In a world that can't correctly define a podcast anymore, there's a new obsession over and pressure to publish video. But if you are able to publish both audio and video, which should actually be your priority?
1. Prioritize audio in production
I've said it many times: the most important part of video is audio. If people can't hear and understand you, it won't matter how amazing your video looks.
So no matter what your video setup is, make sure your audio is the best it can be.
For example, you might feel like it compromises the aesthetics of your video to have a visible microphone in your shot. So then you have three choices:
- Use a mic that's too far away and sacrifice your audio quality.
- Invest in a high quality micrrophone solution that can capture audio out of frame or barely visible.
- Allow a visible microphone in your shot so you get the best audio possible.
Option A is lazy and amateur. Option B is most likely expensive. But you probably already have the gear for Option C.
After all, some people actually think it's only a podcast if they can see your microphone in the video! 🤣
As long as the microphone isn't blocking your face (and it probably never needs to block your face for good audio anyway), your audience would probably much rather see the microphone than not be able to hear or understand you.
2. Prioritize listeners in your audience
When it comes to your audience, the audio experience is also more important than the video experience.
The audience experience goes beyond merely the technical production! It's in the content you share and how you present that content.
I see too many podcasters make the same mistake that as soon as they can see each other—whether live-streaming, pre-recorded, or even if it's an audio podcast but recorded through a video platform (like Squadcast or Riverside)—they will speak as though the whole audience can see what the podcasters see.
Additionally, evening a large percentage of video-consuming audiences are only listening, or they might be “watching” with very little attention on the video (like through smaller picture-in-picture).
I love how James Cridland, editor of Podnews, defines podcasting: “entertainment for your ears, while your eyes are busy.”
You can apply that to podcasting like this: can your audience still fully benefit from your podcast if their eyes were closed the whole time?
3. Prioritize video for sharing
Here's where I flip things around! The best way to make it possible for your podcast to “go viral” is for you to clip it into shareable snippets. The best format for those snippets is video.
I think this is unfortunate, but it's how the world has worked for years and there seems to be no sign of changing: video snippets are more shareable than audio snippets—let along full audio episodes.
Get into TikTok, Facebook Reels, videos on X, and even YouTube and you'll see that short video snippets work best for quick consumption and sharing.
And when I say to prioritize video for sharing, I don't mean just the video of your talking head. For social, snippet-based video, go ahead with square or vertical video, baked in subtitles (just please not animated one word at a time!), screenshots and B-roll, and engaging cuts.
There are great apps that make this kind of social-video-editing easier. My favorite is OpusClip, but you can also try the built-in snippet features in Riverside and SquadCast/Descript.
Keep this in mind: social videos will not grow your podcast very much, but they can grow your reach and overall authority and influence! So would you rather have 100 podcast listeners plus 1,000 video-snippet viewers, or only the 100 podcast listeners?
4. Feeling overwhelmed? Then prioritize audio!
Yes, you have the potential to get your content in front of a bigger audience if you publish video in addition to your audio. If you can't do any of the special things in your video, then at least some video is better than no video. But if you're not able or comfortable to do any video, the do not feel guilty!
There are countless successful podcasts that are still only audio, and there will be plenty of other popular and even top-ranking podcasts publishing only audio.
Just look at me. I'm a full-time dad, running my own business, hosting a podcast, and homeschooling my son. Although I actually have been recording video of all my recent episodes, I've not yet done anything with those videos because that overwhelms me right now, and I can't afford to delegate the editing to someone or something else—at least not yet. And so I focus on what I can do best right now: audio. (But I'll continue recording videos of my episode just in case I can even get around to publishing them or using snippets from them!)
I do not have to publish video!
Say that yourself!
Special thanks
- Bryan Enztminger, from Top Tier Audio, gave 501§
- Adam Curry and Dave Jones had me on episode 237 of Podcasting 2.0, talking about chapters and PodChapters—which now has a free trial!
- Dan LeFebvre, from Based on a True Story, sent me a long but very thoughtful message in response to episode 409, “Should You Share Your Faith, Politics, or Morals in Your Podcast?” I'm saving that message and potentially others for an upcoming episode to share and respond to feedback about the serious and “controversial” issues I've been addressing lately. Send your feedback, too!
If you love The Audacity to Podcast and value the podcasting inspiration and education I provide, would you please consider giving back what it's worth to you?
Supercharge your podcast engagement and grow your podcast!
Do you ever feel like your podcast is stuck? Like you're pouring your heart into your podcast but it seems like no one is listening?
Try Podgagement to help you supercharge your podcast endgagement!
Get speakable pages to simplify engaging with your audience, accept voicemail feedback (with automatic transcripts), see and share your ratings and reviews from nearly 200 places, follow your podcast rankings across nearly 34,000 global charts, discover networking opportunities, and more!
Ask your questions or share your feedback
- Comment on the episode
- Send a written or voicemail message here
Follow The Audacity to Podcast
- Apple Podcasts, Spotify, other Android apps, or in your favorite podcast app.
- Subscribe on YouTube for Podcasting Videos by The Audacity to Podcast
- Follow @theDanielJLewis on X-Twitter
Disclosure
This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
Related Content
