The term “podcasting” was offered by British journalist Ben Hammersley back in 2004 when he combined the words broadcasting and iPod. The author suggested calling this way a new technological trend in the delivery of audio files to Apple players. As a result, the whole sphere of content production and distribution was called podcasting.

However, during the pandemic, audio podcasts began to lose popularity, although listeners had more free time. And the vodcasting began to come to the fore. Let’s figure out what it is, why it became so popular, and how to vodcast your podcast.

Why is audio podcasting losing popularity?

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted individual podcasters in different ways, with some reporting no change in engagement and others reporting a kind of roller coaster in listener numbers. All in all, the overall podcast market has plummeted as a result of the rapid spread of the virus. And all because the audience began to mainly consume video content.

The reason for this phenomenon is probably associated with a change in people’s lives – most of them began to sit in front of computer screens almost 24/7. Audio podcasts are used more often on the way to work, to the gym, or during work breaks in the office. Now, stuck at home and without commuting regularly, listeners are turning to other sources of entertainment, leaving audio podcasts aside.

Will audio podcasts disappear altogether? Of course not. As life returns to normal and companies return people to their offices, a certain proportion of people will return to listening to live podcasts on the go with their headphones on.

But what can traditional podcasters do now to bring back their audience activity? Record video, of course!

The ultimate vodcasting guide

The video now is more popular than ever, so it’s time to start experimenting with vodcasting. 

Vodcasting means filming a recording of your podcast with the subsequent exchange of the podcast in both video and audio format.

Vodcasting helps to gain more distribution on the Internet, which means more clicks, likes, listens, and subscriptions.

At the same time, creating video podcasts is a fairly simple process. Today you don’t need to pass cinematic courses to create high-quality videos, and with new technologies and easy-to-use programs, things become even easier. If you’ve created audio podcasts before, you are likely to already have half the equipment and resources you need.

• Equipment

It is not at all necessary to buy expensive and complicated video podcast equipment. You might be surprised, but even Skype and Zoom will do, which can be run on almost any computer, and they have built-in video and audio recording capabilities. Moreover, if you’re recording interview podcasts with guests, these programs come in handy because Skype and Zoom automatically switch between speakers, so you never have to cut out individual frames.

You can save video from software directly or use a screen recorder for Mac or Windows.

• Editing

Having recorded everything, start editing your vodcast. Cut out long pauses, sneezes, smacking lips and other elements that can force viewers to pause and never return to watching your episodes. It’s up to you to consider what needs to be cut and what is your gimmick. Watch your video after a short break from the point of view of another person, then it will be clear what is better to cut out, and what is cool and can be left.

Let’s move on to the editing programs. There are a lot of them, both as simple as possible with simple functionality for beginners and for professional ones. Personally, we advise you to immediately start learning something complex with a future perspective. Of course, it will be difficult to learn, but as you improve your skills, you won’t need to retrain, which will save time.

And don’t forget to add subtitles, meme clips, and bright effects to your video. Now it’s a must-have in the sphere of vodcasting. Also, it would not hurt to collect a simple jingle or, as it is more popularly called, an opening splash screen. Create unique content, and you’ll rock the market.

• Promotion

Once the vodcast is ready, be sure to upload it to popular video hosting sites such as Vimeo or YouTube. If it’s a live stream vodcast, use Twitch. YouTube is especially useful for sharing vodcasts, as 43% of podcast listeners turn to the popular video platform first for new episodes of their favorite shows.

Another good way to promote your podcast and your brand on YouTube is by creating micro-content. You can create short YouTube videos from podcast episodes to give your viewers an idea of ​​what to expect. 

Don’t forget about YouTube SEO. YouTube works in much the same way as Google. Just as any written content can be optimized for better search rankings, YouTube videos also need to be optimized to be seen. The same principles apply when you promote your podcast on YouTube. You should optimize your content using relevant keywords in your video titles and descriptions.

Final say 

Basically, the moral of the story is simple: vodcasting shouldn’t be any more difficult than podcasting, except that you’ll definitely need to wear pants while recording. Well, follow our tips and you will definitely forget about returning to audio podcasting.