Riverside Review 2026: The Sharpest Remote Podcast Studio for Australian Creators — With One Big Caveat

The verdict: Riverside is the strongest tool for recording remote podcast interviews and video conversations in studio quality. Local device recording means internet drops don't ruin your episode; the AI editing suite turns a raw two-hour session into a finished cut faster than any rival. But it is a US company with US pricing on every serious plan, no Australian data region, and no GST receipts outside a mobile-only App Store tier — so you are paying roughly A$34/month for the core plan and claiming a foreign invoice on your tax return. That friction is real and recurring. For serious Australian podcasters and content teams, it is still worth it. For casual users, the friction-to-value ratio may not stack up. Score: 17/25 — Very Good.

What it is

Riverside (riverside.com) is a browser-based studio for recording remote podcasts, video interviews, and live streams. Founded in 2020 by brothers Gideon and Nadav Keyson — originally from the Netherlands, now headquartered in New York and Amsterdam — it launched just before COVID-19 turned remote recording from a niche workaround into a professional necessity.

The core idea is simple and genuinely clever. Instead of streaming your audio over the internet and capturing whatever arrives at the server (degraded, compressed, laggy), Riverside records each participant's audio and video directly on their own device. A 48kHz uncompressed WAV file is captured locally for each speaker. The internet connection is only used to keep the conversation live and sync a backup to the cloud in real time. If your NBN drops for thirty seconds mid-interview, the recording keeps going on both devices. That is the single most important thing Riverside does, and it does it better than any competitor.

On top of that foundation, Riverside has built a full production layer: AI transcription, text-based editing (cut words in the transcript, the audio cut follows), a Magic Clips tool that auto-identifies highlight moments for social media, podcast publishing with RSS, and live streaming to multiple destinations simultaneously.

The company raised a US$30 million Series C in December 2024, led by Zeev Ventures. It has notable backers including Alexis Ohanian and creators Marques Brownlee and Guy Raz. Notable guests recorded on the platform include Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. This is not a startup on a shoestring.

What it costs in Australia (AUD, no GST added)

All pricing for the plans below is in USD, and Riverside does not offer AUD billing for any of them. (Corrected 21 Sep 2026 — it does sell one AUD plan, the mobile-only RS Mobile Plus, on the Australian App Store; see the note under the table.) The exchange rate used below is approximately 1 USD = 1.40 AUD as of September 2026. On GST: Riverside's own help centre states that its subscription pricing "does not include VAT, U.S. sales tax, or extra fees" and that it "only charges for the exact price of the subscription." In other words, the listed USD figure is what hits your card — no 10% GST line is added or itemised at checkout. That matters for Australian businesses: with no GST itemised on a tax-compliant Australian invoice, there is no GST component to claim as an input tax credit. Check your invoice and confirm your own GST treatment with your accountant.

The annual billing discount saves roughly 17–20% depending on plan. Monthly billing lets you cancel anytime without penalty.

One Australian-dollar plan exists, and it is not on this table. The Australian App Store listing declares "priceCurrency":"AUD" with RIVERSIDEFM, INC as seller of record and sells a single in-app purchase: RS Mobile Plus at A$14.99/month or A$99.99/year, GST included, on an Apple tax invoice — the GST-claimable Australian document the web checkout does not produce. It covers recording from the phone app, not the multi-track studio, 4K exports and AI editing on Pro. If you record interviews on a phone it is a genuinely cheap, clean way in; if you need Pro, you are still buying in US dollars. Read 21 September 2026.

Practical note for Australian small businesses: At A$34/month on the Pro plan (annual billing), you are paying roughly A$444/year for a tool invoiced in USD from a US entity. Riverside's help centre confirms no tax is added on top of the listed price, so you are charged the bare USD amount with no GST line. That means no GST-compliant Australian tax invoice and no input tax credit to claim — treat the spend as a USD foreign expense and confirm the GST position with your accountant before committing to an annual plan.

How it works / features

Local recording, cloud backup. Each participant downloads nothing — they join a browser session. Riverside records audio and video locally on each device and simultaneously uploads a compressed backup to the cloud. If someone's connection drops, the local file is preserved. After the session, Riverside stitches together the separate local tracks into a multi-track project.

Up to 10 participants. One host plus up to nine guests can be recorded simultaneously, each on a separate track. That is more than enough for any podcast format or panel interview.

AI transcription. Transcripts are generated automatically after each recording using what Riverside describes as "advanced speech-recognition technology trained on multilingual data." Riverside's transcription page claims accuracy "up to 99%" and support for 100+ languages and idioms, with handling for different accents and regional pronunciations. Riverside does not name the underlying model anywhere on that page — it describes the technology only in generic terms — so we do not attribute it to any specific third-party engine.

Text-based editing. Edit the transcript like a Word document. Delete a sentence and the audio and video tracks are cut in sync. This is the fastest way to remove rambling, filler, and dead air from a long interview.

AI Co-Creator (Pro and above). Type an instruction — "remove all filler words," "create a 90-second highlight reel," "extract the five best quotes" — and the AI applies the edit. It is not infallible, but it is fast.

Magic Clips. Riverside automatically identifies the most engaging segments and generates social-ready short clips, complete with captions. The results vary depending on how clearly the content is structured. Dense, fast-paced interviews produce better clips than slow, conversational recordings.

Live streaming. The Live plan adds full HD streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously — YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and more — with in-stream chat aggregation (omnichat), live audience call-ins, and custom graphics overlays. This is broadcast-grade live video infrastructure in a browser, which is genuinely impressive.

Podcast publishing. Pro subscribers can publish directly to an RSS feed for distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other directories. Analytics cover downloads and listener geography.

What it does well

The recording reliability is real. The local-first recording model solves the single biggest problem with remote podcast production. An unstable NBN connection that would wreck a Zoom recording barely registers on Riverside. This is not marketing copy — it is a meaningful architectural difference.

The AI editing suite saves hours. For a small business owner recording a weekly podcast or video series, the combination of auto-transcription, text-based editing, and Magic Clips removes most of the post-production burden. A 90-minute interview that would take four hours to edit manually can be turned around in under 60 minutes.

Video quality is genuinely broadcast standard. Up to 4K at 48kHz audio on the Pro plan. Most podcast hosting platforms cap audio at 192kbps MP3 — Riverside's source files are in a different class.

The free tier is a real test drive. Two hours of multi-track recording is enough to record a pilot episode and experience the core product. Not a 14-day clock-watching trial — a usable, permanent free tier.

Live streaming breadth is hard to match. The Live plan's ability to multistream to unlimited destinations simultaneously, with live call-ins and branded overlays, rivals software like StreamYard or Restream — at a comparable or lower price.

Where it falls short

Internet dependency for the live feed. Local recording is resilient, but participants still need a stable connection for the conversation itself. On an NBN connection that fluctuates, you can end up with a perfect-quality audio file of a call that broke up mid-sentence.

The mobile app is underpowered. The iOS app exists, but editing, track management, and session controls available on desktop are absent or limited. If a guest joins via iPhone and has recording issues, your options are limited.

Storage limits are not clearly disclosed. The pricing page does not specify how much cloud storage is included per plan. For a busy content team recording multiple episodes weekly, this is an important omission that requires a direct question to support before committing.

AI features can misfire. Magic Clips and automated show notes are useful starting points, not finished products. On a loosely structured conversation, the AI picks poor highlights. Filler-word removal occasionally clips the beginning of a genuine sentence. All AI outputs need a human review pass.

Annual billing lock-in risk. The price difference between monthly (US$29) and annual (US$24 Pro) plans is meaningful over a year, but an annual commitment paid in USD to a US entity carries exchange-rate risk. If the AUD weakens, your effective AUD cost rises without any change to the product.

No live background blur or virtual background on lower plans. Users in home offices or imperfect recording environments cannot blur or replace their background unless they bring in third-party software.

Australian fit

Riverside scores poorly on the criteria that matter most to this publication's Australian Fit assessment.

Currency: USD only on every plan this review covers. No AUD billing option for Pro, Live or Webinar — the App Store's mobile-only RS Mobile Plus (A$14.99/month, GST included) is the sole exception. At current rates, the Pro plan is approximately A$34/month on annual billing. (Corrected 21 Sep 2026.) That is a fair price for what you get, but the currency conversion is your problem — Riverside's invoices are in USD.

GST: No GST is added or itemised. Riverside's help centre confirms its pricing excludes VAT and sales tax and that it charges only the listed USD amount. For Australian business users that means no GST-compliant tax invoice and no input tax credit to claim — a real friction point if you are used to reclaiming GST on software. Treat it as a USD foreign expense and confirm the position with your accountant.

Data residency: No Australian data region. Per Riverside's privacy policy, customer data is stored and processed across the United States, Canada, the EU, the UK, Israel, Mexico, Argentina, the Philippines, and "other locations." There is no dedicated Australian region. Recordings, transcripts, and associated content are stored on servers outside Australia. For most podcast content this is acceptable. For businesses recording sensitive client conversations, legal interviews, or confidential commercial content, this is a material compliance consideration. Check your obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles before using Riverside for sensitive recordings.

Data security: Riverside holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification, reviewed against five trust service criteria (security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, privacy). The SOC 2 Type 2 report is available under NDA to Business plan customers. This is a credible security posture, but it does not substitute for Australian data residency.

AU support: No dedicated Australian support hours or local phone number. Support is via help centre and email. Business plan customers receive 24/7 priority support and a dedicated customer success manager, but this is not available on the Pro or Live plans.

AU-aware outputs: Transcription supports 100 languages and is accent-tolerant. Australian English accents are generally well-handled. Output templates (show notes, chapter markers, SEO titles) are not localised — they read as generic international English, not Australian English. Minor issue, but worth flagging.

Score

Total: 17/25 — ★★★★ Very Good

Australian Fit gate: Australian Fit score is 1/5, which is below the 4/5 threshold required for a ★★★★★ Excellent rating. The displayed star rating is capped at four stars. See our review methodology for details.

Bottom line

If you are a serious Australian podcaster, content marketer, or media team recording regular remote interviews: Riverside is the right tool. The recording quality and reliability are genuinely superior to any browser-based rival. The AI editing suite will save your team hours every week. Pay the monthly or annual USD rate, treat it as a business expense, and accept the offshore data storage for non-sensitive content.

If you are a small business owner recording occasional client interviews, team conversations, or internal training content: The free tier is a worthwhile starting point. Two hours of multi-track recording gives you a real test. If your use case involves sensitive client information — legal discussions, financial conversations, health-related content — the absence of an Australian data region is a genuine compliance risk you need to resolve before recording anything confidential.

If you are an Australian agency or enterprise team handling regulated content: Stop at the Australian Fit score. You need a vendor who can confirm AU data residency, provide a compliant GST invoice, and offer a localised data processing addendum. Riverside cannot currently provide any of these. Explore local alternatives or an enterprise contract with explicit data localisation terms before proceeding.

If you want a cheaper, simpler tool for basic audio-only interviews: Zencastr offers a comparable local-recording model with a lower entry price. The AI feature set is less mature, but for straightforward audio podcasting it is a credible alternative with less complexity.

Riverside is an excellent product. It is not built for Australians. For the right use case, that trade-off is worth it. Know what you are accepting before you hit record.

Frequently asked questions

Is Riverside available in Australia?

Yes. It's a browser-based studio — guests join via a link, nothing to install — so Australians can use it fully. There's no dedicated AU support hours or local phone number, though; support is via help centre and email.

Does Riverside charge in AUD?

Not for the plans most people buy. Pricing is USD only for Pro, Live and Webinar, with no AUD billing — Pro is about A$34/month on annual billing, and Riverside's help centre confirms it adds no GST or sales tax, so there's no GST-claimable Australian tax invoice and no input tax credit to claim on that path. The one exception is the mobile-only RS Mobile Plus plan on the Australian App Store, at A$14.99/month or A$99.99/year with GST included on an Apple tax invoice.

Is there a free plan or free trial?

Yes. The free tier gives you two hours of multi-track recording (one-off), 720p video, unlimited single-track recording and Magic Clips — a genuinely usable test drive, not a 14-day clock. Pro adds a 14-day free trial.

Does Riverside store data in Australia?

No. Per its privacy policy, data is stored across the US, Canada, EU, UK, Israel, Mexico, Argentina, the Philippines and other locations — no Australian region. Fine for most podcast content; a real compliance consideration for sensitive client recordings under the Privacy Act.

Who is Riverside best for?

Serious Australian podcasters, content marketers and media teams recording regular remote interviews — the local-recording reliability and AI editing suite save hours. Casual users may find the USD/data-residency friction outweighs the value; agencies handling regulated content should look elsewhere.

Read next

• How we score AI tools: our review methodology
• Best AI tools for Audio, Voice & Podcasting — Australian roundup
• Adobe Podcast review
• Cleanvoice review
• Auphonic review
• Async review

Sources

The following primary sources were used in this review. All checked 20 June 2026. Wayback Machine snapshots queued.

• Riverside pricing page — https://riverside.com/pricing
• Riverside privacy policy — https://riverside.com/privacy-policy
• Riverside transcription features — https://riverside.com/transcription
• Riverside FAQ — https://riverside.com/faq
• Riverside billing & tax (help centre: "Does Riverside's pricing include VAT, U.S. sales tax, or extra fees?") — https://support.riverside.com/hc/en-us/articles/11038452558237-Does-Riverside-s-pricing-include-VAT-U-S-sales-tax-or-extra-fees
• Riverside SOC 2 Type 2 compliance announcement — https://riverside.com/blog/riverside-fm-is-soc-2-type-2-compliant
• Riverside participant limits (support article) — https://support.riverside.com/hc/en-us/articles/5434293076509-How-many-guests-can-be-invited-to-record-in-a-studio-session
• Riverside (software) — Wikipedia, for company background — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_(software)