Squadcast Review

Many are looking for new avenues to record their podcast remotely due to social distancing. There are a lot of ways to do this; and this week I tried Squadcast.

This review will provide a brief walk through of how to use the software with a list of my pros and cons.

Walk Through

To use Squadcast you have to register for it. You’ll get a 7-day free trial then you can choose which tier you want to subscribe to.

Prices for a monthly subscription start at $10. When you first sign up you will be led through a virtual walk-through of the platform. Even if you are familiar with lots of apps and normally work things out yourself, don’t skip this it will save you time in the long run. The App will request access to your mic and camera, you can give permission for both or just your microphone.

Creating a recording session is easy and straightforward. Give your session a title and enter your guests’ details; do note that as soon as you do this an email will be sent to them. The email they receive has the details of how to connect to the call and best practices for an interview. When your guest(s) follow the link, they will first go into a green room. This is a sort of virtual waiting room where they get a last chance to check that both their microphone and headphones are connected properly - then they need to click on an icon to join your session.

The host starts the session. You need to press ‘record’ at the start of the interview - this is important as you will be able to speak to each other before the session starts recording. At the top of the screen you will see a timer which shows how much time from your chosen plan you have left. After the interview is done your guest can disconnect and Squadcast will then turn each person’s recoring into a separate audio file.

Pros

  • As a Podcast Editor the easiest files to work with and “polish” are WAV files. Squadcast delivers your files in this format. You can also choose to have your recorded file in the MP3 format.

  • Instructions sent in the guest e-mail are easy to follow, even for first-time users. If they can use Zoom they can use Squadcast.

  • Once you have recorded your interview Squadcast can combine the two files into one for you.

  • The final files are available in either an MP3 or WAV format.

  • Very clear audio.

  • You get to use all the features during the trial period.

  • If you are about to run over your recording time limit Squadcast sends you a message asking you if you want to buy additional time for $5. Only you see this message - your guest does not.

Cons

  • If your guest isn’t used to any online conference platforms it can be frustratiing when the app doesn’t connect to the right mic or headphones.

  • Some people might find the cost prohibitive.

  • You have to use it in Google Chrome.

Final thoughts, I found Squadcast easy to use and good value for the money. Do make your own decision and test it making use of the free 7-day trial.

Tools & TipsPatricia Jenkins