Doing THIS on YouTube? You’re Wasting Your Time.
Answering a question as old as YouTube podcasts
The question I’m tackling today is one that’s been asked ever since YouTube started putting serious resources into podcasting.
Three years ago, I was at The Podcast Show in London, sitting in on a session with YouTube’s new head of podcast partnerships. They were rolling out new podcast features, and the industry was eager to know what it all meant.
Someone in the audience asked a crucial question. YouTube’s answer? Vague at best. Nobody walked away feeling any wiser.
Fast forward to today, and podcasters are still asking the same thing:
Do I actually have to film my podcast to put it on YouTube?
I get it. Podcasting is an audio-first medium. Many podcasters love the intimacy - and let’s be honest, the relative anonymity - of speaking into a microphone. No need to worry about lighting, angles, or what your face is doing when you talk.
Cameras make people self-conscious. Some podcasters don’t like the sound of their own voice - but that’s something you get over. Seeing yourself on screen is a whole different level of vulnerability.
And then there’s the practical side. Many podcasts simply don’t translate well to video (looking at you, narrative shows). Adding video means extra costs, extra skills, and extra headaches.
So it’s understandable why so many podcasters ask:
Can I just upload a still image with audio, or an animated waveform?
The short answer: Yes, you can.
It’s your show, you can do what you like.
The real question: Is it worth it?
The reality of YouTube’s algorithm
I’ve been experimenting with YouTube podcasts since before their big podcast push. I’ve spoken with YouTube directly, tested their new features, and worked with Acast on early integrations.
The video podcasts I oversee are now regularly getting over 1.5 million views a month on YouTube.
And after all of that, I can tell you this:
The single biggest factor that determines YouTube success is watch time.
If a viewer watches your video for an extended period, YouTube is more likely to recommend your next video to similar users.
If they click away quickly, YouTube takes that as a sign your content isn’t worth pushing.
And guess what? Audiogram-style videos tank watch time.
Here’s a typical watch time graph for an audiogram podcast:
See that ski-slope-style drop at the beginning? That’s users clicking away almost immediately. They see the title, they click… and then they leave. Maybe they find another video. Maybe - blasphemy! - they close YouTube entirely (the algorithm considers this a Very Bad Thing).
If you were YouTube, would you recommend this video to new users? Of course not.
Now, compare that to a watch time graph from a filmed podcast discussion:
See the difference? The second video keeps viewers engaged. Some even watch to the end. And that makes YouTube far more likely to promote it.
A case study: The Economist
For years, The Economist ran a hugely successful YouTube channel with high-production-value documentaries, racking up millions of subscribers and hundreds of thousands of views per video.
Then, last year, they shifted strategy. They moved most of their podcasts behind a paywall and scaled back YouTube production. Now, their channel features a mix of:
Short live-action clips
Sponsored video documentaries
Full podcast episodes uploaded as audiograms
Which format do you think performs best?
Here’s what the public view counts tell us:
Their live-action videos regularly hit tens or even hundreds of thousands of views.
Their audiogram-style podcasts? 5,000 to 10,000 views per episode.
And this is with 3+ million subscribers and years of YouTube authority.
If The Economist - with all their resources and audience reach - can’t make audiograms work, what are the chances they’ll work for smaller or new channels?
So, do you really need to film your podcast?
If your goal is to grow your podcast audience on YouTube, the answer is yes.
If your goal is to get some extra podcast listens on YouTube with minimal effort... the answer is still yes.
Actions you can take right now
Commit to video: If you’re serious about YouTube, start recording your podcast on camera.
Keep it simple: A well-lit webcam setup is better than an audiogram.
Optimise for watch time: Edit for engagement - cut dead air, add visual interest, and keep the pacing tight.
Test and learn: Compare a filmed episode with an audiogram and check your analytics. The results should speak for themselves.
Look at successful channels: See what works for others in your niche. Odds are, it’s not still images or animated waveforms with audio.
What do you think? Have you tested audiograms vs filmed podcasts? Let me know!
Worth your time
Business Insider reports that Netflix are considering a move into podcasts, not least because of the significant audience opportunity at low, low prices.
A top talent agent said that in conversations in recent months, Netflix insiders had warmed to the idea of tapping podcasting talent to host a talk-based video show, after previously expressing skepticism that the format could work on the platform.
In the same week, YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan published his annual open letter in which he called YouTube “the new TV”:
For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube. Viewers are watching, on average, over 1B hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, and TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S. But the "new" television doesn’t look like the "old" television. It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love.
The content landscape is changing, with streaming platforms desperate to capitalise on the audience reach and economic publishing consistency of podcasts.
That’s it for this week. Thanks so much for reading!
Is there anything you’d like me to write about in a future issue of Podcast Strategy Weekly? Let me know by reply to this email or in the comments on Substack.
Until next time,
Chris
I know that what you wrote is true, and very helpful. But... unfortunately, not all of us can follow your guidance. My podcast relies on remote recording via Riverside with guests who don't have the lighting, camera placement, or makeup team to generate a good-looking video. Plus, I include a lot of archival audio that has no video at all. Even so, by letting Buzzsprout automatically add my podcasts to Youtube, I've greatly increased my audience size. When I shared my classic hip-hop interviews, I actually got more than 10x listeners on Youtube than on other podcast apps. So, in my case, it's a great free bonus. I'm grateful to have my podcast on Youtube, even without video.
Great article. And to be honest, you’d be insane to think that you’d expect the same results from an audio first platform to a video first platform. And to be frank, its not even fair for your audience to expect them to watch an audiogram. I wouldn’t. I go to YouTube to watch something.