As Skype announces it’s closing its doors at the beginning of May this year. If you’re a broadcaster using Skype, you could be looking for an alternative; from an organisation that understands your particular challenges.

The history

It was in about 2004 that I lent my Luthuanian housemate a webcam with built-in microphone. She went on to show me Skype, a piece of software which she was using to speak to her family from London to Vilnius without the high cost of international phone calls.

Skype intrigued me for a few reasons. One was the crazy idea of using computers as telephones (these days our telephones are computers, of course!) But also its use of peer-to-peer traffic over the internet. My housemate had no idea that her call traffic was being enabled by other Skype users, something pretty innovative.

Fast forward to today and that innovation turns into one of the slowest and most sluggish pieces of software I’ve experienced on my own Android smartphone. For a long time I wondered if this was an act of self-sabotage on something that continued to be useful to so many people; I’ve even used it myself when abroad to telephone local businesses.

So it seems a shame that after two decades, Skype is closing its doors.

Microsoft says it’s shifting its focus to Microsoft Teams and expects consumers in business and personal uses to be fulfilled by that, plus other tools like WhatsApp, Zoom and Google Meet.

But what about true alternatives for broadcasters?

This is a somewhat different use case, and many local stations have had co-presenters, guests and other hosts appear via Skype. If you’re doing that your workflow could have been steady for a number of years and you’ll want something that’s equally straightforward to use.

Cleanfeed

Today we have Cleanfeed Pro. Long-distance radio guests can connect with just a link and the quality is full broadcast quality.

Some of Skype’s innovations live on today. Just like Skype’s use of peers to assist in making connections, Cleanfeed uses a high degree of peer-to-peer traffic to ensure best and lowest latency audio connections. Compared to Skype, we think you’ll find the conversation flow in Cleanfeed to be a whole leap forward.

Unlike teleconferencing tools, Cleanfeed is also tuned for broadcasters. It handles a lot of the technicalities (such as mix-minus of multiple guests) and with features such as privacy controls, various audio repair and recording options.

Start with a free Cleanfeed Lite account. It gives high quality mono links audio between your studio and up to two guests. When you’re ready, upgrade to Cleanfeed Pro where you’ll find other features that get you to your full potential.