Easy ways to use video for podcasting

Video may have killed the radio star, but it presents a big opportunity for podcasters.

YouTube has overtaken Spotify to become the most popular podcast platform in the US, a trend also reflected in Canada.

When you’re starting a podcast, it feels like there is already too much to do, without adding video into the mix (and video isn’t for everyone — a big part of podcasts’ appeal is that they’re a more intimate, less busy medium).

But if you do want to include video as part of your podcast offering, how can you do so without getting overwhelmed?

Here are three easy ways to use video for your show:

Create short-form videos promoting each episode to share on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube shorts. These don’t need to be anything sophisticated, just you speaking to the camera saying what you learned from the guest in the latest episode.

Make audiograms to promote your podcast on social media. Audiograms are static images with an audio clip running over them, with a moving sound wave and captions. These allow social media users to see/hear a snippet of your show without you filming anything. I use Wavve and Headliner to create audiograms but you can also use Canva. Learn more here.

Upload your audio-only podcast to YouTube. If the thought of filming your whole podcast (then potentially editing it) is too much to get your head around, you can upload your audio-only podcast to YouTube using Headliner, Wavve or Canva. You can use a static image featuring your podcast artwork (these apps have plenty of templates to choose from) and then converting the audio file and still image into a video file. Castos has a guide here.

Click here to read YouTube’s recently published guide to podcasting.