Record from home. Sound like the studio. You bring the conversation. We bring the producer, the recording and the edit. This is everything you need to get ready, and none of it needs new kit.
You talk. We do the rest.
A remote session is a proper studio session, with you at home. Your producer runs it from start to finish, so there's nothing technical to remember and nothing to press.
- Joining first and checking your camera, mic and light with you
- Pressing record, and pressing stop
- Watching your sound and picture the whole way through
- Making sure every file has uploaded before anyone leaves
- Syncing, cutting and editing every feed into your finished episode
- Click the link in your booking email or calendar invite
- Sit somewhere quiet, facing the light
- Talk
- Stay on until we say your files are safe
No account to create. No settings to learn. No editing.
Small tweaks. Big difference.
Ten minutes before you join, run through these. Your producer will double-check every one with you before we press record.
Camera at eye level
- Raise the laptop on books until the lens is level with your eyes.
- Face it straight on, about an arm's length away.
- Eyes about a third down from the top of the frame, head and shoulders in shot.
Looking down into a low laptop is the number one thing we fix on the day.
Face the light
- Face a window, or put a lamp in front of you or off to one side.
- Never sit with a window behind you. The camera exposes for the bright window and you become a silhouette.
- A sheer curtain over a bright window gives soft, flattering light.
- Wear glasses? Keep them on. Raise the light a little or angle it off to the side to kill the glare.
Mic close, and keep it there
- Whatever you're using, the closer the mic is to your mouth, the better you sound and the less of the room it hears.
- Got a USB or external mic? Plug it in before you join and choose it from the list, or your laptop mic gets used instead.
- Headphones with a mic on the cable beat a laptop's built-in mic, because the mic sits closer to your mouth.
- Stay a steady distance rather than leaning in and out.
Headphones on
- Any headphones beat none. Without them, your speakers feed everyone else's voice back into your mic as echo.
- Wired beats AirPods, as Bluetooth can lag and drops in quality when its mic is in use. It won't make or break your episode though.
- External mic on a phone or iPad? Your headphones need to be wired.
What to wear
- Neutral and mid tones look best on camera, as do solid, rich colours.
- Pure black and bright white are harder for a webcam to expose, so detail gets lost.
- Fine stripes and small checks can shimmer on camera, and big logos pull focus.
A nice-to-have, not a rule. Wear what you feel confident in.
A quiet, soft room
- Soft furnishings (sofa, rug, curtains, bookshelves) soak up echo. Kitchens and empty rooms bounce it around.
- Close doors and windows, turn off fans and heaters, and let the household know you're recording.
- A still chair beats a swivel chair, and try not to tap the desk your mic sits on.
- A glass of water nearby for a dry mouth.
Laptop settings
- On a Mac, set Mic Mode to Standard (Control Centre, then Mic Mode). The other modes change how your voice sounds.
- Switch off video effects like Portrait, Studio Light, Center Stage and Reactions. Reactions can drop balloons into your shot mid-sentence.
- Silence notifications on your computer and phone, and turn on Do Not Disturb.
- Close Zoom, Teams and anything else using your camera or mic, and pause any VPN or ad blocker.
- Plug in your laptop and, if you can, your router cable too.
Level up: your iPhone as the camera
- Got an iPhone and a Mac? Your phone's camera is far sharper than a laptop webcam, and Apple's Continuity Camera lets you use it wirelessly.
- Mount it in landscape, rear camera facing you, then pick it as your camera when you join.
- Needs an iPhone XR or newer, a recent macOS, and the same Apple ID on both. Plug the phone in and turn on Do Not Disturb.
Optional. A raised laptop in good light looks great too.
Five clicks to the studio
Your join link is in your booking email and your calendar invite. Everyone uses the same link, so forward it to anyone joining you.
Laptop or desktop
Open the link in Google Chrome. No download, no account. Please don't use an Incognito or private window, as it can't record.
Download the free app first
Install Riverside from the App Store or Google Play, then tap your link. A phone's web browser can't record. Hold it landscape and stay in the app.
- 01Open your linkAbout 10 minutes before your start time.
- 02Type your nameIt's how you'll be labelled in the edit.
- 03Allow your camera and micClick Allow when your browser asks.
- 04Pick your mic and cameraChoose your plugged-in mic from the list, and say whether you're wearing headphones.
- 05Click Join studioIf it says you're waiting for the host, your producer will let you straight in.
The red light is our job
We press record
Your producer starts and stops the recording and keeps an eye and ear on everything. Forget it's there.
The call looks softer than it is
What you see live is a preview. Your actual recording is captured in full quality on your own device.
Dropped out? Rejoin.
Open the same link again. Your recording is saved as you go, so a wobble on the live call doesn't ruin the take.
Don't leave until it hits 100%
Everyone records in full quality on their own device, and that recording keeps uploading after we press stop. Leave too early and we can lose part of the episode. Your producer will tell you the moment it's safe.
Your quick checklist
Good to know
Do I need to download anything or make an account?
Not on a laptop or desktop. Open your link in Chrome and type your name. On a phone or iPad, download the free Riverside app first, which is what our remote studio runs on.
Who presses record?
Your producer. You never need to start, stop or save anything.
Can several people join from different places?
Yes. Everyone uses the same link and each person is recorded separately in high quality, then we cut it all together.
Does a slow connection ruin the recording?
No. The live call might wobble, but your recording is captured on your own device, so it stays sharp. Plug into your router if you can, just to keep the conversation smooth.
Can someone join online while I'm in the studio?
Yes. Book your studio, tell us who's joining online, and we'll send them the link and cut both together.
Something's not working on the day?
WhatsApp us on 07365 144548 and your producer will sort it.
Record from anywhere. We handle the rest.
Book any session and choose "Fully online", or tell us who's joining you remotely. We'll handle everything else.