Why Starting a Podcast WITHOUT Video Is a Good (and Smart) Idea
- Scott Murray
- Feb 21
- 3 min read
If the only thing standing between you and starting a podcast is figuring out video, stop right there. You don't need it. Not yet, and maybe not ever.
I see this come up a lot, especially on LinkedIn, where businesses and personal brands are thinking about launching podcasts but getting stuck on video before they've even recorded a single episode. And I get why it feels like you have to figure both out at once. But I think it's worth slowing down on that assumption.
CONSIDER THIS - The people who are excited about video podcasting right now are probably not in the same situation you're in
Most of the people making the move to video podcasts are already comfortable on camera. That's a big part of why it's exciting to them. They're not learning something new.
If you've never done audio or video before, that's a different situation entirely. You'd be figuring out two things simultaneously that you've never done before, and that's a lot to take on.
When we get excited about something new (in this case a new content format), we tend to skip over some important factors, including what our audience actually wants.
As creators, we can make this mistake, but it's a marketing issue too. Someone will spend a whole week energized about a new content format at work, then go home and scroll right past that same type of content without a second thought.
THE TRUTH: People are very comfortable and genuinely interested in audio-only podcasts.
I was a guest on a podcast a few weeks ago that I've known about since around 2012.
ThE host has been doing it a long time, knows the trends, and is very aware of what's working. And even he told me that most of their listens are still coming from the audio side, not video.
So it's worth asking whether the push toward video is actually coming from your audience, or just getting caught up in all the video podcasting talk.
Think about how you actually consume video podcasts
When was the last time you sat and watched a long-form video podcast - and I mean actually watched it, not just had it on? For most interview-style shows running 45 minutes or more, people minimize the screen pretty quickly.
They're listening.
They might be at the gym, or doing something around the house, or streaming it from their phone somewhere. I've done exactly that. Listened to a video podcast while working out, screen on, actually watching none of it.
If that's how people are going to experience it anyway, audio handles that just fine. And most podcast hosting platforms will send your audio file directly to YouTube automatically, so you're available there without needing to produce a video show.
Starting with audio gives you something that's harder to see until you're in it
When you start with audio, you give yourself room to figure out how you actually want to communicate.
You get used to being in front of a microphone.
You develop your style, the way you talk to one listener instead of broadcasting at everyone.
You figure out your production process and get into a rhythm.
That part takes time, and it's a lot easier to focus on it when video isn't also in the mix.
And here's what happens when you do eventually move to video: you already know what you want to say and how you want to say it.
You've already done the harder work of figuring out how you communicate. The camera is just one more layer on top of something that's already solid.
Video and podcasting don't have to be the same thing
One thing that gets overlooked is that these don't have to be tied together at all. You can have an audio podcast and create video content as completely separate projects.
Maybe you take a topic you covered well on your podcast and talk about it on camera. Maybe you try a few things and see what connects.
If you're genuinely interested in podcasting but video has been making it feel more complicated than it needs to be, it's okay to set that aside for now.
Get comfortable with audio. Build the habit. Make a real connection with your listeners, one episode at a time.
Video will still be there when you're ready for it.
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