Spotify is pushing podcasters to embrace video. Creators share 3 strategies for success with the format.
Content creators Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry shared their tips for video podcasters.
Spotify is trying to get more podcasters to use video as it chases huge growth in that corner of the industry and competes with rivals like YouTube.
On Thursday, July 25, the streaming company is hosting a free online masterclass for podcast creators looking to embrace video. It features a Q&A on best practices for video podcasts with Jordan Newman, senior director of creator partnerships at Spotify, and content creators Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, who are known for their popular podcast, “The Colin and Samir Show.”
The 60-minute episode explores the podcast industry’s shift toward video and offers tips for creating compelling videos, distributing content, and maintaining an authentic connection with an audience as a multi-platform creator.
The Spotify for Podcasters program launched its masterclass series last year to help podcast creators succeed on the platform.
Spotify has been investing in podcasting and the creator experience as it positions itself as a creator platform. Recently, the company launched a new tool that eliminates some of the steps in uploading podcasts that aren’t hosted by Spotify to the platform. Spotify also added features for listeners earlier this year, including a desktop miniplayer that lets premium listeners watch video podcasts while using other windows.
Video is booming across the podcast industry and the trend has helped rivals like YouTube get ahead in the space.
Spotify has also been growing its video podcasting business. The company said it has more than 250,000 video podcasts on the platform. The number of creators actively publishing videos each month has grown nearly 70% year-over-year and more than 170 million global users have watched a video podcast on Spotify, according to the company.
On Tuesday, Spotify reported its most profitable quarter ever, thanks in part to improvements across its music and podcasting businesses.
Spotify’s Newman led a Q&A with Rosenblum and Chaudry during the masterclass.
Here are three key strategies Rosenblum and Chaudry shared in the masterclass:
- Use video to deepen your connection with your audience. It speaks to the concept of depth versus width, Rosenblum and Chaudry said. A short-form video with 10 million views is an example of width, while someone sitting down to watch content for a long period of time demonstrates depth. Adding video to your long-form content can help build that depth by creating community. Video can also help create a unique language, like lore and inside jokes, which helps your audience feel more connected to your content and is much harder to do with audio alone.
- Make your production setup attainable. Build a production setup that will help develop your podcast’s look and feel. Keep it consistent so that your audience recognizes it. Knowing at a glance that your audience can identify your podcast helps build community. Creators don’t have to take it as far as Rosenblum, who wore the same blue jumpsuit for a full year of his video podcast with Chaudry, but creators can add decor and other elements that keep the shared visual identity. This also helps when content is shared across social media and other platforms.
- Prompt your listeners to engage with video. To increase engagement within the community you’re building, Rosenblum and Chaudry recommended flagging when listeners need to shift to viewing. Call out visual moments by adding a cue like, ” If you’re listening right now, come over and watch.”
