Why Riverside.fm is the Perfect Tool for Your Podcast

Tom Pounder • May 21, 2024

I have been podcasting since 2015. Up until that time, I had just been blogging, But, sensing that podcasts were going to be a great medium for people to consume content with Apple investing tons in their podcast platform, I jumped in. And, I loved it!

 

My podcast was primarily audio until the end of 2021 when I began working with The Church Digital. Once that happened, I started video recording my episodes. And, that was a lot of fun. I used Zoom and iMovie to put the video portion of my podcast together. And, while that was good, through the encouragement of Jeff Reed and others, I moved from Zoom recording to Riverside.fm. And now, looking back on this, I should have made the move a lot sooner.

 

Before we get into why Riverside.fm is a great platform for you as a podcaster, let's talk about what Riverside.fm is real quick.  It is Zoom on steroids. Not only does it give. you the option to record audio and video, the quality of those are fantastic. Much better than other platforms. And now, with the emergence of AI, it uses AI to create Magic Clips that at a tap of your mouse, they can create clips for you to share on all social media platforms in less than 5 minutes.  


Why Riverside.fm?

 

So you have Zoom or Skype and they work good. Why should you choose Riverside? Here are a few reasons. 

 

  1. High-quality audio recording. Riverside.fm records audio from each participant separately. That ensures that everyone's audio is captured in high-quality without interference or background noise from other participants.

  2. Video recording and live streaming. In addition to the excellence in audio recording, Riverside.fm allows podcasters to record video and even live stream their podcasts while they are happening. You do have this option in Zoom, but with Riverside, there are more options to stream to. 

  3. Local recording. This might be one of their biggest assets. With Riverside.fm, podcasters and their guests are recorded locally from their computer which is then uploaded to the cloud as the recording is going on. This means that if your internet connection is bad and there is buffering on one side or another, it won't affect the final recording as it's being recorded locally before uploaded. That option isn't available on platforms like Zoom. 

  4. Automatic backup and transcription. While other platforms will automatically back up the recording of your podcast, Riverside.fm takes it a step further. It also transcribes your podcast as it is recording. this makes it easier for podcasters to manage and repurpose their content. 

  5. AI Tools. AI has already made an impact in various ways. Now, it is helping podcasters create short form and long form videos from their recordings. After your recording is uploaded, by simply clicking the "Magic Clips" button, AI automatically scans your episode and creates 3-5 clips that you can share on various social media platforms. In addition, you can edit them and add or subtract content to each clip. It saves tons of time for the podcast and provides great content to share on social media.

  6. Producer View. This view enables you to bring on a producer to see and monitor the audio levels of each participant and even adjust those audio levels, if necessary. Producers can see the microphone, input, speakers and camera being used by all the participants. It's a huge advantage because then the podcaster(s) can focus on the interview and the producer can focus on the technical aspects of the recording.

  7. User-friendly interface. A robust platform like Riverside.fm might seem like a lot to manage for the average podcaster. However, the platform is very user-friendly and makes it easy for podcasters to set up, record, and manage their recordings and episodes. 

 

If you would like to check out and start using Riverside, click this link and sign up today. 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, Riverside.fm is a very powerful platform that is designed to streamline the podcast recording process designed to help podcasters in a variety of ways. Not only does it provide high-quality audio and video, but how it records and provide excellent post-production tools is top notch.

 

What do you think? Have you used Riverside.fm? What do you think? Share your ideas below or on social media.

 

Through The Church Digital ,  we are helping physical and digital churches better understand the discipleship process, and helping churches and church planters understand this and other decentralized mindset shifts. By taking this  quick survey we can get you connect with a coach, resources and more. Also, check out our Discord Group where we are encouraging people daily. 

What do you think? Share your ideas on Discord or on social media.


Through the.Church.digital, we are helping physical and digital churches better understand the discipleship process, and helping churches and church planters understand this and other decentralized mindset shifts. By taking this quick assessment we can get you connect with a coach, resources and more. Also, check out our Discord Group where we are encouraging people daily. 

Tools and Apps that Help Ministers Stay Productive
By Tom Pounder 13 Jun, 2024
As a ministry leader, it can often feel like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between sermon and message preparation, admin work, pastoral counseling, and community outreach, the to-do list can seem endless. However, leveraging the right digital productivity tools and apps can help you stay organized and maximize your time. Here are some tools and apps ministers can use to stay productive: Project Management Tools A good project management tool is essential for keeping you organized. In just one place you can have all your ministry initiatives, events, and tasks organized, not just for you to see but for your staff and key volunteers. Some of the popular options are apps such as Trello, Asana, and Monday.com. They allow you to create project boards, assign tasks with due dates, attach files, and collaborate with staffers and key volunteers. It really helps to keep you organized and prevents important details from slipping through the cracks. Note-Taking Apps Where do you put all your notes? Is there one central place or are they scattered on this notepad or that notepad? The reality is that inspiration strikes at different times. Whether it is a sermon illustration or ministry program idea that comes to mind or just notes you are taking for a meeting, you need a way to quickly write it down before it escapes your mind. There are great apps like Evernote, OneNote, and Google Keep that enable you to jot down notes, record audio clips, snap photos, and organize everything in an easily searchable way across all your devices. Cloud Storage In ministry, you constantly need to access, edit and share documents, media files, and other resources both individually and as a team. Cloud storage solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box and OneDrive keep everything centralized, backed up, and accessible from anywhere. If you need to give people access to see your documents or files, you can give permissions to others and let them collaborate on any file in real-time. Social Media Management Tools In today's world, it is important for Churches, ministries and ministry leaders to have an active presence on social media. Channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube and TikTok give you opportunities to engage your local and online communities. But, how do you create and share digital encouragement for each of these platforms? After all, manually creating posts for each platform is incredibly time consuming. The good news is that there are tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social that allow you to schedule updates across the multiple platforms from one simple interface. Check them out as they have a variety of free and paid price points. Conclusion As with anything, there is no silver bullet that will cure all your productivity needs. However, there are plenty of apps that can help you as you seek to minister to people today. Look over the different apps and be intentional about which ones you adopt. Then, configure them for your needs, and consistently use them as you seek to minister to more people.
4 Keys to Sharing a Sermon Online
By Tom Pounder 12 Jun, 2024
Sermons and messages from ministry leaders don't just have to be shared in person these days. In fact, they are often recorded at church live in video and audio formats to reach more people with the message of hope found in Christ. While people often take the sermon from the in-person church service to share online, these are not the only ways ministers can share about Christ today. Ministers can record shorter messages, devotionals and interviews of people sharing their faith stories. While anyone can record and share a video message, there are some tips that ministers can and should incorporate into them to make them more effective in the online environment. After all, communicating effectively on video platforms is a little different than sharing live, in person. So what can you do? What are some key points ministers should be incorporating into their message? Here are a few ideas: Prioritize Engagement Over Entertainment While it is important to keep their attention when teaching, the primary goal should be engagement, not entertainment. Make sure your message is theologically sound and practical as you ask thought-provoking questions and interactive with the people who are watching your message as you give them practical next steps they can take to grow in their faith. Keep engaging with them so they remain hooked on your message throughout the entirety of it. Maximize Eye Contact and Energy When preaching live, you feed off the energy of the room. With video, you have to manufacture that energy yourself. Look directly into the camera lens frequently to create the feeling of eye contact with viewers. Use passionate vocal inflection and animated gestures to keep people engaged. However, be careful not to go overboard to the point of theatrics. Share Compelling Stories Stories are powerful tools for illustrating key points of a message in a way that people can relate to and remember. Stories that often work best are personal stories as it makes you relatable and people can identify with you more. Hook Early and Often People often decide if they want to continue listening to a video within a few seconds. That is why it is important to hook them with a question or story early. But, you have to continue to keep them hooked as it is easy to tune out to a video you are watching. Continue to ask questions, share stories or ask them to comment on your video while you are sharing. The more you can keep them engaged and listening, the longer they will watch. Conclusion Giving the message and sharing the gospel is one of the most important things a minister can do. These four tips can help ministers maximize the effectiveness of their message on video platforms like online streaming, podcasts, and social media.
What's Happening with Ministry in the Metaverse?
By Tom Pounder 06 Jun, 2024
Ministry is happening in the Metaverse and VR. But what exactly? Stuart McPherson comes on the podcast to talk about what is happening and how churches can move forward with ministry in digital spaces like the metaverse. Check out Stuart’s Metaverse Learning Community with theChurch.digital. You can find Stuart's book, " Your Church In VR: How To Plant A Church In Virtual Reality " on Amazon. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Android | Spotify | RSS ACTION STEPS: Share your thoughts! What do you think? Share below or on social media by connecting with Tom . If you want to connect with Stuart you can find him on Twitter/X . You can also check out his podcast " Metaverse Church " and his blog . Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group .To learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL ministers, not just church communicators or social media managers as we share resources, tools and digital trends to see how we can reach more people for Christ with these tools. Looking for Digital Ministry Coaching ? The Church Digital is offering a variety of digital, phygital or metaverse ministry coaching and cohorts. Just click here . If you are in digital ministry, be part of the Digital Ministry Twitter Community . We share daily encouragement and support to help you do ministry in this online world more effectively. Sign up for the Sidekick Scoop Weekly Email .Each Friday get a fresh email with content from all over the ministry world (especially online and student ministry topics) and be encouraged in how you can minister more effectively in today's world. If you have an idea for a topic or a person for Tom to interview for a future podcast episode, email tom@thechurch.digital .
By Tom Pounder 05 Jun, 2024
Longer daylight, allergies and warmer weather. May really starts to amp up the summer vibes. As summer approaches, there has been a lot happening in the digital and online ministry world, as well. To help you keep up with all the new digital and online ministry trends and happenings, The Church Digital Podcast Network and Blogs had a bunch we loved to share in regards to all the latest trends in social media, live stream, digital discipleship and all things online ministry so that you can minister and serve your online community more effectively. Here are 5 online ministry insights and lessons learned from some of the podcasts released on The Church Digital Podcast Network and the blog from May 2024. Learn in Community There are lots of ways you can learn. One great way is to learn in community. the.Church.digital has two great opportunities for you to learn in community now. One is through Discord where online ministers from all different backgrounds get together to share insights, ask questions and build a community of ministry leaders. The other way is through Learning Communities starting in July. These communities are centered around a specific topic and can really help you grow in that specific area. Jeff and Andy talk about all learning community options in the podcast. Cybersecurity is ESSENTIAL for Your Church Over the years church security has been important. After all, you do not want to have people breaking into your Church building. However, in today's world, churches need to be protecting their digital and online "buildings" as well. See how and why it is essential for churches to embrace cybersecurity . There are MANY VR Volunteer Roles VR and metaverse ministry is still relatively new. However, as it continues to grow, there are volunteer roles that are necessary to help those looking to discover God there. Stuart talks to Christina, who is a volunteer with Fox River VR. She shares what it’s like to be a volunteer for a church in VR . Be FOCUSED In Your Digital Communications Being focused in your digital communications is so important these days. That is why Jeff Reed and Barbara Carneiro chat about the importance of clarity and language in ministry and digital communication . They talk about the need for individuals and organizations to have a clear vision and message that can be easily understood and shared while also discussing the challenges and opportunities of fundraising in ministry and the importance of storytelling in casting vision. Your Church SHOULD BE On YouTube Youtube is a powerful tool for your digital and online ministry. While there are many reasons how Youtube can work for your church , there are 3 big reasons why. Start experimenting today to reach that next generation for Christ.
4 Digital Tools That Help Enable Pastoral Care and Counseling
By Tom Pounder 04 Jun, 2024
Pastors and ministry leaders have many roles and responsibilities. While many roles seem to take higher priority, providing quality pastoral care and counseling is of significant importance. It's a real opportunity to minister and walk alongside people in the community and church as they experience life's joys and struggles. Ministers can care for them as they offer biblical wisdom, prayer, and support every step of the way. In today's world, having access to technology gives ministers and pastors powerful tools that can enhance and expand their pastoral care efforts. Here are four digital tools that will help enhance pastoral care and counseling opportunities for ministers today. Online Scheduling Tools To schedule appointments in the past, you would have to call the church office and schedule. However, with great apps like Calendly and AppointmentPlus, it provides Church attendees and people in the community to easily schedule appointments for themselves. It takes an extra step or two out of the old process and really streamlines the scheduling process. Video Counseling Platforms When Covid hit, it gave the world the chance to embrace digital tools to help communicate and build community. Zoom and video conferencing platforms really help people connect and it can help ministers connect with people needing counseling as well. This is really helpful for people who need to talk to a minster but are homebound or cannot make it to an in-person meeting. There are also great HIPAA-compliant platforms like BetterHelp and Faithful Counseling facilitate secure video sessions for pastoral/christian counseling. Prayer Team Support Pastors and ministry leaders are called to be prayer warriors. They are also called to empower others to be prayers warriors, as well. By setting up an email address like prayer@(yourChurch).com or a page on your website, you enable people needing prayer and support a place to go at any time, knowing that someone will be praying for them right then and there. Group Messaging Apps Sometimes pastoral care happens spontaneously and informally throughout the day. Setting up apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or other similar and secure group messaging apps make it simple to quickly send an encouraging Bible verse to someone who is in need of encouragement. You can check in on someone who is struggling, or rally friends to surround a member with prayer in their time of need. Conclusion While technology cannot replace the importance of in-person presence, these digital tools have the power to expand how ministers connect with congregations through pastoral care and counseling. See how leveraging a few to increase accessibility and impact.
Key Digital and Online Analytics to Track for Churches
By Tom Pounder 28 May, 2024
How do you know if you are being effective in your digital and online ministry? As churches seek to engage with and reach more people online for Christ, it's very important to be able to track the right analytics. After all, how can you possibly know you are being effective or not if you can't look over the numbers across your online platforms. By monitoring and keeping track of key social media metrics, you can better understand your audience, optimize your content strategy, and measure the impact of your efforts.
What Digital Discipleship Can Look Like at Your Church
By Tom Pounder 23 May, 2024
Digital Discipleship has grown leaps and bounds in recent years. And the future is bright for what lies ahead as ministers learn how to continue to use technology to disciples people. That is why DK Hammond is back on the podcast. Today, we talk about what you can do now and what are some of the more effective ways to disciple people digitally today.
Why Cybersecurity Matters for Churches
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As ministers and followers of Christ, one of our primary responsibilities is to guide and lead others to Christ. However, effective leadership goes beyond delivering sermons and Bible studies. It means to continue train and equip people to take next steps in their faith and to grow as leaders.
By jeff 15 May, 2024
While online ministry has differences to in-person ministry, there is one very specific similarity. That is you want to reach as many people for Christ as possible. Who you reach is different, but you want to reach as many people for Christ as possible because ministers know that transformational power and hope of Christ.
By jeff 14 May, 2024
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By jeff 08 May, 2024
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Spring is a great time...for allergies! While many people struggle with allergies this month, there has been a lot happening in the digital and online ministry world. To help you keep up with all the new digital and online ministry trends and happenings, The Church Digital Podcast Network and Blogs had a bunch we loved to share in regards to all the latest trends in social media, live stream, digital discipleship and all things online ministry so that you can minister and serve your online community more effectively.
By jeff 25 Apr, 2024
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By jeff 24 Apr, 2024
By jeff 23 Apr, 2024
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In the Church there are lots of different ways you can serve. And, with Online Ministry options, there are even more of a variety of options. However, just because someone is comfortable using technology and has the passion to serve in this area doesn't mean they automatically know how to effectively serve in the different roles. Proper training is key to equipping your digital volunteers for online ministry excellence.
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