With YouTube Booming, Podcast Creators Get Camera-Ready
The New York Times
To some, “video podcasts” are a contradiction in terms. That hasn’t made them any less popular.
For its new podcast studio in Burbank, Calif., Exactly Right Media — the company behind hit shows like “My Favorite Murder” and “This Podcast Will Kill You” — made several investments in high-end audio equipment: soundproofing, microphones, a dedicated control room.
But that was only half the job.
Next, it purchased half-a-dozen video cameras with the help of consultants, hired a set designer and a lighting designer, and found someone to build the scaffolding from which the new equipment would hang.
“We got the best truss guy in the city,” said Danielle Kramer, the company’s chief operating officer.
Until recently, Exactly Right would have had little need for such accouterments — more typical of a television studio than an audio company whose products are primarily consumed on long commutes or during weeknight dish duty. But the podcast industry is changing. As consumers, especially those under 30, spend more time on video platforms like YouTube and TikTok, many audio creators are reimagining their work to be seen as well as heard.
New shows, like “Power User,” “Beyond the Arc” and “What Now? With Trevor Noah,” now commonly launch with video on Day 1, while established series — including “Las Culturistas” and “Planet Money” — have added video supplements. According to a Times analysis of data published by Edison Research, 16 of the top 30 podcasts in the final quarter of 2023 — more than half — were available as filmed videos, compared with just seven of the top 30 from that same period two years earlier.
