While podcasts can often stand on their own as a form of media, the typical audience consumes more than audio content. When done right, a single video-recorded podcast session can produce not only a clean audio track for podcast apps but also short-form video clips for the platforms your audience is already scrolling.
That makes video more than an extra feature for your podcast. It can give you more ways to use the same conversation and more opportunities for potential customers to discover your business.
Compare the Effort Behind Audio and Video
It takes roughly the same amount of time to sit down and record the actual conversation, whether or not a camera is running. The preparation is similar, too. Either way, you need a topic, and a quiet place to record.
Yes, video requires lighting, framing, and additional camera work. However, once the equipment is set up, the actual recording happens in the background. All you have to do is focus on your conversation, just as you would for an audio-only show.
There is some additional production involved, but that extra effort can give you much more to work with after the recording is over. One conversation can become an audio episode, a full video, and multiple pieces of short-form content.
If someone else is handling the cameras, lighting, and editing, the additional work may not have to fall on you at all. Your job can stay focused on the most important part: creating content that your audience wants to hear.
Make Content for Every Platform
The biggest advantage of recording video is that one conversation can be adapted for multiple platforms. A video recording can become a full YouTube episode, several short clips for Instagram Reels and Facebook, shorter videos for TikTok, and professional cuts or posts for LinkedIn.
Consider a family practice doctor who records a single 30-minute conversation about treating the common cold. That recording could become a full YouTube video for people actively researching the topic, three or four short clips highlighting specific questions for Instagram, and a more professional segment aimed at other physicians on LinkedIn. A funny or particularly relatable moment could even work as a TikTok clip.
The same conversation reaches different audiences without requiring the doctor to record four separate pieces of content.
An audio-only recording has fewer options. The finished file works well for podcast apps and other audio platforms, but there’s no footage to pull into a video clip later.
Video also gives potential customers another way to get familiar with your business. People can hear how you explain a complicated topic, see how you interact with a guest, and get a better sense of your personality.
Think About the Return on Each Recording
When deciding whether video is worth the effort, think about the return on each recording session rather than just the return on each episode.
An hour of audio can produce one podcast episode. An hour of video can produce that same episode, plus a collection of shorter clips, giving you content to distribute over the following days or weeks.
These clips can save you from having to create completely separate content each time you need something to post. Instead of scheduling another recording session to answer a question for social media, you may already have the answer sitting inside a previous podcast conversation.
Not every minute of a podcast should be turned into content, and some conversations may not create as many strong clips as others. If you force every recording into as many posts as possible, your content can become repetitive. It’s best to find the moments that are genuinely useful, interesting, or entertaining and use those selectively.
Make Sure the Video Is Recorded Well
When you add video, it can raise the production bar. Viewers may notice flaws that audio-only listeners would never notice, like poor lighting, awkward camera angles, or distracting backgrounds.
Multiple camera angles, proper lighting, and clean audio can make a big difference in how professional your finished podcast feels. That doesn’t mean you need to invest thousands in equipment and become a video producer yourself.
Many businesses instead choose to work with a recording studio that offers in-house editing, where all you have to do is show up and have a conversation. The right choice depends on your budget, how often you plan to record, and how much of the production process you want to handle yourself.
If video is going to become a regular part of your content strategy, a reliable production process can make it much easier to keep publishing.
Get More From the Same Conversation
An audio-first podcast can still be a valuable way to share information and build an audience. The addition of video gives you more options for what happens after you hit record.
Instead of creating one piece of content and moving on to the next, you can turn a single conversation into a full podcast episode, short-form videos, and content tailored to several different platforms. You can also give potential clients another way to discover your business and get a sense of the people behind it.
Video isn’t necessary for every podcast, but if you’re already investing the time to have the conversation, recording it on video can give you considerably more ways to use the content you’ve already created.
Video
Infographic
Adding video to a podcast doesn’t require starting over from scratch; the conversation, preparation, and recording time are largely the same, but the content you walk away with is significantly more. Discover ways video can help your podcast in this infographic.
