In 2004, the world of podcasting was initiated. The credit for inventing podcasts and making them accessible to the public is largely given to Adam Curry and Dave Winer. 

Libsyn, a company that offered hosting services for podcasts on the web, also emerged during the same year. In 2005, Apple introduced built-in compatibility for podcasts on iTunes, resulting in a significant transformation in the realm of content.

Video Podcasting 5 Years Ago

Despite the early start, video podcasts have only recently gained mainstream popularity due to the rise of social media and streaming platforms. 

However, their existence predates the widespread availability of high-speed internet and mobile devices which are now essential for watching them. The producers of “Days” broadcasted episodes every week via their website.

Half a decade ago, brands weren’t as prevalent in video podcasting as they are today. It appeared that every individual had their own show, while only one branded video podcast was present per every thousand shows.

Reflecting on video podcasts from five years ago, certain important aspects can be easily identified.

  • Clips did not play a significant role in the distribution of episodes.
  • Frequently, brands did not actually use video content on platforms such as YouTube. Instead, they would release audio-only files with a graphical cover included in the mp4 format.
  • Full episodes did not require video quality to be as important as it is today.
  • Videos lacked movement and did not incorporate much supplementary footage or interactive on-screen elements.
  • The focus of the optimization was on improving the quality of the audio in the recording, rather than enhancing the video aspect.
  • The typical format for interviews is usually a one-on-one setting.

 Transformations In The Realm Of Video Podcasting

Only a few years ago, it was not often seen that brands would upload complete podcast episodes on YouTube. However, things have changed quickly, and now many brands are doing this frequently.

During that same period, the sudden success of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts has led to an increase in opportunities for distributing short video clips.

Gaining more leverage from content

There is currently an ongoing discussion about the connection between videos and podcasts, their significance in the future, and whether or not brands can thrive without them.

This new approach aims to improve connection and relationships through long-form content, while short-form videos are utilized to create engagement and increase awareness. 

TikTok, an example of a short-form video app, personally values the importance of longer videos on their platform, contrary to common belief. I’m sorry, there isn’t a paragraph provided for me to paraphrase. Please provide the original paragraph in your question.

Let’s explore each channel in more depth.

Now is a great time for intelligent content creators to improve audience growth by utilizing the recent surge of resources from significant platforms such as TikTok, Spotify, and YouTube towards video podcasts.

YouTube

In February 2005, YouTube began as a platform for sharing small home videos with a daily traffic of 30,000 visits. However, in just one year, the platform expanded and exceeded expectations by serving over 100 million videos to its users every day. This rapid growth continued even further.

YouTube has evolved in terms of capabilities, features and viewership which led to its global user base surpassing 2.6 billion.

The typical duration of videos uploaded on YouTube in 2005 was approximately 2 minutes.

Presently, the typical length of YouTube videos exceeds 15 minutes. The call for extended content has persistently risen year after year.

Podcasts tend to be lengthier as compared to other forms of media. Based on a survey conducted among several companies, it was found that the typical duration of an episode falls in the range of 30-45 minutes. 32% of podcasts fall under this category.

It is probable that platforms such as YouTube will experience longer episodes and this will not negatively affect the number of viewers.

This is one of the most authentic methods for recording extended content (any material lasting over 15 minutes on YouTube) which contains:

  • Interesting
  • Repeatable
  • High quality
  • Easy to record

Video content, particularly in a lengthier format, is extremely effective for enhancing customer devotion to a brand. An estimated 62% of businesses involved in generating content share videos on YouTube.

And it makes sense why:

Brands that produce a large number of captivating videos are rewarded by YouTube.

YouTube creates an even stronger sense of user engagement, ultimately leading to more advertising revenue for the platform. Consider this: YouTube’s main objective is to increase their profits. 

They achieve this by encouraging users to spend as much time as possible on the site. Engaging and enjoyable videos will keep users engaged for several minutes, and a series of high-quality videos can prolong their stay even further. 

The sharing of extended video content on YouTube leads to greater user involvement and increased advertising revenue for the platform. Enhances it to the highest possible level.

Overtime, YouTube has been focusing more on longer videos and this trend is expected to continue. 

Furthermore, they have recently announced their intentions to create a special section on the YouTube website exclusively for podcasts.

Using video podcasts is going to be an excellent approach for delivering a significant amount of top-notch content onto the platform. Furthermore, YouTube is said to be the number one platform in terms of popularity among US adults who listen to video podcasts that are five hours or longer per week.

YouTube has the capability to offer services for hosting and producing audio content. They can also integrate this with video content and provide detailed statistics, as they already do. 

The process of creating content is straightforward and user-friendly, and they also provide tools for search engine optimization. Additionally, the platform’s popularity makes it a preferred option for many users.

Spotify

Spotify initially gave priority to providing users with top-notch audio streaming. Other features such as podcasts and videos were introduced later on.

In 2017, Spotify started laying the foundation for the inclusion of podcasts as a significant part of their app. They achieved this through strategic purchases of companies such as Soundtrap in 2017, Parcast and Anchor both in 2019.

Soon after, this was confirmed when Spotify started purchasing podcast media organizations such as Gimlet Media (2019), The Ringer (2020), and the Joe Rogan Experience (2020). 

Although these programs initially only featured audio, they also started integrating a video element to their episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spotify gained an advantage in offering video podcasts within their app by acquiring Anchor. Currently, the sole method of uploading a video onto Spotify is by utilizing Anchor’s hosting services.

Spotify and YouTube share a common objective of prolonging user engagement within their respective applications. Incorporating podcasts and video podcasts into Spotify’s platform would contribute to achieving this goal.

TikTok

In 2016, TikTok aimed to establish itself as a primary platform for brief and engaging content. It did not aspire to be like YouTube in any way.

Content creators and companies are now aware that TikTok’s content has a distinct characteristic.

  • Easy to share
  • Easy to scroll
  • Enticing to stay

Video podcasts typically last for at least 15 minutes. Therefore, how is TikTok a part of the video podcasting arena?

Currently, TikTok does not support the sharing of lengthy content. Instead, brands can use the platform for engagement-focused video podcasting. 

This involves numerous short clips of a podcast being posted to offer viewers a preview of the show. It’s now simpler than ever to catch a glimpse of a show in progress. 

One should consider investing in something carefully before committing to it through a subscription.

TikTok is transitioning towards allowing longer videos, increasing the previous maximum length of 3 minutes to 10 minutes. This implies that longer and more in-depth content is likely to become more common on the platform over time. It is closer than you may realize.

There is a third piece of information indicating that TikTok may add a feature for podcasts. Although official plans have not been announced, it appears likely that the company is considering this option.