Agree the deliverable before recording
Ask the editor what they need: separate audio, separate video, screen share, a reference mix, or all of them, and whether they want files that already line up. Do this before inviting guests, because some options depend on how people join.
Riverside records high-quality tracks locally on each participant's device and offers four download formats per track: raw video, aligned video, raw audio and compressed audio. Individual-track downloads are only available while the account has recorded less than its allotted download hours; Riverside's example is that with a 15-hour allowance, the option disappears for every recording once lifetime recording passes 15 hours. Check the account before promising separate tracks. [1] This guide is a documentation-based procedure, not a recording-quality test.
Raw or aligned: what each download gives the editor
| Download | What it contains | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aligned video | Black-frame padding before the participant's media so it starts at the right moment on a shared timeline [2] | Dropping all tracks at 00:00 and having them line up | Not produced for mobile-app or Mac-app recordings [2] |
| Raw video | The participant's recording with no padding [2] | Editors who align by ear or clap | Late joiners need manual offset |
| Raw audio (WAV) | Participant audio as a WAV file, no padding [3] | Audio-first editing and cleanup | An aligned WAV is only created when the studio is set to record audio only [3] |
| Compressed audio | Smaller participant audio file | Quick review or transcription | Prefer the raw WAV as the editing master |
Aligning raw WAV files when no aligned audio exists
If the studio recorded video, Riverside says the aligned audio WAV is not created, but you can line it up yourself: download the aligned video MP4, place it on the timeline, place the raw WAV beside it, drag the WAV until its waveform matches, then mute or remove the video's audio. [3]
Worked example (invented): the host is on the timeline from 00:00. A guest joined 2 minutes 50 seconds in, so their aligned video has black frames until 02:50. Their raw WAV starts at its own zero, so the editor drags it to start at 02:50 and checks a shared phrase near the end. A two-minute-fifty difference in file length alone does not tell the editor whether the guest joined late, left early or has a gap; the aligned file's padding does.
Frame rate: why screen shares drift
Riverside says high-quality video tracks recorded in a computer browser use a constant frame rate in both raw and aligned formats. Tracks recorded in the mobile app are not yet available as constant frame rate, and screen-share, Media Board and cloud recording files sometimes use a variable frame rate to save space. [4]
Check variable frame rate files for sync in your editor before cutting. Flag every mobile, screen-share and cloud file in the manifest so the editor can convert or check sync before cutting. Riverside also says high-quality screen-share tracks are only available when the screen share was recorded with the Mac app. [1]
Build the manifest
Write one row per delivered file. A guest who reconnected, or a session restarted after a break, needs more than one row. A neutral filename convention such as episode-012_guest-a_segment-02_raw-audio.wav makes the source obvious; never rename a compressed file to look uncompressed.
| Manifest field | Why the editor needs it |
|---|---|
| Participant and segment | Find the right voice and order |
| Device and app or browser | Predict raw-only files and frame rate behaviour |
| Raw or aligned | Avoid applying an offset twice |
| Duration and join time | Spot missing material and place late joiners |
| Format, sample rate, channels | Plan import and conversion; two channels do not mean two people |
| Known defects with timestamps | Jump straight to noise or dropouts |
| Upload status | Separate complete tracks from partial ones |
Check uploads before calling a file missing
A recording card in the dashboard is not proof that every local track finished uploading. Riverside describes a partial high-quality track as one that has not finished uploading; in its editor, missing segments show as black video with silent audio and are left out of the transcript. [5] Mark a partial track as partial in the manifest rather than quietly filling its gap.
Open every downloaded file. Confirm it plays, has a plausible duration and contains the named person, and listen near the start, the middle, the end and any known interruption. That catches obvious mix-ups; it is not a substitute for a full listen before publication.
Handoff acceptance check
- Every participant and segment has a manifest row and a file that opens.
- Raw versus aligned is stated for every file, and mobile or Mac-app files are marked raw-only.
- Variable frame rate files are flagged.
- Known defects have timestamps; partial tracks are labelled.
- A reference mix is included and labelled as reference, not master.
- The editor imports a short section and confirms sync before starting the full edit.
- Files are shared with appropriate access, not through a public link.
Questions before you decide
Why is there no aligned file for my guest who joined on a phone?
Riverside says recording track files created with the mobile app and the Mac app generate raw tracks only, without alignment padding, due to device limitations. Align them manually against an aligned track or a shared sound.
Why can I no longer download individual tracks?
Riverside says individual-track downloads are only available while the account has recorded less than its allotted download hours. Once lifetime recording passes that allowance, the option disappears for all recordings.
Where is the aligned WAV?
Riverside only creates an aligned audio WAV when the studio is set to record audio only. Otherwise, align the raw WAV to the aligned video file in your editor.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Riverside Help: Download high-quality tracks Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Riverside Help: Difference between an aligned track and a raw track Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Riverside Help: Where do I find the aligned audio track? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Riverside Help: What are constant frame rate (CFR) video files? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Riverside Help: What is a partial high quality track? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
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