Earlier this month, I shot a couple of my “5 Minute Friday” podcasts on video. I wanted to see if “the juice was worth the squeeze.” Long story short, it wasn’t. Yes, I got a few views on YouTube, and a handful on IGTV, but as a small business owner and soloprenuer, it just wasn’t worth it. Now, if you have the budget for a multi-camera full production team, absolutely go for it. Having a video component can’t hurt you. But when you have to make decisions about time and resources, I don’t think podcast video is worth it.
First of all, video editing is much harder, more time consuming, and less forgiving than audio editing. If you’ve only got one camera, you can’t edit out flubs – you either have to leave them in, have an awkward looking “jump cut,” or “cover” your video with a graphic or something. And this takes time – time you probably don’t have. So you’re dealing with more time, larger files, and possibly a less professional looking product.
Also, in our COVID world, we are all suffering from “Zoom fatigue.” How many hours a day do you spend on video calls? How many times do you watch people struggle with their mute button? And how long do you have to stare at your screen? Take a walk, go for a drive, and bring something to listen to – give yourself a break. Also, audio is more intimate than video. You have to paint a picture in your listener’s “mind’s eye.” Think about how connected you felt to your favorite radio morning show growing up. There’s power in that.
Bottom line, unless your show has a ton of resources, stick to the audio. Video is just not an efficient use of your time.
This week’s podcasting news:
Amazon Music coming to Alexa – 70% of home smart speakers. Will this be the podcasting boost we’ve been waiting for in podcasting to smart speakers?
https://podnews.net/article/amazon-music-podcasts?
https://hotpodnews.com/insider-september-17-2020/
Spotify lands Brene Brown: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-09-23/the-ever-curious-brene-brown-comes-to-spotify-with-two-exclusive-podcasts/?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-09-24
Spotify rolls out notifications for new episodes, and civic engagement effort to increase voter turnout.
Spotify employees want control over Rogan content: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/report-spotify-employees-want-to-control-rogan-content/
Apple’s new iOS includes improvements to Apple Podcasts: https://podnews.net/article/ios14-apple-podcast-app-updates?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-09-23
Mark Cuban to keynote Podcast Movement Virtual: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-09-23/the-ever-curious-brene-brown-comes-to-spotify-with-two-exclusive-podcasts/?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-09-24
Power of the Podcast – Pod Save America’s Get Mitch Or Die Trying Fund raised over $20 million since RBG’s passing. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/getmitch?utm_source=podnews.n