Async Review: AI Podcast Platform That Gives Every Creator Studio-Quality Audio
The barrier between a podcast that sounds professional and one that sounds amateur is almost entirely audio quality. Most creators record with reasonable microphones but end up with recordings that still have background noise, inconsistent volume levels, and the telltale room echo that signals a home recording. Async’s AI audio enhancement tools address all of these problems automatically, giving creators a post-processing chain that produces studio-quality output from consumer hardware without requiring audio engineering knowledge.
Quick Summary
Async is an AI-powered podcast recording and editing platform that provides browser-based multi-track recording, AI audio enhancement for noise removal and voice levelling, text-based editing, AI voice cloning, and one-click podcast distribution.
Is it worth using? Yes for podcast creators who want studio-quality audio output without professional audio equipment or editing knowledge, and who want recording, editing, and publishing in one place.
Who should use it? Podcasters, content creators, journalists, and anyone producing regular audio or video interview content who wants professional audio quality without an audio engineering background.
Who should avoid it? Professional audio engineers and podcast producers who use dedicated DAW software for precision audio work that browser-based tools cannot replicate.
Verdict Summary
Best for
- Podcasters who want professional audio quality from consumer hardware using AI enhancement
- New podcast creators who want recording, editing, and publishing in one accessible platform
- Interview podcasters recording remote guests who want each guest’s track recorded and enhanced separately
Not for
- Professional audio engineers who need precision DAW controls beyond AI-assisted enhancement
- Podcasters whose primary need is the most accurate possible remote recording quality (Riverside FM is stronger for that)
- Teams needing complex multi-track music production alongside podcast recording
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.3 / 5
What Is Async?
Async, formerly known as Podcastle, is an all-in-one podcast creation platform that handles recording, editing, enhancement, and publishing from a single browser-based application. The platform rebranded to Async to better reflect its expanded capabilities across audio and video content creation for individuals, teams, and businesses.
Its AI audio tools automatically remove background noise, enhance voice quality, level inconsistent volume across speakers, and process recordings to broadcast-quality standards without manual EQ, compression, or noise gate configuration. The Magic Dust one-click enhancement feature has earned consistent praise from creators who describe it as the single biggest audio quality improvement available without changing their hardware.
Beyond audio enhancement, Async includes an AI voice cloning feature allowing creators to generate additional narration in their own voice from text without re-recording, useful for adding intros, outros, and corrections without returning to the microphone.
How Async Works
- Open your recording session at async.com. Create a new recording session directly in the browser. Invite remote guests via link — no app download required for guests.
- Record your episode. Each participant records locally on their own device simultaneously, with separate audio and video tracks for each speaker uploaded in the background as you record.
- Apply AI audio enhancement. After recording, use the Magic Dust one-click enhancement to remove background noise, level voices, and enhance audio quality across all tracks automatically.
- Edit with text-based editing. The recording is automatically transcribed. Edit the episode by deleting words from the transcript — the corresponding audio segments are removed instantly without timeline editing.
- Add intros, music, and effects. Insert music from the built-in library, add sound effects, and include intro and outro sequences using the editing interface.
- Publish to podcast platforms. Distribute the finished episode directly to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms through Async’s built-in distribution without additional tools.
Key Features
- Browser-based multi-track recording with local recording on each participant’s device
- Magic Dust AI audio enhancement with one-click noise removal and voice levelling
- Text-based editing allowing cuts by editing the automatic transcript
- AI voice cloning generating new narration in your own voice from text
- Built-in music library with royalty-free background tracks and transitions
- One-click podcast distribution to major podcast platforms
- Video recording alongside audio for video podcast production
- Multi-language transcription for international podcast production
- Up to 10 remote participants in a single recording session
- SOC 2 Type 2 compliance for teams with security requirements
Real-World Use Cases
- Solo podcast production: Record narration directly in Async, apply Magic Dust enhancement, add intro music, and publish to all podcast platforms in one session without separate software.
- Interview podcast recording: Record remote guest interviews with separate tracks, enhance each voice track individually, edit using the transcript, and produce a polished episode efficiently.
- Voice-over content creation: Use the AI voice cloning feature to add narration or corrections in your own voice from text without scheduling a re-recording session.
- Video podcast production: Record video alongside audio for YouTube podcast content, edit both simultaneously using text-based editing, and export for both audio and video distribution.
- Team content production: Use collaborative workflows and role-based access to manage podcast production across distributed teams with multiple contributors.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Magic Dust audio enhancement produces genuinely professional results | Remote recording quality below Riverside FM’s local recording approach |
| Text-based editing makes podcast editing accessible to non-editors | AI voice cloning quality varies on complex narration styles |
| AI voice cloning is unique and genuinely useful for corrections | Advanced audio editing beyond AI enhancement requires workarounds |
| All-in-one recording to publishing reduces workflow complexity | Free plan limits recording length and features |
| Browser-based with no installation needed for creator or guests | Collaboration features still developing on the platform |
Pricing and Plans
Free — $0/month
- Unlimited audio recording and editing
- 3 hours of video recording
- Multi-track recording
- Unlimited podcast hosting and publishing
- Basic AI tools
Storyteller — $11.99/month
- Unlimited recording hours including video
- Full Magic Dust AI enhancement
- Text-based editing
- Unlimited episode publishing
- Video podcast support
Pro — $23.99/month
- All Storyteller features
- AI voice cloning
- Advanced audio processing
- Priority support
- Custom intro and outro templates
Teams — Custom pricing
- All Pro features
- Role-based access and collaboration
- SOC 2 Type 2 compliance
- Team management dashboard
- Dedicated support
Best Alternatives and Comparisons
- Riverside FM — Better for highest quality remote recording with separate uncompressed tracks, less AI audio enhancement
- Descript — Better for comprehensive text-based video and audio editing as a full production suite
- Castmagic — Better for repurposing podcast content into show notes, social clips, and written assets
- Otter AI — Better for meeting transcription and notes, not a podcast production platform
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Async, formerly known as Podcastle, is an AI-powered podcast recording and editing platform with browser-based multi-track recording, Magic Dust AI audio enhancement, text-based editing, AI voice cloning, and direct podcast distribution.
Yes, Async offers a generous free plan with unlimited audio recording, 3 hours of video recording, and unlimited podcast hosting. The Storyteller plan at $11.99/month provides unlimited video recording and the full AI editing suite.
Podcastle rebranded to Async to better reflect its expanded platform capabilities across audio and video content creation for creators, teams, and businesses beyond its original podcast-focused identity.
Magic Dust is Async’s one-click AI audio enhancement feature that automatically removes background noise, levels voice volume across speakers, and processes recordings to broadcast-quality standards without manual audio engineering.
You record a voice sample and Async creates an AI model of your voice. You can then generate new narration or corrections in your own voice from text input without re-recording, useful for adding material or correcting mistakes after the recording session.
Riverside FM produces higher quality remote recordings through local recording on each participant’s device with uncompressed tracks. Async provides stronger AI audio enhancement, a more complete all-in-one editing and publishing workflow, and a more generous free tier. Use Riverside for the best raw recording quality, Async for the most complete one-platform podcast production experience with strong AI enhancement.
Yes, Async records video alongside audio and supports video podcast production, with the same text-based editing approach applied to both audio and video simultaneously.
Yes, Async offers a Teams plan with role-based access, collaborative workflows, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and a team management dashboard for organisations producing podcast and video content collaboratively.
Final Recommendation
Async is the most complete all-in-one podcast creation platform available for creators who want to go from recording to published episode without switching between multiple tools. The Magic Dust AI enhancement genuinely delivers on its quality promise, the text-based editing makes episode production accessible to podcasters who are not comfortable with traditional timeline editing, and the free tier’s unlimited audio recording is one of the most generous in the category. The Storyteller plan at $11.99/month provides excellent value for the complete production workflow it covers.
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