Video Podcasts are Crashing the Creator Party
How video podcasts become the new power play for digital creators, and where it goes next
A year ago, I wrote about the rise of video podcasts and its resulting impact on the medium. Driven by slowing audience growth and revenue plateaus, many podcasters started turning to bite-sized video snippets in hopes of going viral and attracting new listeners — something traditional podcast platforms struggled to replicate. Not to mention that video commands higher ad rates, and creators naturally followed the money.
Now, a year later, podcasts have fully embraced the visual era, sparking a fundamental transformation in the creator economy. Over the past year, we’ve witnessed a meteoric rise in video podcasts, turning it into a multimedia juggernaut that brands, publishers, and creators can’t afford to overlook.
As always, follow the money: according to a recent IAB/PwC Internet Advertising report, digital audio advertising grew 8.5% to $7.6 billion in 2024, a solid gain by most measures; But with digital video revenue reaching $62.1 billion on 19.2% growth, it’s clear that video is where the real momentum — and money — is headed.
It’s no surprise that in an era dominated by short-form video content, audiences would demand their favorite podcasters to show their faces as well. In fact, one-third explicitly prefer podcasts with a video component, per Cumulus Media.
Now, granted, video podcast sounds like an oxymoronic term, if you’re an audio purist for podcasts. But in 2025, the lines between formats have been fully blurred by platform economics and shifting audience behavior. Roughly three-fourths of U.S. podcast listeners already consider discussion-based YouTube videos as podcasts, according to Oxford Road and Edison Research.
Of course, it should be noted that not all podcasts can be easily turned into video content. On one hand, conversation and interview-based podcasts, which often rely on interpersonal dynamics and personality-driven exchanges, translate well to video — Just turn on the cameras while recording, and the job is half done. On the other hand, more intricate podcast genres — such as investigative journalism, true crime, or narrative storytelling — face greater production challenges in making the leap to video.
The Video Pod Gold Rush
The video podcast boom isn’t happening in a vacuum — it’s being actively shaped by the platforms and players jockeying for dominance. As audience habits evolve and monetization potential grows, major tech and media companies are racing to claim their piece of the action, transforming what was once a niche format into a cornerstone of the digital content ecosystem.
As the go-to long-form digital video platform, YouTube has benefited greatly off the video podcast boom. It recently boasted a staggering one billion monthly active podcast viewers, who collectively consume over 400 million hours monthly on living room devices alone. In fact, by some metrics, YouTube has surpassed both Spotify and Apple Podcasts as the most popular platform for podcast consumption in the U.S., with 28% of podcast listeners saying they use it most frequently — nearly double Spotify’s 15% and more than twice Apple’s 12%, per an Edison Research report published in October 2024.
Spotify, striving not to be left behind, now hosts over 330,000 video podcasts and attracts more than 270 million viewers, signaling a clear push to rival YouTube. Its recent strategy — paying creators based on premium subscriber engagement and removing dynamic ads for paid users in select markets — aims to boost both creator earnings and viewer experience. The $100 million payout program, announced in November, is already yielding results: creators like David Coles and YMH Studios have reported major revenue gains, and video consumption on the platform has jumped more than 40% since January, per a New York Times report.
Meanwhile, other tech and media players are also staking claims: Amazon’s Wondery is aggressively expanding its video offerings, from subscriber-only visuals to animated podcast narratives. SiriusXM has attracted video-driven talent like Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy fame. iHeartRadio hosts the popular Las Culturistas pod with comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, whose episodes regularly get over 100k views on YouTube.
Netflix, while late to the game, has also recognized video podcasts’ escalating popularity and expressed interest in video podcasts as potential new content avenues to better compete with YouTube for living room TV time. Ironically, Apple, once synonymous with podcasting, is lagging behind, losing listenership to platforms that have enthusiastically adopted video.
News publishers, too, see video podcasts as critical avenues to extend their reach and deepen audience engagement. Networks such as CBS News, NewsNation, and Fox News are actively experimenting with the format. For these outlets, the format serves both as a distribution channel and as a branding tool, allowing them to meet audiences where they already spend time while reinforcing their voice in long-form, personality-driven storytelling.
A New Power Play for Creators
The rising popularity of video podcasts isn’t confined to traditional creators or broadcasters alone. Content creators, particularly from visual-driven platforms like YouTube and TikTok, are increasingly viewing the formatas a path to both financial sustainability and brand longevity.
Early-day YouTubers like Trisha Paytas, Tana Mongeau, Logan Paul, and many others are cashing in on the podcast boom by creating a new identity, audience, and brand. For example, Lauren Riihimaki, known as LaurDIY, transitioned from kid-friendly crafting videos to co-hosting Wild ’Til 9, a podcast with her husband that explores relationships, marriage, and adult life.
Meanwhile, TikToker Jake Shane (@octopusslover8) launched Therapuss in early 2024, featuring therapy-style interviews that explore personal experiences. Similarly, Madeline Argy debuted Pretty Lonesome under the Alex Copper’s Unwell Network. In fact, Alex Cooper might be the best example of an influencer who’s turned a podcast into a sprawling business empire. Besides her own podcast company, she recently launched an electrolyte drink called Unwell Hydration.
In contrast, traditional audio-only podcasters face growing pressure to adapt, as platforms increasingly prioritize video and audiences seek more immersive, visually engaging experiences — making “audio-only” content easier to overlook.
For creators, the pivot to long-form podcasting represents a strategic evolution: while viral videos offer visibility, they rarely foster deep viewer loyalty or consistent monetization. In contrast, long-form talk podcasts allow these creators to expand beyond bite-sized entertainment and showcase more of their personality, opinions, or storytelling abilities in a structured, serialized way.
This shift not only increases viewer retention and engagement time but also unlocks higher-value sponsorship opportunities that reward depth over virality. For influencers navigating burnout from the relentless pace of algorithmic content cycles, podcasts offer a more controllable, owned media format — one that builds stronger communities and opens the door to diversified revenue streams, including subscriptions, live shows, and merchandise.
In response, marketers are increasingly recognizing the potential of video podcasts. A recent media trial from MAGNA and Vox Media highlighted the strategic importance of understanding listener mindsets — be it indulgence, inspiration, or interconnectivity — to effectively target and engage podcast audiences. A theme across mindsets was the integration of podcasts into listeners’ lives, and their engagement beyond audio — on social media through likes and shares of shortened content (58%), followed a podcast host on social (53%), purchased products advertised (29%), met fellow fans IRL (20%), etc. The additional visuals that video podcasts provide can serve to heighten those top-of-mind mindsets, amplifying engagement and brand recall.
What’s Next for Video Pods
Looking ahead, as platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and even TikTok increasingly prioritize video-based content in their discovery algorithms, creators who embrace the medium will benefit from greater visibility and audience growth. Expect to see more short-form creators use video podcasts not just as a side project, but as the centerpiece of their brand strategy — offering deeper engagement, longer watch time, and new monetization channels such as dynamic video ads, brand partnerships, and live shows — some that will even cross over back into the conventional video content channels, such as Las Culturistas’ upcoming Culture Awards event, which is set to air on Bravo before streaming on Peacock in August.
At the same time, we’ll likely see further consolidation and professionalization within the video podcast space. Influencers with large followings will partner with media networks, production companies, or even form creator-led collectives to scale their operations and cross-promote content across platforms. This will raise the production bar for entry — moving beyond simple webcam setups to studio-quality video with editors, showrunners, and distribution teams behind the scenes.
Importantly, this evolution won’t just benefit the top 1% of creators, as it has been so far. As tools for video production, editing, and distribution continue to get more accessible, mid-tier and niche creators will also find new opportunities in the format. Expect podcast platforms to build out more tools for discoverability, interactive features (like polls, comments, and Q&A), and monetization tailored specifically for video-first shows. In a few years, the distinction between “podcast” and “video series” may blur entirely, with audiences — and advertisers — treating them as one and the same.
Of course, this being 2025, the impact of generative AI is always looming large. For example, Google’s recent expansion of NotebookLM Audio Overviews into over 50 languages signals a major step toward making AI-generated, personalized audio content globally accessible — and it could significantly influence the future of podcasting. As AI-generated audio becomes more polished and widespread, it may challenge conventional podcasts in certain categories like education, news, business, and productivity. Still, creators can win on their unique takes and personal charms as well as counting on the listener communities that they’ve fostered.
At the end of the day, video podcasts put a face to the voice, creating a stronger sense of connection that feels personal, authentic, and hard to scroll past.
