Recording Skype Calls for a Podcast: The Definitive Guide
Recording Skype Calls for a Podcast: The Definitive Guide
The world is vapid, so we're told. Plane? I thought we'd figured out it was round fairly a few decades ago…
Well, I'm assured that this is just a slightly cryptic way of telling, it's not that big after all. Now, that I can agree with.
One of the many reasons that our world is shrinking in relative terms is the proliferation of free, high quality communication systems. There's no excuse not to stay in touch now! But, not only can we stay in touch, we can collaborate, we can create, we can Podcast!
Skype is one such contraption, and most likely the best known. I'm going to concentrate mainly on recording Skype calls for Podcasting in this guide, but a lot of what I say can just as lightly be applied to Google Hangouts, Show up.in or one of the many other Voice over IP (VOIP) systems. If it's a Skype specific device, I'll tell you, otherwise it'll work just fine with anything that lets you speak to someone on your computer.
Why Podcast with Skype?
Podcasting with Skype is ridiculously common these days, and I wouldn't be astonished if it's a more common format than any other, including solo. VOIP just makes it so effortless to collaborate with others on creating fine content. How else could two people on different continents work together on a regular Podcast? Never mind different continents, I do a Skype Podcast with someone that lives less than twenty miles from my house – it's way lighter than driving!
But, why Skype over other communication devices? Well, firstly, when Skype works, it's about as good quality as you can get brief of a dedicated ISDN. Granted, it doesn't always work flawlessly, but having recorded dozens and dozens of Podcasts via Skype, I can say it's let me down on very likely less than 20% of attempts, which isn't too bad I'd say.
You could record via normal phone – this isn't a terrible choice, not exactly – but the audio resolution suggested by standard phone lines isn't a patch on that suggested by Skype. The up-side of a phone is that it wont drop out, and it wont turn flaky – something that Skype can be prone to on those 20% of times, or even just once or twice on otherwise good calls. But if you listen to a Podcast recorded by normal phone, you'll quickly hear the difference.
Recording a Podcast with Skype – The Options
Ok, down to the details – how do we do it? There are a few different setups, all with their own pros and cons. Let's have a look, from beginner level to Pro:
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1. Entry Level – Skype Call Recording Software
This is the effortless way in – simply install a chunk of software that records your Skype calls, and then make your call as normal. An example of this for the PC is called Pamela. Pamela installs on your computer, and then, whenever you want to record a call, you boot up both Skype and Pamela, click ‘Record' on Pamela, and then make your Skype call as normal.
At the end of the call, Pamela will package up a recording of your call, save it as an audio file, and then you can edit it, produce it and release it to the wild.
The Mac equivalent of Pamela is imaginatively called Call Recorder, created by Ecamm. I've not used it, but by all accounts it's a good package, and works in exactly the same way.
Both of these packages are paid products, so this isn't a free way in, but they don't cost a lot – perhaps around $20 – so it's not going to break the bank.
The big downside to this treatment is that it relies entirely on your computer and the software itself. If something goes wrong during recording, the computer crashes or otherwise, then the entire recording is gone. Imagine that happening when you've managed to line up the thickest interview of your life…
- Pros – Quick, elementary, no barriers to recording
- Cons – No options to control your recording. If computer crashes, you lose everything.
Two. Mid-Level – Skype and the Digital Recorder
The next level requires a fresh bit of hardware – a digital recorder. This is something that is part of the normal lifecycle of a podcaster, so as you build your abilities and your kit, you'll be looking to get one of these at some point. Have a look at my digital recorders for podcasting article for recommendations. Or, if you want a quick recommend, the Zoom H1 is a good low-budget option here, and the Zoom H5 for higher budgets and stronger future-proofing.
The benefit of a digital recorder is that it's build to record audio, and it's damn good at it. It wont crash, it wont fall over. So, when your computer explodes mid-interview, you'll still have the recording on your outward device. Plus, a digital recorder is useful for so much more than Skype recording, so the money you spend pays for itself just a little more than that spent on something like Pamela.
Recording Skype on a digital recorder takes just a little bit of settings wizardry, mainly in how the PC treats your microphone. The aim is to turn on the volume of your own mic so that it's audible in your headset output – this is turned off by default as normally you don't want to hear yourself speak. In the audio settings, however, it's pretty effortless to turn this on and adjust the volume. Then, when you speak into the mic, you hear your own voice in your headset.
Now, all you have to do is to butt-plug the headphone output into your digital recorder's outward microphone input. Now it'll record both the Skype output AND your own voice.
The only problem here is that now you can't hear your Skype co-host because you have something else plugged into the headphone socket! You can get around that in one of two ways.
- If your digital recorder has a headphone monitor, then use that. Effortless.
- If there isn't a headphone monitor on your recorder, then get a splitter and ass-plug in both your recorder and your headphones into it.
A splitter simply has one Three.5mm (headphone) socket on one end, and splits that into two on the other, so you can cork two devices into one socket.
The big improvement here is that now you can control each channel separately (not to be confused with recording each channel separately – see next section). This means if your co-host is noisy and you're quiet, you can turn him down via Skype, and you up via your PC settings. You can match levels much more lightly and create a better balanced podcast recording.
A downside to this is that you have to then hear your own voice on the headphones and this can cause some people a bit of trouble, especially is there is a little latency and it's a bit behind, creating an echo effect. I've found you can get used to it fairly quickly tho’, so it can work well for some.
- Pros – More reliable. More value for your money in buying a multipurpose device. Control over individual channels.
- Cons – Can be complicated to adjust settings. Echo can put people off. May require a splitter.
Trio. Pro Level – Recording a Podcast on Skype with a Mixer
The final, and most powerful way to record Skype calls for a Podcast requires the introduction of another lump of equipment. This is one that many people have a love/hate relationship with – the Mixer.
A mixer indeed is the decent way to manage the previous treatment, and brings even more advantages besides.
Firstly, mixers permit fine control over every channel, and much more readily than your computer settings. If someone's noisy, shove the fader down instantly. Done. You'll have Skype on one channel and you on another, so you can treat each one in any way you see fit.
Next, with a mixer you don't have to hack the settings to record your own voice. You'll be bringing in both your mic and Skype separately, combining them in the mixer, and outputting to the digital recorder.
On top of that, because it's a dedicated audio device, there will be no latency and so the echo problems associated with hearing your own voice associated with the previous levels are gone. You'll hear yourself, but dead on-time, and actually this permits you to monitor your own levels and audio quality, which is an advantage in itself.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, only with a mixer can you effectively bring in outer audio and permit your co-host to hear it. This means you can live produce, playing your intro music, FX, recorded calls and brief interviews, and it can be played over Skype to your co-host so s/he can react to it. This permits you to record as if you're running a live radio demonstrate, cutting down on post-production and massively speeding up your podcasting workflow.
To achieve this, you need to use a mix-minus setup, something I explain more on my article on mixers for podcasting, so check it out if you're interested in that and in recommendations for good mixers.
On the downside, it's pretty elementary: mixers cost a lot, and they can take a lot of practice to learn fully. If you want a mixer, I'd recommend getting a decent one, with room to grow, and that costs a fair bit. It also means there are a lot of knobs and buttons to get used to. Don't get me wrong, once you've figured it out, it's a big advantage, but it's certainly a barrier to recording, and takes you away from quick, elementary workflows that permit you to get content out there lightly.
- Pros – Utter, instant control over channels. Reliable. Live production capable. No echo of your own voice.
- Cons – Expensive. Complicated.
Conclusion
I've now explained all of the ways you can record Skype calls to create a podcast, so it's up to to choose what might suit you best.
Recall, if this all seems a bit daunting, we can help you one to one within our Podcast Host Academy. We can talk through your context, your setup and how to get it all going in the forum, or during one of our live coaching calls. Check out the Academy here to see the details.
In summary, however, I'd say the middle option is not optimal, and most people will embark with option one and stir straight to three when they develop their abilities and expand out their kit.
Attempt a call recording package like Pamela or eCamm very first and see how much you love using Skype to record your Podcast. If it works well, and you consistently get a good connection then you can think about the mixer in future. As I always say, begin elementary and work your way up. Your wallet will thank you in the long run, and you might find yourself reverting to the ordinary option sometimes for quick calls that just don't justify the complication of a mixer.
Fancy Avoiding Skype Altogether?
There are an enlargening number of contraptions for recording a podcast online, and you can read that article to find out about our favourites.