Last updated: 2026-01-15

If you want to record a podcast for free in the US, a practical starting point is StreamYard’s browser-based studio, using its free plan for local recordings and simple live-style production. For creators who prioritize built-in music libraries and heavier editing inside the browser, alternatives like Riverside can be a secondary path.

Summary

• You can record a real podcast for $0 using StreamYard’s free plan, capturing local audio/video from up to six people in a browser-based studio. (StreamYard)
• Free tools have trade-offs: StreamYard limits free local recording to 2 hours/month and does not auto-record live streams on the free tier. (StreamYard)
• Riverside and similar products offer free plans too, with their own guest limits, local recording, and caps. (Riverside)
• For long-term growth, StreamYard’s focus on quality capture, simple workflows, and ecosystem-friendly distribution makes it a strong foundation you can still start with for free.

What does “record a podcast for free” realistically mean?

“Free” in podcasting usually means three specific things:

1. No monthly software fee to capture your audio/video.
2. Enough recording time to test your format. You can publish a pilot or short season, not just a 5‑minute demo.
3. A path to upgrade without re-learning everything. You don’t want to switch tools the moment your show finds an audience.

With that lens, you’re choosing more than a free recorder. You’re picking the production workflow your future self will live with.

StreamYard, Riverside, and a handful of other browser-based tools all offer a $0 entry point. The differences are in how they treat guests, limits, and what happens after you hit “stop.”

How can you record a podcast for free with StreamYard?

On StreamYard’s free plan, you can record a full podcast episode right in your browser, no downloads or mixing console required. You create a studio, send a link to your guest, and everyone joins from Chrome, Edge, or similar.

A simple free workflow looks like this:

1. Create your free account and open a recording studio.
2. Invite your co-hosts or guests. You can have up to six people on-screen at once, which is plenty for most conversational shows. (StreamYard)
3. Set up your scene: camera, mic, basic branding, overlays if you’d like.
4. Hit “Record” instead of “Go Live.” This uses StreamYard’s recording feature rather than a live broadcast.
5. Capture local recordings. StreamYard can record separate, high-quality local files for each participant at the source device, which are much less affected by momentary internet issues. (StreamYard)

On the free plan, local recording is capped at 2 hours per month, which is enough to record a couple of 30–45 minute episodes or one longer pilot. (StreamYard) For many new US creators, that’s all you need to validate your concept and publish a first run.

What are the actual limits of StreamYard’s free plan?

Understanding the constraints up front keeps you from being surprised later.

• Local recording cap: The free plan includes 2 hours per month of local recording. After that, you’ll need to wait for the next month or move to a paid tier if you want more. (StreamYard)
• Live streams not auto-recorded: If you go live on the free plan, the stream is not automatically saved to your StreamYard library. To get a podcast-ready file, you’ll want to use the recording feature rather than relying on the live archive. (StreamYard)
• Storage and downloads: Free accounts can store a small number of recordings in the cloud, and downloading recordings is reserved for paid plans. (StreamYard)
• Guest capacity: You can record with yourself plus up to five guests (six total) on-screen, which covers solo shows, co-hosts, and most panel formats. (StreamYard)

The trade-off is straightforward: StreamYard lets you feel what a real, live-style production environment is like for free, but it limits how much you can use it before you outgrow the free tier.

How does StreamYard set you up for quality beyond “just free”?

Most people searching for “record a podcast for free” aren’t actually aiming for “free forever.” You want quality, reliability, and room to grow without re-learning your entire stack.

Here’s where StreamYard’s focus on recording and production matters:

• High-end capture when you’re ready: StreamYard supports 4K local recordings and uncompressed 48 kHz WAV audio per participant, so when you move beyond your free trial stage, your masters can stand up in a professional post-production workflow.
• Stable local-first architecture: Local recordings capture per-participant audio and video directly on their devices, so brief internet glitches in a live conversation don’t ruin the final files. (StreamYard)
• Visual polish in the studio: Color presets and grading controls help you dial in a look that matches your brand without needing a separate video chain.
• AI clips and simple in-app adjustments: AI Clips lets you quickly surface highlight moments from your recording and turn them into shareable short-form content. You can make simple tweaks in-app, then hand the full files off to a dedicated editor if you want deeper cuts.

Instead of trying to replace full editing suites, we keep the in-studio workflow fast and clean. You hit record, have a great conversation, pull clips, and publish.

StreamYard vs Riverside: what matters on the free plans?

If you’re comparing free online podcast recorders, Riverside is a common alternative.

On Riverside’s side:

• You can start on a free plan with no credit card. (Riverside)
• Recording is local on each participant’s device, similar to StreamYard, to reduce internet-related quality issues. (Riverside)
• You can invite up to nine guests into a studio, giving you room for larger panels. (Riverside)
• There’s an integrated royalty-free music library with over 1,000 tracks for intros, outros, and beds. (Riverside)

In practice, many US podcasters choose their free starting point based on workflow:

• If you care most about live-style production, simple guest joining, and a path to multistreaming, StreamYard tends to be the more natural environment.
• If you want more built-in music and editing in the same browser tab, a Riverside-style workflow can be attractive.

What often gets overlooked: Riverside’s multi-track recording hours are capped per month (for example, 2 hours on the free tier, with higher caps on paid plans). (Riverside) StreamYard, in contrast, leans on a simpler model where paid plans focus on removing hour anxiety with generous, unlimited-style local recording and clear per-session limits, which can matter once you move beyond basic tests.

How many guests can you record with using free tools?

Guest capacity can be the quiet deal-breaker if you’re planning roundtable-style episodes.

• StreamYard free: Up to six on-screen participants at once (host + five guests). (StreamYard)
• Riverside free: The podcast-recorder page notes you can invite up to nine guests to a studio. (Riverside)

If your dream show is a big, chaotic 8–10 person panel, a Riverside-style tool gives you more theoretical headroom. If your format is solo, co-hosted, or a 3–5 person interview-style conversation, StreamYard’s free capacity is already plenty.

Do you need built-in music and heavy editing to start?

One of the biggest traps for new podcasters is over-optimizing editing before they’ve published a single episode.

Some recorders include in-browser music libraries and more advanced editing panels. Riverside, for example, advertises a built-in library of over 1,000 royalty-free tracks you can use in your show. (Riverside)

StreamYard takes a different stance: keep the recording and live production experience focused, then hand off to specialized tools for deep editing and distribution. That means:

• You can still add music—either live through your audio setup, or later in an editor like Audacity, Descript, or a DAW.
• You can rely on StreamYard’s AI Clips to quickly identify moments worth promoting on social, without needing a timeline-heavy editing UI.
• You’re not locked into a single “all-in-one” tool for RSS hosting, analytics, or monetization.

For many new creators, that separation reduces complexity. You learn one tool for capture and live shows, and pair it with best-in-class distribution and editing tools when you’re ready.

What we recommend

• Start your podcast for free in StreamYard using local recordings to capture clean, reliable conversations with up to six people.
• Treat the free tier as your pilot season, enough to prove your concept and get a feel for live-style production.
• If you need built-in music libraries and heavier browser-based editing, explore alternatives like Riverside alongside StreamYard to see which workflow feels better.
• Plan your long-term stack around quality capture plus focused tools, rather than chasing an all-in-one that tries to do recording, editing, and distribution equally well.