This week I used Riverside by Spotify to record and edit a podcast about my learning project progress thus far. I decided to make a podcast because I felt as though I had a lot of frustrations regarding cooking that I wanted to get off my chest. I have also never attempted to make anything like a podcast before and found the process behind it interesting.
I began by recording my podcast on Riverside. I tested my headphones and then started recording. I found Riverside to be very user-friendly with several helpful tools, but also not too overwhelming either. One downside of Riverside is that many tools are locked behind a paywall. However, I was able to still make it work with the free version.
After I recorded my podcast, I began to edit it. I’ve used video-editing tools such as iMovie and Canva before, but I wasn’t sure of what to expect from Riverside. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use Riverside. My favourite feature was the transcript, which you could use to skip to certain parts of the video or even quickly remove specific chunks. It also showed where there were long pauses in the audio and made it easy to clip those out.
I am usually a bit wary of using AI tools in programs because they can be a bit finicky. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the “set pace” and “smooth speech” tools. These both did a great job of automatically editing my podcast and helping it to flow smoothly. I would have liked to try out the “magic audio” tool, but you had to pay to use it.
Something that I really like about Riverside is that I was able to add my own images on top of the video of my podcast. I like being able to incorporate visuals into my podcast to make what I’m talking about make more sense and seem a bit more interesting.
Another tool that was locked behind a paywall was the ability to export the podcast in HD. Unfortunately, the only free export option was 720p.
While there were several exclusive tools, I did find Riverside to be a friendly podcasting program and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to give podcasting a try. Here’s my podcast:
I am so glad we have similar views on cooking. I always envy people who enjoy cooking and it pleases them because I am also not one of these people. I also hate how much time and energy it takes to cook what seems to be a simple meal, but acquires the most cleanup. I appreciate that you are honest and vulnerable about your experience because I also feel my cooking experience is becoming a flop, but I am trying to stay motivated throughout. Lastly, I want to comment and say that your dish looked really delicious in the end, and I’m glad it tasted good!
I feel like day-to-day it is hard to enjoy cooking when we all have so much going on. However, I find cooking to be a good way to slow down each day. I find it fun to listen to music and dance around while I cook or to listen to a podcast. I appreciated your guide to using Riverside! It looks like a user friendly video editing app.
I do meal preps and man is it frustrating due to my class+work schedule. Definitely can side with you on this one. The podcast tool is cool, did it take a while to edit?
I’m sorry this week wasn’t the success you had the first week. Cooking meals with multiple things going at once can definitely be a challenge. I love one-pot meals because everything goes in the same pot/pan, it’s less to watch, and less dishes at the end. Maybe a recipe like that would be a good confidence booster? I have faith that you will bounce back next week!
I get how cooking can be such a struggle. If something goes wrong it could ruin the whole meal. But I commend you for pushing past your feelings and trying to learn!
I loved hearing about your experience with Riverside! It’s great that you found it user-friendly and were able to get creative even with the free version. I’ve actually made a podcast before too, using Spotify for Podcasters: https://creators.spotify.com/ and it was a really fun process seeing how everything came together in the end. I totally relate to the satisfaction of adding visuals and using transcripts to clean up audio. Your reflections make me want to try out Riverside next time!