How to Not Mess Up Your Recording in Riverside

I have had people I trust tell me how great Riverside is. I've had other people tell me horror stories of video drift, or recording issues. How can both be true?

Riverside can't be amazing and unreliable. 

So I looked into some "best practices." 

Most of the horror stories I hear about Riverside aren’t actually Riverside’s fault. They’re setup issues.

Translation: totally avoidable.

So before you hit record on your next interview, run through this.

1. Your Internet Still Matters (Yes, Even with Local Recording)

I know, I know… “But Dave, Riverside records locally!”

Correct. And that’s great. But your internet still affects:

• Your live conversation (you know… the actual interview)

• How fast your files upload afterward

Here’s what you want:

• Minimum: 10 Mbps upload

• Recommended: 25+ Mbps upload

If you’re on shaky Wi-Fi, don’t be shocked when your guest freezes mid-sentence like they just saw a ghost.

Pro tip: If it’s important, plug in. Ethernet is boring—but reliable.

2. Your Browser Isn’t “Fine” (Check It Anyway)

Riverside plays nicest with:

• Google Chrome

• Microsoft Edge

And before you say, “Mine’s up to date…” — humor me.

Check Chrome updates:

1. Click the three dots

2. Go to Help → About Google Chrome

3. Let it update if needed

Outdated browsers are like using a flip phone in 2026—technically possible, but why are we doing this?

3. Your Computer Might Be the Problem

Riverside records locally, which means your computer is doing the heavy lifting.

If your machine is gasping for air, your recording will too.

What you should have:

• Minimum: 8GB RAM (and a consistent prayer life)

• Recommended: 16GB

Before you record:

• Close 47 open tabs

• Shut down Zoom, Dopbox, etc (I typically reboot my machine, and the close everything except Chrome).

• Don’t render video in the background (yes, people do this)

If your fan sounds like a jet engine, that’s your computer begging you to stop.

4. “Why Isn’t It Recording My Mic?” (Permissions)

This one gets people all the time.

Riverside can’t record what your browser won’t allow.

To fix it in Chrome:

1. Click the little lock icon in the address bar

2. Set:

   • Microphone → Allow

   • Camera → Allow

3. Refresh the page

Do this before your guest joins so you’re not doing tech support live on your own show. When they join have them tap their mic. If you don't hear the taps, they are using the wrong microphone (and you should do the same test)

5. Don’t Close the Tab Like a Maniac

This is the #1 way to ruin a perfectly good recording.

After you stop recording, Riverside uploads your files.

If you close your browser too soon…
Congrats, you just interrupted your own recording.

What to look for:

• Upload progress bars

• A clear “Upload complete” message

Rule:
If it says “Uploading,” you’re not done.

Go get coffee. Let it finish.

6. Your Audio Setup Matters More Than You Think

Bad audio usually isn’t Riverside—it’s user error. While Riverside can clean up bad audio, let's not tempt fate and avoid "Garbage in - garbage out." 

Inside Riverside:

• Click the gear icon

• Choose your microphone and headphones

Do this every time.
Because sometimes your computer decides, “Hey, let’s use the laptop mic today!” for no reason whatsoever.

Also:

• Use headphones (kills echo)

• Use an external mic (your audience will thank you)

7. Your Extensions Might Be Sabotaging You

Some browser extensions do not play nice.

Common culprits:

• AdBlock

• uBlock Origin

• Ghostery

• VPNs like NordVPN or ExpressVPN

These can mess with:

• Recording

• Uploading

• Studio performance

Easy fix:

• Turn them off

• Or use an incognito window

8. Make Sure You Actually Have Disk Space (Seriously)

Remember, Riverside records locally.

That’s a fancy way of saying:
Your hard drive is the recording studio.

If you run out of space mid-recording… things can go sideways fast.

Here’s a quick guide:

• Audio only: ~0.5 GB per hour (per track)

• 1080p video: ~2–4 GB per hour (per person)

• 4K video: ~7–15 GB per hour (per person)

So yeah… it adds up quickly.

My recommendation:

• Bare minimum: 20 GB free

• Safer: 50 GB+

• Recording 4K or long interviews: 100 GB+

Also remember:

• Your system needs breathing room

• Uploads use temporary space

• A full drive = a cranky computer

Quick gut check:
If your computer is already warning you about low disk space… today is not recording day.

The Bottom Line

If you want Riverside to work, don’t overcomplicate it:

• Solid internet

• Updated browser

• Decent computer

• Enough disk space

• Don’t rush the upload

That’s it.

Do those things, and suddenly Riverside becomes “magically reliable.”

Want to Try Riverside?

If you’re looking for a tool that records separate audio and video tracks locally (which is huge for quality), Riverside is one of the best options out there.

Start Your Free Trial Today

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