Still Audio-Only? Why Video Podcasting Is the Next Big Shift
Spotify, Apple, and Netflix are all investing in video podcasting. See what that means for your show and why it’s time to start recording video.
For a long time, podcasting felt pretty straightforward. You recorded your audio, uploaded it to your podcast host, and let it distribute across the major listening apps. If you wanted to go the extra mile, maybe you also uploaded a version to YouTube.
That model is changing fast.
The biggest platforms in media and podcasting are all making aggressive moves toward video podcasting. Spotify is expanding its video tools, adding clips and lowering barriers to monetization. Apple is building video functionality into Apple Podcasts. Netflix is even exploring partnerships and building out a library of video led podcast content. Video podcasting has moved past the experiment stage and is becoming a core part of how people find and consume shows.
Watch the live video discussion
Why Video Podcasting Matters Right Now
What makes this shift so important is that several major platforms are moving in the same direction at the same time.
Spotify, Apple, YouTube and Netflix are all investing in video podcasting in different ways. When that many big players move together, it usually points to a format shift in podcast marketing. When several large companies decide that video is worth building around, creators should pay attention.
It also backs up something many creators have already been sensing: audiences still want to hear the conversation, and more and more, they want the option to watch it too.
Spotify, Apple, and Netflix Are All Pushing Video
Each platform is approaching this shift from a slightly different angle.
Spotify is making it easier for creators to monetize and manage sponsorships, while also pushing for more video inventory on the platform. Basically, they want more creators uploading video content, and they’re trying to make the platform more attractive for them to do it.
Apple is rolling out video functionality inside Apple Podcasts, giving listeners ways to move between audio, transcript, and video experiences inside the same app.
Netflix may be the biggest headline of all. Netflix is reportedly reaching out to agencies and building a library of known shows before officially expanding deeper into video podcasts. So podcast style content is being treated more and more like television programming.
Audio Only Creators Should Start Capturing Video
The most practical advice is also the simplest: if you’re a podcaster and you’re still audio only, start capturing video now.
You don’t need a giant studio setup, and you don’t need to reinvent your show overnight. If you’re already sitting down to record, it’s worth turning on a camera and keeping that video.
Even if your primary focus is still audio, video gives you more flexibility:
- a full episode for platforms that support video
- shorter clips for discovery
- assets for social promotion
- more ways for audiences to connect with your presence and personality
Video is quickly becoming part of the podcast itself, where it used to be treated as “extra content.”
YouTube Is Still Different
One of the smartest distinctions you can make when recording is that a podcast video and a strong YouTube video are two different things.
A raw podcast recording uploaded to YouTube often won’t perform the same way as a video intentionally packaged for YouTube. The content may still be valuable, but YouTube rewards context, structure, and presentation differently. So while YouTube is still a major player in podcast consumption, you’ll need to think carefully about format and packaging if you want strong performance there.
Turning on a camera is the first step. After that, it’s about understanding how each platform wants the content delivered.
Francesca’s Real-World Spotify Experiment
For Francesca, Spotify had never been a major source of podcast listeners compared to Apple Podcasts. But after consistently uploading the video version of the podcast episodes to Spotify since January, there’s been noticeable growth: more listeners, more followers, and more activity on episodes that previously might not have gained much traction.
Every creator won’t see the exact same results, but it’s a good example of what can happen when a platform is actively rewarding a format it wants more of.
Sometimes the opportunity is in finally using a feature the platform has been quietly pushing.
Video Adds Extra Work
Of course, the shift to video comes with complications, and there’s extra work involved. Right now, in some cases, creators still have to upload audio through their regular podcast host for the RSS feed and then manually upload video separately to platforms like Spotify once the episode is live. Depending on how Apple handles video integrations, that may add even more backend work. So this shift can create more production and publishing tasks, especially for independent creators and small teams.
This is where many creators get stuck. The opportunity is real, and so is the extra workload.
Still, the broader trend suggests that even if the workflow is clunky now, platforms are moving toward making video podcast distribution easier over time.
What This Means for Creators
The larger pattern here goes beyond podcasting. Platforms are increasingly trying to become one stop shops. They want everything (audio, video, clips, monetization, and discovery) to happen in one place, so creators and audiences have no reason to leave.
For creators, that makes this a good time to ask a few important questions:
- Where do I want my content to live long term?
- Which platform is most aligned with how I create?
- What parts of my current process can I adapt without burning out?
- Am I building in a format that is growing, or staying attached to one that platforms are slowly moving away from?
You don’t need to be everywhere, but you do need to pay attention to where the momentum is going.
Final Thoughts
Video podcasting has moved out of the early adopter corner and into the mainstream creator economy.
When Spotify lowers monetization barriers, Apple adds video functionality, and Netflix starts circling the format, the market is showing creators where things are headed.
The good news is you don’t need a perfect setup to respond. You just need to start thinking more strategically about how you record, package, and distribute your show.
Creators who start capturing video now will be ready for where podcasting is going next.
