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As video-led podcasts become highly favored by listeners, Podcastle, which was primarily an audio recording and editing studio, is introducing a new feature that enables podcasters to conduct high-resolution video interviews or solo recordings.
Now, Podcastle will allow users to invite and video record up to ten guests through the Chrome browser or the Podcastle mobile app on iOS devices. Since it’s all remote, podcast creators can interview each guest with separate audio and video tracks, also known as multi-track recording. Poor internet connection shouldn’t be a problem either, as Podcastle records all interview participants locally, and the files are automatically saved on a cloud database.
In the weeks ahead, Podcastle says it will launch screen sharing and video rendering, which allows users to interview participants in a single view and download the video without leaving the browser. There will also be the ability to add a unique branding to the background.
To use the service, Podcastle users click on the “+” on the app or “Create New Interview” on the desktop. They then select the type of interview — either video or audio. Each option has a camera feature, however. Creators then schedule the interview and add guests via their email address or by sharing a meeting link. To begin recording, podcast creators click “Start Interview,” and tap the record button. When the interview is finished, the file is automatically saved.
After recording what looks like a Google Meet or Zoom call, users can add the interview to their project and begin working on the audio, isolating tracks, adding royalty-free music or special effects, deleting awkward pauses, and more. The editing stage can only be done on the desktop — the app is just for recording purposes.
Image Credits: Podcastle
Podcastle initially began as a Chrome extension that converts any online article into a podcast. Today, it’s available in the browser and on iOS devices and offers a full suite of tools and features such as an audio editor, text-to-speech converter, automatic background noise, and silence remover, transcriber, and AI-powered features that allow podcasters – beginners and professionals – to easily use features like Magic Dust, which isolates voices and removes background noise.
Upon testing the software, we found that the audio is uncompressed, which means it is as true to the original sound as you can get. The audio sample is 48kHz WAV (Waveform Audio File Format), which is the common standard. We didn’t use a fancy microphone or studio equipment, so while the audio wasn’t “My Favorite Murder” quality, but it was decent.
The video quality on an iPhone is nice, but we wouldn’t consider it studio quality. Recent iPhone and iPad models can record in 4K, so at least you won’t be uploading a video that looks like you took it in the early 00s. To record in 4K, however, Podcastle requires users to pay for a subscription plan.
Podcastle has a basic free tier, yet it only gives users up to three hours per month of audio recording (160kbps MP3 audio download quality) and only 720p video download quality. In addition, it only allows the user to utilize the Magic Dust AI-powered sound enhancement, 1-click silence removal, and auto-leveling features a total of three times per month each.
To upgrade, users must pay $15/month for its Storyteller plan, which gives eight hours of video recording (up to 4K quality) and unlimited audio plus 320kbps MP3 or 1411kbps WAV audio download quality – which is higher in quality than the free 160kbps. Podcastle Pro is $30/month and gives unlimited audio and 20 hours of video recording.
This is a very similar pricing structure to its rival Riverside, except its Standard tier, costs $19/month while Riverside Pro costs $29/month. Both paid plans include the ability to live stream to Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. In addition, Riverside has a free plan, but it has very limited features.
Meanwhile, Anchor by Spotify, another competitor in podcasting software, only allows you to record audio. The service is free due to its monetization philosophy, allowing everyone has access to its features which include an editing tool that is far less comprehensive than Podcastle as it only allows for trimming and splitting audio. But as Spotify advances into video podcasts, it partnered with Riverside to give creators the option to make a separate Riverside account and record video episodes. With Podcastle’s update, you can record both audio and video all on one platform.
“With major video platforms like YouTube dedicating entire departments to the podcasting market, the industry is experiencing a major expansion,” said Artavazd Yeritsyan, the founder and CEO of Podcastle. “We’re so excited to deliver studio-quality video recording to our users, many of whom have been eagerly awaiting this launch,” Yeritsyan added.
Podcastle has raised a total of $8.8 million in funding to date and generates its revenues mainly from the subscription plans.