Overview

Riverside is an online studio for recording remote podcasts and video interviews, aimed at creators who want to capture and finish conversations in one workflow. It is most compelling when separate participant tracks and built-in editing or publishing matter; the monthly download caps on those tracks are the key trade-off.

Recording, editing and publishing sit alongside a distinct webinar plan, so Riverside can suit solo creators as well as production teams. But the right plan depends on whether you need higher recording quality, streaming, webinar capacity or simply a few hours of multi-track recording.

Key features

Recording and post-production

Riverside supports local video recording, separate participant tracks and automatic transcription, with WAV and MP3 audio export. Free provides 720p video and 44.1 kHz audio; Pro raises those ceilings to 4K and 48 kHz and adds in-person multi-camera recording. That makes Pro a better fit for creators who need higher-quality source material, though it requires annual billing.

Pro also includes unlimited text-based editing, an AI editing and repurposing agent, Magic Clips, show notes and audio enhancement. These tools make the plan useful for creators who want to handle more of the post-production workflow in the same service. Recording itself is unlimited on Pro, Grow and Webinar, but separate-track downloads are capped monthly at 15, 20 and 25 hours respectively. Editors who routinely export individual tracks may hit those limits even when recording time is not a concern.

Publishing, webinars and integrations

Pro includes podcast hosting and analytics, with publishing to YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Instagram, LinkedIn and other destinations. Integrations or workflows include Spotify, Transistor, Castos, HubSpot, Salesforce, webinar webhooks, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. That breadth supports a connected publishing workflow, although the plan choice still determines track-download capacity.

Webinar is built for events rather than just interviews: it supports up to 100 registrants, branded registration forms, Q&A, live call-ins, polls, analytics and HubSpot lead syncing. Business raises webinar capacity to 10,000 registrants and provides unlimited studios and separate-track downloads, making it the option for larger operations that need room to scale, at custom pricing.

Pricing

Riverside has a free plan, a 14-day trial and paid plans from $24/mo (annual) in its pricing summary. The plan prices below clarify the billing terms: Standard is the lower-cost monthly option, while Pro, Grow and Webinar are billed annually.

Free — 0.00 USD per free: Two hours of multi-track recordings, up to 720p video, 44.1 kHz audio, a Riverside watermark, and unlimited single-track recording and editing. It is a useful way to try the workflow, but the multi-track allowance and watermark make it a limited choice for regular polished production.
Standard — 19.00 USD per month, billed monthly: Five hours of multi-track recording per month and 4K video. It suits creators who need more multi-track time and higher video resolution without an annual commitment; the included features do not match Pro’s stated editing and publishing bundle.
Pro — 24.00 USD per month, billed $288 annually: Up to 4K video, 48 kHz audio, one studio and 15 hours of separate-track downloads, alongside Pro’s editing and publishing features. It fits creators who want the broadest production workflow, but annual billing and the download cap matter.
Grow — 34.00 USD per month, billed $408 annually: 1080p live streaming, unlimited multistream destinations, two studios and 20 hours of separate-track downloads. Choose it for streaming and multiple studios rather than Pro’s higher stated video resolution.
Webinar — 79.00 USD per month, billed $948 annually: Up to 100 webinar registrants, three studios, 25 hours of separate-track downloads and HubSpot integration, plus webinar features. It is aimed at event hosts, not someone seeking only a basic interview recorder.
Business — custom pricing: Unlimited studios and separate-track downloads, with webinars for up to 10,000 registrants. Its scale suits larger teams, but price is custom.

Platforms

Riverside lists Android, iOS, macOS, web, Windows and API support. Computer recording is supported in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari 18.2 or newer, though some studio features are unavailable in Safari. Linux computers are unsupported for recording, so Linux users should look elsewhere for that part of the workflow.

Who it's for

Riverside is a strong fit for remote podcast and video interview creators who want separate tracks, transcription and a path from recording into editing or publishing. Pro best serves creators who need its post-production tools and higher audio quality. Grow is more relevant to streamers needing multistreaming or multiple studios, while Webinar and Business suit hosts with larger event or team requirements. It is less suitable for Linux recording or for frequent separate-track exporters who would exceed their plan’s monthly allowance.

Pros and cons

Pro combines production tools: Higher-quality recording, editing, clips, show notes, audio enhancement, hosting and analytics are bundled for creators managing the workflow end to end.
Recording time is generous on higher plans: Pro, Grow and Webinar allow unlimited recording, which helps long sessions, but separate-track downloads remain capped.
Plan limits affect production choices: Free has only two hours of multi-track recordings and carries a watermark; paid track-download limits rise from 15 to 25 hours before Business offers unlimited downloads.
Browser and OS constraints are real: Safari lacks some studio features and Linux recording is unsupported.
Business adds meaningful scale: Unlimited studios and downloads plus 10,000 webinar registrants serve larger teams, though the plan uses custom pricing.

Alternatives

For a different recording setup, consider Cleanfeed, which has a free plan and supports web, desktop and mobile platforms including Linux. Iris.fm offers a free plan with browser-based guest access and a $9.00 USD per month Starter plan with two hours of recording, a more limited alternative for modest sessions. Async is a freemium option centered on AI media chat, with 10 lifetime AI credits, one hour of lifetime media upload, up to 720p export and 2 GB storage on its free plan.

Spreaker is worth considering for podcast publishing: its always-free Free Speech plan allows one podcast, unlimited episodes and six months of statistics, while Broadcaster costs 20.00 USD per month. Zencastr has a free plan with six participants, unlimited recording and downloads, up to 4K video, unlimited track storage and five podcast shows. Adobe Podcast is another freemium web option; its free plan includes audio-only Enhance Speech with per-file and daily limits, plus limited Studio downloads.

Airtape Studio offers a free plan with two recording hours per month and two participants. Boomcaster has a free forever plan and a Starter plan at 20.00 USD per month. Browse podcast recording software for more recording choices, audio editing software for editing-focused tools, live streaming software for streaming alternatives, or live TV streaming services for a different category.

Verdict

Riverside is a strong choice for creators who want remote podcast and video recording with separate tracks and a substantial editing and publishing workflow. Pro is the clearest fit when those tools and higher-quality audio justify annual billing; look elsewhere if you need Linux recording, or choose a plan carefully if you export separate tracks heavily.

	Meld Studio	Riverside
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	$1.42/mo	$19/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	macOS, Windows	Android, api, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$20/mo	$19/mo
Browser-based studio	No	—

Meld Studio vs Riverside

Meld Studio

Riverside