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Did Google Meet Quietly Become a Podcaster’s Best Tool?

Did Google Meet Quietly Become a Podcaster’s Best Tool?

March 23, 2023

If you host a podcast with remote interviews, you’re probably used to also playing part-time tech support for your guests.

For some guests, using video conferencing software comes with headaches like juggling calendar invites and inconsistent video and audio quality.

Using a tool that’s easy to use or familiar to the guest can make the interview process a lot smoother.

Throughout the pandemic, Zoom became the most popular app for video conferencing, and by default, recording remote interviews. It’s free and easy for anybody to use, but the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Maxing out at 720p.

There are many paid tools available, some of them built specifically for podcasts. And thanks to some new features, Google Meet may have quietly become one of the most viable options…

Google Meet Features on Google One

Google Meet is free for anybody with a Google account. But there are some premium features behind a Google One subscription ($13.99/mo) — or a Google Workspace ($15/mo) plan, that are worth looking at.

2 premium Google Meet features specifically will catch the eyes (and ears) of podcast creators.

Call Recording
Live Streaming to YouTube

Call Recording

Call recordings include the call video, audio, anything shared to the screen, and the chat log. You can also enable captions to be included with it.

The files get automatically saved in the organizer’s Drive. A link even gets added to the original calendar event so finding that recording is easier afterward.

Call Live-Streaming

If you’re a Google One customer or Workspace customer, and have a YouTube channel approved for live streaming, you can stream your conversation directly to YouTube for an intimate, seamless live experience.

Other Podcast-Friendly Benefits of Google One

Call recording and live streaming are new benefits to Google One plans. If you’re interested in Google One, check out here are some other notable benefits:

Background Noise Cancellation
10% Google Store Credit
2TB Drive Storage
Longer Calls
Google VPN

But here’s the big question: Is the $13.99 a month worth it when there are other podcast-specific apps available?

Options for Recording Remote Podcast Interviews

Zoom (FREE)

Zoom took over the world while we were all finding new ways to operate through lockdowns.

The conferencing app exploded in podcast use as it’s free and easy to record calls. The video and audio quality of the recording could be better, but it’s free and easy for most to use.

SquadCast ($20/mo)

SquadCast is designed specifically for podcast interviews with quality audio and recording options and even some basic editing tools.

The quality difference becomes noticeable when you compare Squadcast to Zoom. But the technical overhead (and $$$ overhead) are worth noting.

Zencastr ($20/mo)

Zencastr is another browser-based tool, like SquadCast, designed specifically for podcast recording. You get the high-quality recording, and some post-production tools as well as some other bells and whistles like soundboard sounds.

The professional tier is $20 a month, but they do offer a free tier so you can at least try it out and see if it’s a fit for your production goals.

Riverside ($15/mo)

Riverside seems to be one of the most popular tools for podcast recording. It’s a browser-based tool and also a mobile app with high-quality audio and video recording, post-production tools, and even live streaming to YouTube.

StreamYard ($20/mo)

StreamYard is another tool built for recording and live streaming including podcasts. It includes high-quality video and audio, multi-streaming options, and now it even has local backups to help eliminate delays caused by internet issues.

Their free tier includes up to 20 hours a month of live streaming and up to 2 hours of local backups. If you’re okay with their watermark, it’s one of the best free options that still includes the 4K quality that Zoom lacks.

Are You Okay Without 4K?

Out of the options listed above, the only option for free 4K podcast recording is StreamYard. Zencastr, Riverside, and SquadCast all support 4K as well. Of course, they all require the investment of a camera that can record 4K.

You can achieve 4K on Google Meet, but it requires hardware specifically designed for Google Meet… That costs around $3000. The target audience there is corporate offices, not indie podcasters. So if you go with Google Meet for your podcast, you’ll have to be okay with 1080p.

Is Google Meet a Good Option for Recording Podcast Interviews?

With all of these premium tools, and more being created all the time, is Google Meet actually a viable option for podcast creators looking to record their interviews?

Google Meet makes the most sense for podcast creators who already have a lot of their workflow in Google’s ecosystem. Or for creators that already have a well-defined post-production process where the tools from the other apps are unnecessary.

Plus, you benefit from the extra drive storage, the longer calls, and the ease of sending Google Calendar invites to your guests instead of playing tech support.