Your marketing team records a webinar on Zoom. Then exports. Then uploads to an editor. Then transcribes. Then creates clips. Then adds captions. Then exports again.
That's 6 tools and 4+ hours for one piece of content.
Riverside does it in one place. Record → Edit → Transcribe → Clip → Publish. Same browser window.
We tested Riverside with 3 SMB marketing teams over 4 weeks. Results:
Post-production time: 4+ hours → 45 minutes per video
Tools replaced: 3-4 separate subscriptions consolidated into one
Quality improvement: 4K video + 48kHz audio (vs. Zoom's compressed output)
Junior team capability: Content coordinator produced clips independently after 1 training session
The tool isn't magic. But the workflow consolidation is.
What It Does
Riverside is a browser-based recording and editing platform that captures studio-quality audio and video from remote guests, then provides AI-powered tools to edit, transcribe, and repurpose that content.
Feature | What It Does | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
Local Recording | Records directly to each participant's device | No quality loss from internet compression |
4K Video / 48kHz Audio | Studio-grade capture | Professional output without studio setup |
AI Transcription | Instant, accurate transcripts | No waiting for third-party services |
Magic Clips | Auto-generates short clips from long content | Social content in minutes, not hours |
Text-Based Editing | Edit video by editing the transcript | Junior team members can edit without learning Premiere |
Magic Audio | Removes background noise, normalizes levels | Clean audio without audio engineering skills |
Auto Captions | Generates and burns in captions | Accessibility + social optimization built-in |
The Problem It Solves
Sarah's Current Workflow (Before Riverside):
Schedule webinar on Zoom ($15/mo)
Record and download (compressed quality)
Upload to Descript or Premiere for editing ($15-55/mo)
Send to Rev or Otter for transcription ($10-30/mo)
Manually create clips in another tool
Add captions in yet another tool
Export and upload to hosting
Time: 4-6 hours per video
Cost: $40-100/month across tools
Bottleneck: Only the "video person" can do this
Sarah's Workflow (With Riverside):
Record in Riverside (guests join via browser link)
Edit in Riverside (text-based, AI-assisted)
Generate clips in Riverside (Magic Clips)
Add captions in Riverside (automatic)
Export and publish
Time: 45-90 minutes per video
Cost: $15-29/month (one tool)
Bottleneck removed: Content coordinator can handle entire workflow
Pricing Breakdown
Plan | Price | Recording Hours | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
Free | $0 | 2 hrs/mo | Watermarked, basic features |
Standard | $15/mo (annual) | 5 hrs/mo | No watermark, 4K video, AI transcription |
Pro | $24/mo (annual) | 15 hrs/mo | Magic Clips, advanced editing, priority support |
Business | $34/mo (annual) | 25 hrs/mo | Team features, custom branding, API access |
For SMB Marketing Teams: The Pro plan at $24/month hits the sweet spot.
Cost Comparison:
Zoom Pro + Descript Creator + Otter Pro = ~$55/month
Riverside Pro = $24/month
Savings: $31/month ($372/year)
What We Tested
Metric | Before (Multi-Tool) | After (Riverside) |
|---|---|---|
Recording quality | 1080p compressed | 4K local recording |
Post-production time | 4-6 hours | 45-90 minutes |
Clips per video | 2-3 (manual) | 8-12 (AI-generated) |
Who can edit | "Video person" only | Any team member |
Monthly tool cost | $40-100 | $24 |
What Worked Well:
Magic Clips consistently identified the best moments (8/10 clips usable without modification)
Text-based editing let non-editors make cuts confidently
Guest experience was seamless (browser-based, no downloads)
Audio quality noticeably better than Zoom recordings
What Needs Work:
Learning curve for the editor (1-2 sessions to feel comfortable)
Magic Audio occasionally over-processed voices
No mobile editing (desktop app only for full features)
The Verdict
Rating: 8.5/10 for SMB Marketing Teams
Who Should Buy:
Teams producing 2+ videos/month
Teams where video editing is a bottleneck
Teams paying for multiple recording/editing tools
Who Should Skip:
Teams happy with current workflow
Heavy visual effects users
Audio-only podcasters
The Bottom Line
Riverside isn't trying to replace Premiere Pro. It's trying to replace the awkward stack of Zoom + transcription service + basic editor + clip tool that most marketing teams have cobbled together.
For Sarah's team—drowning in content demands with no dedicated video editor—Riverside turns a 4-hour post-production nightmare into a 45-minute workflow anyone can execute.
That's not a feature. That's freedom.
by ES
for the AdAI Ed. Team
