This Podcast Insider article is being released on July 13, 2020 — the year of which that will live in infamy. Your audience is living a different life than in 2016 when we published, ‘Where Are Your Podcast Listeners Tuning In?’ Back then, listening to podcasts via desktops or tablets made up only about one-third of total listens. Now, that portion is much greater because people are home and listening to podcasts in front of their computer screens. Thus, this is an excellent time to consider producing a video podcast.
To quickly summarize, a video podcast shares a video file over an RSS feed just like an audio podcast shares an audio file (what most people think of as a ‘podcast’). Video podcasts were more prevalent in podcasting’s early days, but they faded in popularity as smartphones and audio podcast apps became popular.
In addition to the fact that your potential audience size is currently growing and becoming ever-more thirsty for video content, it’s a good time to consider video podcast for the following reasons:
- The technology of video podcasting is well established.
- While many are creating new audio podcasts, few are making video podcasts — you can stand out from the crowd.
- Video editing has never been easier.
- The last reason is important enough to require its own paragraph. With a video podcast you ‘own’ the means of dissemination of your content. Many YouTube, Instagram and TikTok stars complain about their distribution platform because the corporate entities that own those websites often make decisions that are not in the best interests of creators. Harmless videos are negatively tagged, demonetized or blocked to the detriment of the content creator. There is no such arrangement when you release a video podcast episode over your own RSS.
To fully consider the prospect of producing a video podcast, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have the time to dedicate to a video podcast? It is a significant commitment.
- Can I learn how to or do I have the financial means to outsource the technical skills needed to produce a video podcast? Even with the best equipment, video editing requires a particular set of skills.
- Do I have the personality to be in front of a camera for an extended period of time? It takes a special kind of person to record themselves saying the same thing eight different ways knowing that only the best one is going to be used.
If you’ve ever thought about starting a podcast, consider starting a video podcast in 2020. Blubrry can help. Blubrry offers a free online podcasting manual that includes a specific section on audio vs. video podcasting. And, if you do want to outsource the technical work of your video podcast, consider Professional Podcast Solutions from Blubrry. Lastly, if you have questions about video podcasting enter them in the comments below — our amazing community of podcasters can be a great help.