503 - Does Every Podcast Need To Be On YouTube?

Does every podcaster need to be on YouTube?

That is the question I’m answering in this episode of Podcast Answer Man.

A recent LinkedIn post, sent to me by my friend Stuart Crane, talked about YouTube’s latest podcast-focused features and the growing amount of podcast consumption happening on YouTube. The post suggested that the future of podcasting is not audio-first or video-first, but audience-first.

There is a lot in that statement that I agree with.

YouTube clearly wants to be seen as a podcast destination. More and more people are thinking of YouTube as their podcast app of choice. Some people discover podcasts first through YouTube. And if someone wants to consume podcast content there, I want my shows to be available to them.

In fact, for the first time in twenty years, I am willing to say this…

If you have a podcast, even if it is audio-only, I do believe you should consider submitting your podcast feed to YouTube.

But that does not mean I believe every podcaster needs to become a YouTuber.

That distinction is the heart of this episode.

I do not believe every podcast needs to become a video podcast. I do not believe every episode needs to be turned into short-form clips, blog posts, newsletters, and social media content. I do not believe creators should feel pressured to reshape their entire creative process around every platform’s preferences.

Podcasting has no rules.

That has always been one of the things I love most about it.