The question "video or audio" is really a question of where your listeners are. Audio goes to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, while video also opens up YouTube and short videos on social media. Here is how to choose.
Audio podcast
- The cheapest way to start: microphones and a quiet room are enough.
- People listen while walking, driving or working out.
- Some speakers feel more at ease when there are no cameras.
- It is harder to attract new listeners, because short videos are harder to make from an audio recording.
Video podcast
- It also reaches YouTube, where many people watch podcasts rather than just listen.
- One episode can be turned into several Reels, Shorts and TikTok videos.
- Faces and emotions build a connection faster than a voice alone.
- More expensive and more complex: you need cameras, lighting and multi-camera editing.
Often the best choice is both
Once you record video, you get the audio version with almost no extra work: from the same recording, you publish the video on YouTube and the audio on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. That is why many shows are filmed even when most of their audience listens.
In our studio, we film with up to 5 cameras and each speaker talks into their own microphone, so both versions come from one recording.
How to decide
- If starting quickly and cheaply matters most, choose audio.
- If you want to grow through YouTube and social media, film.
- If the show is for a business and it matters to show the people, film.
- If your guests do not want cameras, go with audio, but suggest at least one camera for short videos.
Price
In our studio, a video podcast episode with 2.5 hours of filming, editing and one Reel costs €400 + VAT. We worked out what a podcast costs in general in a separate guide, and described how short videos are made in our guide to Reels and Shorts.