What Is ISO Recording and Why Does It Matter for Podcasts?
Most people booking a video podcast studio ask about cameras, lighting, and whether there's a producer in the room.
Very few ask about ISO recording.
That's understandable, it's a technical term that doesn't come up naturally until something goes wrong in a session and you realise you can't fix it. This article explains what ISO recording is, why it matters, and what the difference looks like in practice between a studio that does it and one that doesn't.
What ISO Recording Actually Means
ISO stands for isolated. In a multi-camera video production, ISO recording means that each camera's feed is recorded as a separate, independent file, simultaneously with the main programme output.
To understand why that matters, you need to understand what happens without it.
In a basic multi-camera setup, a video switcher takes feeds from several cameras and the operator cuts between them in real time, selecting which angle the viewer sees at any given moment. The output of that switching process is recorded as a single video file: the programme cut. It contains whatever the operator chose to show, in the order they chose, with no ability to go back and change those decisions.
If the operator cuts to the wrong angle at the wrong moment, that cut is in the file. If a guest blinks or looks away at the precise moment the operator chooses their close-up, that's the shot you've got. If a camera drifts slightly out of focus, every moment the programme is on that camera is affected. There is no recovery mechanism because there is no separate record of what each camera captured.
ISO recording solves this entirely. When the switcher records ISO files, each camera's feed is written to its own independent track throughout the session. The programme cut still exists as a reference. But every camera angle also exists as a complete, uninterrupted file that your editor can access in post-production. Any decision made during the live switch can be overridden. Any moment can be recut using whichever angle was most appropriate.
The Equipment That Makes ISO Recording Possible
Not all video switchers support ISO recording. Basic switchers, including many entry-level models, produce only a programme output. They are capable live switchers, but they record nothing beyond the switched master.
The Blackmagic ATEM Mini range introduced ISO recording at a price point accessible to smaller production facilities. The critical model for podcast production is the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO, which records the programme cut and each camera's ISO file simultaneously to an attached SSD. In a four-camera setup, you leave the session with five files: the programme cut and four isolated camera recordings.
At the Podcast Studio Glasgow, psg1 runs a Blackmagic ATEM Mini Extreme Pro ISO that supports up to eight inputs. In psg2 we use a Rodecaster Video, which supports 4 HDMI inputs. In a typical podcast session with three to four cameras, every angle is captured independently alongside the programme output. Nothing is lost to a bad live switch decision.
What ISO Recording Means for Post-Production
The practical difference between an ISO setup and a non-ISO setup becomes clear when you sit down to edit.
With a programme cut only, your editor's job is assembly: trim the start and end, cut out stumbles or dead air, maybe add graphics and music. The fundamental editorial decisions, such as camera angle, which moment, and which cut point, were made during the live session and are locked in.
With ISO files available, your editor has full creative control over the programme. They can rebuild the edit entirely using the best angle at every moment. They can hold on a reaction shot longer than the live operator did. They can rescue a section where the programme cut is on the wrong guest. They can construct a tighter, more considered edit than is possible under live switching pressure.
And when editing out fumbles or retakes, it’s easier to hide these edits if you have the ISOs; instead of a harsh jump cut on the person speaking, the editor can cut to a wide shot to mask the edit.
For corporate clients in particular, this matters. A programme recorded for NHS Education Scotland or Scottish Water is not just a podcast: it's an organisational communication asset. The ability to review and refine the edit before delivery, using all available camera angles, is the difference between content that represents the organisation well and content that's adequate.
What ISO Recording Means for Social Media Repurposing
Beyond the main programme edit, ISO files transform what's possible with short-form content.
A typical podcast session produces a 40 to 60-minute main episode. From that session, a well-equipped production team can also extract short clips for LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. These clips are typically 60 to 90 seconds, cut around a specific insight, exchange, or moment from the conversation.
Without ISO files, social clips are cut from the programme output. You're working with whatever camera angles the live operator chose. If the most shareable moment in the episode happened while the programme was on the wide shot, your close-up clip doesn't exist.
With ISO files, every moment of the session is captured from every available camera angle. The social clip editor can choose the most visually dynamic framing for each extract, independent of what was shown in the programme cut. A moment that was on a wide shot during the live recording can be reconstructed as a tight two-shot or a speaker close-up for the clip. The footage's full potential is accessible.
This is why the value of a properly equipped video podcast session extends well beyond the main episode. A single two-hour recording session, properly captured with ISO files, can produce a main episode, three to five social clips per platform, a highlight reel, and cutdowns for specific audiences, all from footage that actually covers what you need rather than what the live operator happened to cut to.
ISO Recording vs Non-ISO: A Direct Comparison
| Criteria | ISO Recording (e.g. ATEM Mini Extreme ISO) | Programme Cut Only (basic switcher) |
|---|---|---|
| What's recorded | Programme cut + every camera as an independent file | Programme cut only — the live-switched master |
| Post-production flexibility | ✓ Full — any angle, any moment can be reedited | ✗ None — live switch decisions are locked in |
| Recovery from bad cut decisions | ✓ Any mistake during live switch can be corrected | ✗ No recovery — wrong angles stay in the edit |
| Social media clip creation | ✓ Best angle available for every moment in the session | ~ Limited to whatever angle the programme used |
| Guest blink or look-away | ✓ Cut to another angle in post — problem solved | ✗ If programme was on that camera, it stays |
| Camera focus issue mid-session | ✓ Other ISO files cover the affected section | ✗ All footage on that camera in programme is affected |
| Files delivered to client | Programme cut + individual camera ISOs | Programme cut only |
| Storage requirement | Large — 150–250GB typical for 2hr session | Small — single programme file only |
| Suitable for corporate/broadcast | ✓ Yes — full editorial control after recording | ~ Only if live switch quality is consistently high |
| Editor's options | Complete — rebuild the programme from scratch if needed | Limited to trimming, graphics, music on a fixed cut |
| Used at the Podcast Studio Glasgow | ✓ Standard on every video session | ✗ N/A |
ISO files from the Podcast Studio Glasgow sessions are delivered via WeTransfer or Google Drive alongside the programme cut. Storage requirements vary by session length and number of cameras.
The Questions Worth Asking Before You Book a Studio
ISO recording is not universally offered. Studios running basic switchers without ISO capability will record your session as a programme cut only. This isn't necessarily disclosed upfront because many clients don't know to ask. The following questions will establish what you're actually getting:
Does your switcher record ISO files for each camera? A yes here means you have post-production flexibility. A no means you're locked into the live switch.
What switcher model do you use? If they name a specific Blackmagic ATEM ISO model, or a comparable professional switcher with ISO capability, that's a meaningful answer. Vague answers about "professional equipment" are not.
Will I receive separate camera files after the session? This confirms that ISO recording is happening and that those files will be delivered to you rather than discarded after the programme cut is exported.
How are the files delivered? ISO files from a multi-camera session are large. A two-hour four-camera session can produce 200GB or more of footage. A professional studio should have a clear answer about how you receive those files, typically downloaded via WeTransfer, Google Drive, or a physical SSD.
How the Podcast Studio Glasgow Handles This
At the Podcast Studio Glasgow, ISO recording is standard on every video session. The Blackmagic ATEM Mini Extreme Pro ISO in psg1 records every camera's feed independently alongside the programme cut. After your session you receive the programme output and all isolated camera files.
What you do with them is up to you. Some clients edit in-house using the ISO files to refine the programme cut. Some use the Podcast Studio Glasgow's post-production service to produce the main episode and social clips in a single workflow. Some take the files to their own editor or agency.
The point is that the decision is yours. Nothing is lost to a bad live switch, a blink at the wrong moment, or an angle that could have been better framed. You have the full record of what every camera captured, for the entire session, and the complete freedom to build the best possible programme from it.
Recording starts at £75 per hour. ISO files are included as standard, not as an add-on. Book a session | Get in touch
