Podcast
Video podcast
A video podcast is a podcast filmed at the same time, so one recording produces both an audio episode and a video. The main reason is not the picture but the clips: an hour long conversation yields short videos for social media.
What it means in practice
The technical minimum is two cameras, one per speaker, two microphones recorded to separate tracks and lighting that does not throw shadows under the eyes. A third wide camera is useful but not essential. What matters more is not changing the location, so episodes look alike and the lighting is not rebuilt from scratch each time. Preparing the room takes an hour, recording an hour, editing two to three days.
Why companies accept the extra cost: an audio podcast is hard to promote, because there is nothing to show on social. A video podcast produces three to five one minute clips that live their own lives and pull listeners to the full episode. One recording then covers two weeks of content across channels, which is cheaper than inventing that content separately.
What to set up from the start: record audio separately per speaker, otherwise you cannot fix one person coughing during the other's answer. Mark the timecode whenever a good thought lands, which saves the editor hours of searching. And agree with the guest in advance that clips will also be published on their own.
Where it goes wrong: two people sitting for an hour staring into a camera without moving. The picture adds nothing and the cost went up. A video podcast earns its place when there is something extra to show, a product, a drawing, a guest's reaction. And if you have no capacity to cut clips, filming it is simply a more expensive audio podcast.
We tell clients that clips are planned before the recording, not after. When you know in advance you want five answers to five questions, the host asks them so each can stand alone. Try it today: watch your last episode and find three minutes that would make sense on their own.