Podcasting Videos: Why & How You Should Make Them

Podcasting videos have become a central part of the podcasting landscape, especially in recent years. While audio-only platforms like Stitcher, Overcast, and Castos still provide good distribution, the data shows a significant amount of listeners consume their podcasts as videos on Youtube and Facebook.

For podcasters previously focused solely on the audio aspect of this media form, the move to video can seem daunting and maybe even unnecessary.

The truth is, video is extremely important for podcasting today. And… It doesn’t have to be a difficult transition. Let’s look at the reasons you should create podcast videos and the simplest way to do it.

Why should you create podcasting videos?

There are many benefits of using video for your podcast. Some of the basic reasons you should consider are:

The popularity of video for podcasts

A University of Florida and Futuri Media study identified YouTube as the most popular platform for podcast consumers. Participants chose it as the platform they used to consume podcasts 70.2% of the time, over double the amount for Spotify, Google Play Music, and iTunes.

Platforms like Spotify have noted the potential of video podcasting. In July 2020, Spotify launched a video podcast feature, allowing audiences to watch or just listen to their favorite shows.

Although the relationship between podcasting and video is nothing new, social media platforms and apps like YouTube and Spotify have made this a viable option for podcasters.

Of course, you don’t have to completely transform into a video podcast to reap the benefits of video. You can create visual soundbites using your recorded audio files and share them on various digital platforms. You can also use video snippets as teasers for upcoming episodes or interviews. There are tons of creative ways to use video for your show!

Social media loves video

A huge upside of creating video podcasting content is the potential it has on social media.

According to Cisco, by 2022, over 80% of global internet activity will be from video activity. Statista indicated that “nearly 17 percent of internet users aged between 18 and 25 years spend over 20 hours a week watching videos online as of August 2020”. The increased engagement from video posts can help you increase awareness of your podcast and grow your social media presence.

Using video expands your audience

Of course, increased engagement and awareness means you can expand your audience. When you share your podcasts to video-sharing sites, you also gain access to a larger audience.

For example, YouTube is a popular place for podcasters. It is also the second-largest, most-used social media platform. Facebook is the first. YouTube users watch over a billion hours of video content daily, while the video engagement rate on Facebook is higher than the platform’s overall engagement rate.

It’s super easy

Video content creation doesn’t have to be a challenge. It just depends on the kind of videos you want to make. Choosing to go down the in-studio or live-video recording route can lead to additional work and costs, as you need equipment and may need specialized video editing skills. If you use the approach below, you can create videos for your podcast in no time, for very little to no additional cost.

The easiest way to make podcasting videos

1. Decide on the type of visual you want

There are several options you can choose from when deciding what visual you want for your video. You can use your custom color palette, logo, photography, images, and graphics in a static image. Or you can use all that plus add animation to your design with custom branded animations using Wavve. You can also optionally add captions to attract more listeners.

The visuals you choose for your video should fit your branding and personality on the platform you want to post it to. And the added movement with wave forms and captions will increase engagement, especially on platforms like Facebook and Instagram where you can scroll with the audio off.

2. Edit your audio file

You’ll have to upload your audio file. Or pull it from your RSS feed. Make sure you’ve edited out any unwanted sound from your file before uploading. You won’t be able to do this after you’ve uploaded it. You also want to make sure that you’re using quality audio files. Your audio is still the center of your podcast.

3. Choose the channels you want to share your videos to

Where do you want to share your podcasting videos? TikTok? Twitter? Maybe just on Youtube, like Dollar Shave Club? Or do you want to share it on Instagram like Jeff Sanders’ 5 AM Miracle podcast does? You need to decide what platforms you’ll share your content to as it defines the dimensions of your video.

For example, YouTube recommends a 16:9 (horizontal) aspect ratio, while Instagram has different ratios for its different platform features. Instagram Stories’ and Reels’ aspect ratio is 9:16 (vertical), IGTV’s are 9:16 or 16:9, and the Instagram feed posts’ are 16:9, 1:1 (square), or 4:5, which are slightly taller than square.

To make the best podcasting videos, you must create visuals with the correct aspect ratios for the platform.

4. Create your content with Wavve

With the above video characteristics in mind, you can now create your video via Wavve.

• First, create a Wavve account. You can create a free account and use the Free Plan or you can sign up for one of the paid plans should you want to do more than a few clips per month.
• Go to “Create”. You can add your audio or design your visual first. On the design canvas. you can design your visual — including setting you aspect ratio orientation, images, fonts, logo, and more. You can choose from a template or create your own. You can also choose from many different styles of waveform animations in your design. Remember to save your design.
• You can add your audio in several ways. You can connect to your show’s RSS feed from your podcast host if you have one already, upload an audio file directly, or even record a clip in the Wavve app on Chrome browsers. You can even pull in someone else’s podcast episode if you were, for example, a guest on their show.
• When you are finished, select ‘Generate Video.’ Your podcast mp4 video will now be ready for you to download and share on any platform.

The fantastic thing about this technique for creating videos is that it’s pretty low cost. You don’t have to invest in video production equipment and software. You also don’t have to spend money on additional labor for video editing and other steps in the video production process. Instead, you only spend money on your Wavve subscription. Or you spend nothing at all with the Free Plan!

Additionally, you save time by creating your podcasting videos in just four steps.

The bottom line

The present and future of podcasting is video! Podcasting videos have become extremely popular, and they increase your social media engagement, brand awareness, and audience size. You can reap all these benefits and more with these simple, easy steps.