Simple Podcast Setups for Solo, Remote, and In-Person (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Look at a few podcast setups online, and it's easy to feel like your shopping list just keeps getting longer. But how much of that equipment do you actually need? Well, that depends on the podcast you're making. So let's simplify it. I'm going to break down a solo setup, recording remotely with a co-host, and recording together in person so you can figure out what you need for your show. If you're recording by yourself, hey, this is pretty simple. You need a microphone, a camera, and somewhere to record. For the microphone, I really like the FDUCE SL40. It's affordable, and I think it sounds really freaking good. And it connects directly to your computer over USB. That means you don't need a separate audio interface or recorder. But it also has an XLR connection if you want to build around that later. Put it on a stand or boom arm and keep it within a few inches of your mouth, slightly off to the side. And make sure to choose a quiet, furnished room. An expensive microphone is not going to fix an echoey room or the air conditioner running next to your desk. For video, I'd start with the webcam you already have. Get it around eye level and face a window or light so people can see you clearly. Your phone is also a fantastic option to get started with. That's the whole setup. Your microphone, your camera, and Riverside to record it. Pretty easy. Start there, and once you've recorded a few episodes, you'll have a much better idea of what you actually want to upgrade. Now, adding a remote co-host is basically like taking that same single person setup and putting one of them in each person's room. Each of you needs a microphone, a camera, headphones, and your own computer. You can keep using a microphone like the FDUCE SL40. You don't suddenly need an expensive microphone just because there's two people on the show. In Riverside, send your co-host the guest link. They join and select their equipment just like you, and you're ready to go. Riverside records each person locally on their own device, so the recorded quality doesn't depend on the quality of the video call. You also get separate tracks to work with when you're editing, and trust me, that makes a huge difference. Seriously, both of you should be wearing headphones. Otherwise, your microphone could pick up your co-host's voice coming out of the speakers. Now, for cameras, you can use webcams or compatible cameras that have USB webcam mode. I currently use the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, and my co-host uses the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. Although, we are planning on each getting an Insta360 Link 2 Pro, so their cameras match a little bit better. See, that's what I'm talking about when I say start with what you already have, then you'll know what you want to upgrade later. I'll probably make a separate video about that setup once it's ready to go, but let me know in the comments if that's something you'd be interested in. The nice thing about this setup is that each person only has to manage their own equipment. You can make a show together without building a studio together. That's actually the biggest reason why my friend and I started our podcast. We needed to have the least amount of friction possible in order for us to actually start doing it, and recording remotely in our own setups whenever we have time made it possible. But, I get it. Maybe you want to sit across from your co-host or bring guests into the room. You've definitely seen those polished podcast studios and thought, okay, I want mine to look like that. That's totally fair, but you don't need a dedicated studio to get started. I put this setup together in my living room using two FDUCE SL40 microphones, a Zoom F3, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, and a Sony FX30 with a budget wide-angle lens. Everything ran into my MacBook recording through the Riverside Mac app. Now, let me break this setup down. For audio, each of us had our own microphone, connected both of them over XLR to the Zoom F3, which we're using as a USB audio interface. Now, that's what brings both microphones into the computer. For video, I'm using the Osmo Pocket 3 and the Sony FX30, and that gives each of us our own camera angle. It also keeps the setup very simple, and this is a good example of working with what you have. The cameras don't have to match to get started. To be fair, the Pocket 3 and the FX30 are vastly different cameras, but try to keep the framing, brightness, and color reasonably consistent so cutting between them doesn't feel too distracting. In Riverside's Mac app, assign each person their camera and microphone input using in-person multicam recording. That gives you separate tracks to work with when you edit. I'll link our walkthrough video on in-person mode right up here for you to check out. We also used some basic lighting to make sure both of us looked good on camera. In this example, I'm using the lights I already own, which I wouldn't necessarily consider as budget options, but you can keep this very simple. So, that's the setup. Two microphones going through one interface, two camera angles, and one computer recording everything in Riverside. You could always build on it later, but this gives you a practical starting point for recording together using a room and some equipment you might already have. But whatever setup you choose, make sure it's something you'll actually enjoy using. If getting ready to record feels like a whole production every single week and it's burning you out, there's no shame in wanting to simplify it. You want to spend your time having a good conversation, not troubleshooting your equipment every time you want to record. If you're ready to start recording your podcast with Riverside, you'll find the link in the description to get started. And if you have any questions about your setup or everything we addressed in this video, make sure to leave them in the comments. I'll be happy to answer them personally. Be sure to like this video, subscribe for more content just like this. And if you want to learn more about recording, editing, and creating better content with Riverside, I'll link a few more videos for you to check out right up here and in the description down below. Thank you so much for watching, and we can't wait to see what you create.