Video podcast or no video podcast?
Video podcast or no video podcast?
There are two ways to incorporate video into a podcast. I’ll be discussing both ways here.
The first way is to broadcast video, meant for the audience. The second is non-broadcast, meant for the guest and host to see each other during the interview.
Broadcasting video:
I don’t do it for two reasons.
Broadcast video, is a very different medium than audio only. The way interviews happen and story’s told vary from one medium to the other. Each medium requires a very different production system. The biggest competitive advantage in podcasting is the underlying production system. Without a standardized production system shows are inconsistent and stressful to manage.
My interviewing style uncovers stories through questions of guests. For me, video interviews doesn’t quite capture the pureness of a back and forth conversation. When there’s a camera people perform rather than be themselves. My show is all about amazing founders and VCs being themselves. I found, video obstructs this. So I don’t do it.
And today, due to the Covid outbreak, remote recording is the only way to record. Even though I have a state-of-the-art studio in downtown NYC, I can’t access it. My show has very high production quality, producing audio only makes it easier on guests. My guests all have professional mics, you can see the guidelines here. If I incorporated video, we’d need to transport very heavy equipment.
Zoom interviews:
I don’t do this for two reasons. One, it’s not podcast friendly for recording purposes. Two, I found that even non-broadcast video makes guests nervous. So for those reasons I don’t incorporate video into my podcast. If you decide to, remember to understand distribution channels and line up a standardized production system.
