“Video” was the buzzword floating all around the conference hall at Podcast Movement: Evolutions last week. Will video usurp traditional audio podcasts? What moves is YouTube making to enter the scene? What will happen to audio-only content creators?
We gained plenty of insights during our time at PME (Podcast Movement: Evolutions), which we’ll share soon, but the one we felt compelled to share first was the rise of video podcasting. Video seems to be here to stay, but it’s not the audio-killer some may think it is. There’s a lot that video can do to grow your audience without cannibalizing your audio-only community.
The Power of Video
The main draw for video, at least for podcasters, is the discoverability feature. YouTube is among the most popular websites and is owned by the world’s most popular search engine. Listing your show on YouTube also means listing it on Google. This is an attractive bonus for most people utilizing SEO best practices to grow their audiences. Even just posting a 30-second clip of your show could be enough to draw attention to your podcast!
YouTube’s ties to Google aren’t the only reason it’s a great avenue to audience growth, though. The demographics tend to skew a bit younger on the video platform. From a talk at PME presented by Amplifi Media & Coleman Insights, 37% of Gen Z podcast consumers watch mostly video podcasts. While 40% of all podcast consumers do a mix of video and audio podcasts. Podcasters who upload their show to YouTube are able to reach these younger audiences where they actually are, rather than hoping that these elusive listeners decide to try out Apple Podcasts or other more traditional podcast listening apps.
Meeting this new audience where they are with enticing quick clips of your content is a great way to test out this new platform. Be sure to upload your actual episodes alongside the short content so folks can use their preferred apps to tune in! (YouTube Shorts can also link people directly to your podcast on YouTube!) Other video-forward platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are great supplemental tools to upload clips of your show. Both of these platforms have also been shown as excellent avenues to gain new listeners.
The main takeaway from all the talks at PME: video is a fantastic way to reach newer and younger audiences.
Video Hasn’t Killed the Radio Star
YouTube is a quickly growing force within the podcast industry. According to Amplifi Media & Coleman Insights, there has been a 10% increase in YouTube podcast consumption since 2023. However, the other listening apps, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, did not see a decrease in listeners. So, while it may seem like YouTube is encroaching on traditional audio, it’s really just widening the net to capture new types of listeners.
This may be because audio podcasts are a truly unique medium. No other content creator is able to literally get inside the head of their audience. Listeners are more often than not tuning in to podcasts, both audio and video, while doing something else. Most people can’t watch a YouTube video on the way to work, but they can slip on their headphones and listen to a podcast. Even those who use YouTube as their main podcast consumption app may be only paying attention to the audio side of the podcast, much like audio-only listeners.
This is good news for folks looking to upload to YouTube without having to change their entire creation process. Creating a YouTube video is an entirely different beast than creating a podcast. Not to mention that it typically costs 10x the amount to create a professional-looking video than it does to create a professional-sounding podcast. Podcasters interested in dipping their toes into YouTube can even use tools like RedCircle’s own YouTube Integration to generate a video and automatically upload it to your channel for you!
Video podcasts aren’t disappearing any time soon. Rather than shying away from its benefits, take advantage of them by employing existing tools like our YouTube integration so you, too, can capture these new listeners.
Change is scary. We’re here to help you take your podcast to new heights. Why not check out RedCircle and see how we can help you reach new audiences? Sign up today for a 7-day free trial so you can test everything out before fully committing.
