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With video podcasting’s momentous rise in popularity, Riverside’s Annual Report dives deeper into this impactful medium. As the 10th of an 11-part series, this article looks at where video podcasting is heading in the near future.
What’s in it for me?
By the end of this section, you’ll have key insights on the following points:
- Key predictions about video podcasting in the next 5 years
How will video podcasting evolve in the short term?
Given how much video podcasting has changed the past 2 years alone, it’s safe to say that the trend will continue. Within the next 5 years, video may be inching closer to becoming the default way to record and publish a podcast. These are our key predictions for video podcasting in the coming 5 years. Already in 2022, over 84% of companies surveyed believe that video will be a crucial part of their podcast strategy in the future. This number will likely continue to increase.
Consumption will rise sharply
No official statistics currently exist around the total number of podcasts hosted on YouTube. However, video podcasts on YouTube are currently a small subset of the overall platform.
Within the next 5 years, it’s reasonable to believe that video podcast’s market share on YouTube should rise drastically.
Distribution will be easier and widespread
As currently constituted, the main players that allow for video podcast publishing are YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Within 5 years, most hosting platforms will likely find an efficient way to open up video publishing to brands and creators.
This may require changes to RSS standards to allow for video podcasts with audio fallback, but this seems likely.
AI will play a role in creating, editing, and distributing
Given the success of generative AI for writing, imagery, and video — this may be the biggest prediction on the ballot.
AI would potentially help bring video podcasting forward more rapidly than any other technology. Imagine a world where AI can take your content and refine, edit, and distribute it for you — all with the click of a button.
This could be reality within 5 years.
Integrating monetization efforts
There is currently very little overlap with monetization efforts. Sponsorships, ads, affiliates, and more all happen in separate channels with separate tools.
Video podcasting will get to a place where you’ll be able to simultaneously monetize audio & video podcasts on YouTube, as well as audio-only platforms.
Companies will create podcasts at a much larger scale than ever before
Just as companies feel compelled to create content on social media channels like Twitter and LinkedIn, they will feel the same need to have a video podcast in 5 years. This will become a default content channel that cannot be missed.
Short-form video will be the unequivocal way to grow a podcast
Many brands still resist using clips to promote a podcast. But the data shows that podcasts are increasingly being promoted via short-form video. This trend will continue to rise.
Eventually, platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts will make it even easier to do this, likely with built-in editing tools.
Quality of content will become far more important than quantity of episodes
Due to the added complexity of recording video on top of audio, quality will become the key talking point for every episode. It will no longer be enough to put out large quantities of episodes and hope for the best.
Instead, video podcasts will require deeper processes and ideation to ensure that each episode is differentiated, compelling, and high quality.
Only the truly dedicated will remain consistent
With issues like added costs, new skill requirements, and longer timelines — only the dedicated will survive. It will become easier and easier to produce video podcasts, but it will likely never be as simple as recording an audio-only conversation.
This leaves a massive opportunity open to companies willing to stick with their podcasting efforts long-term.
Live streaming will become more common in podcasting
This strategy already exists in full force, but will become much more prevalent and easy to execute on. Companies will use live podcasting as a way to connect to their audience.
More and more brands will push to host live streams monthly or even weekly.
In fact, Stone Roshell from Power Football Focus predicts this.
"Live streaming may become the biggest way to grow using video for your podcast."
Stone Roshell | Head of Podcast Production
Read more from the 2023 Riverside Annual Report series:
- Why has video podcasting become increasingly popular
- What are the major benefits of a video-first podcast vs a standard show
- How video podcasting has changed in the past several years
- How different audiences are responding to video podcasts
- Who benefits the most from a rise in video podcasting
- How companies are recording video podcasts
- How companies are growing their video podcast’s audience
- How companies are monetizing video podcasts
- When will video podcasting reach a place of maturity
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