to approve or decline call-ins according to your specific needs.
Transcriptions: If you want to make your content more accessible, Riverside.FM supports live transcriptions for your content. You can convert your podcasts and videos into text in seconds. This is also great if you want to search through previous pieces of content for quotes or keywords to share in your marketing campaigns.
Live streaming: Aside from simply recording and sharing podcast and video content, you can also stream live pieces to your community. While you’re recording, you can simply click the livestream button to send your content straight to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, or a custom RTMP destination.
Schedule and Invite: Built-in scheduling and sharing tools make it simple to schedule interviews with professionals and collaborators. You can invite up to 8 people to a stream in advance, and all the user needs to do to join in is click a link from their browser. The solution works with iOS and Android devices, as well as Chrome and Edge browsers.
Accessible links: When you’re creating your recording, you can share the live session with anyone. The creation tool comes with a built-in accessible link creator, so you can connect with your teams and other professionals in real-time.
Producer mode and controls: If someone in your team is making their own podcast and you want to listen in, you can join as a producer and check out the content in the background. You don’t have to be recorded to get involved. You’ll also be able to make changes to the settings on the back-end, to ensure everything looks and sounds amazing.
Collaboration: For effective team collaboration, Riverside.fm offers access to shared team spaces, with informative dashboards where you can manage and review all of the productions in your organization. You can also use individual permission settings to determine what each individual can do and access within a recording.

Riverside.FM Pricing

As mentioned above, compared to other podcast recording and sharing tools, Riverside.FM is relatively affordable. You’ll get 21% off your packages if you opt for a yearly plan instead of a monthly service. Plus, there’s a free plan for those who want to get a quick taste of the features.

The free plan allows you to create 2 hours of separate audio and video tracks, on a one-off basis. You’ll also be able to access unlimited single track recording and editing. Unfortunately, there will be a watermark on your exported files. Plus, you’ll get 44.1 kHZ audio quality, and 720p video quality, as well as unlimited video calling for your internal teams.

Paid plans include:

Standard: $15 per month for 5 hours of video and audio tracks each month. You also get everything in Free, plus no watermarks, and up to 4k video quality, and 48 kHZ audio quality. This package also includes live streaming for social media, and screen sharing.
Pro: $24 per month for up to 15 hours of video and audio tracks every month. You’ll also have access to all the features of Standard, as well as live call-ins, unlimited transcriptions, and live chat support from the Riverside.FM team.
Teams: Custom pricing: The Teams plan includes unlimited video and audio tracks, unlimited productions, and custom seat packages for all of your team members. You get everything you’d get from Pro, as well as the option to change the input and output devices of remote guests. There’s full frame view, and a range of FPS options to choose from. Plus, you can set specific roles and permissions, and get support from a customer success manager. This plan also offers SSO support, and SOC2 type II and ISO27001 certification.

All of the plans, including the free option come with access to producer and audience modes, editing tools, clips, screen sharing, live call-ins, noise reduction, multicam functionality, timeline exporting, and integrations. There’s also knowledgebase and email support on every plan.

Riverside Review: Finishing Thoughts

If you’re looking for an alternative to Zoom, Spotify, and other leading tools for creation audio and video podcasts, Riverside is a great choice. The lossless video recording and audio features on all plans is second to none. Plus, you can easily create multitrack content using your iPhone.

The remote recording software is fantastic for distributed teams, and there are built-in tools in the platform for post-production editing. After you record audio and video, you can download your content as separate tracks, or as a merged piece. The key features of the podcast hosting platform also ensure you can enjoy excellent reliability at all times.

Already, countless professionals use Riverside.FM as their go-to podcast software. If you’re looking for a tool that allows you to record podcast and videos without compromise, this could be the ideal tool for you. There’s even excellent customer support included across most plans.

If you’re looking for an alternative, you can always consider options like: